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Mechanisms of Drugs in Treatment - UTS Open
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  • Mechanisms of Drugs in Treatment
MICROCREDENTIAL

Mechanisms of Drugs in Treatment

Enrol now
$900.00

START DATE

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MODE

Online

DURATION

5 wks

COMMITMENT

Avg 10 hrs/wk

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In this microcredential, we take a deeper look at the mechanisms behind drugs used to treat specific conditions, including asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and chronic pain. You’ll also learn about how analgesics and anaesthetics work to achieve an effective therapeutic effect. We look at examples of common conditions, including asthma, chronic pain, diabetes and epilepsy to explore how drugs work as treatments for each of these conditions.

About this microcredential

Pharmacology is a biomedical discipline that is concerned with the study of the effects of drugs on living systems. Mechanisms of Drugs in Treatment builds on the topics covered in the previous microcredentials in this series (Principles of Drug Actions and Drugs in the Human Body) to explain in detail how drugs work to treat specific conditions including asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and chronic pain.

You will also learn about specialised classes of drugs including opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines and anaesthetics – how they work to produce desired pharmacological effects, as well as unwanted side effects and the issues that arise around addiction, tolerance and dependence of these drugs.  

Key benefits of this microcredential

This microcredential is equipped to provide participants with fundamental knowledge in pharmacology. The study of pharmacology is part of all nursing, medical, and pharmacy degrees, as well as many science degrees. 

This microcredential aligns with the 2 credit point undergraduate subject, Mechanism of Drugs in Treatment (91182). Where this subject is a prerequisite for entry to the Master of Science (C04241) or Graduate Certificate in Science (C11216), successful completion of this microcredential may meet that requirement.

Who should do this microcredential?

This microcredential is for anyone who is interested in understanding how drugs work, or who needs to have pharmacology as a requisite for postgraduate study (for example a postgraduate pharmacy degree).

IMPORTANT INFO FOR NEW OR CURRENT UTS STUDENTS - If you have a UTS student email address, or have received a UTS offer, please book this course by logging into UTS Open with your UTS student email address.

Price

Full price: $900 (GST free)*

*Price subject to change. Please check price at time of purchase. 

Enrolment conditions

Course purchase is subject to UTS Open Terms and Conditions. 

COVID-19 response 

UTS complies with latest Government health advice. Delivery of all courses complies with the UTS response to COVID-19.

Additional course information

Course outline

The following content will be covered during this course:

Module 1 - Opioids

  • Explain the mechanism of pain
  • Detail the following concepts about opioid drugs:

  -  Classification of opioid drugs; structure of opioid drugs

  -  Target receptors and mechanism of action

  -  Pharmacologic effects/unwanted effects; tolerance and dependence

  -  Pharmacokinetics

  -  Therapeutic uses

  • Identify the roles of:

  -  Agonist-antagonists and partial agonists

  -  Opioid antagonists.

Module 2 - Neuromuscular blockers

  • Compare and contrast depolarising and non-depolarising blockers
  • Representative drugs
  • Mechanism of action
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Order of relaxation
  • Side effects
  • Identify the possible drug interactions
  • Identify the clinical uses of neuromuscular blocking drugs.

Module 3 – Benzodiazepines

  • Describe the function of GABAA receptor chloride channels in neuronal excitability
  • Indicate the effects of BZDs, alcohol and barbiturates on these channels
  • Relate the duration of effect of BZDs to the presence of active metabolites
  • Outline the therapeutic uses of BZDs and flumazenil.

Module 4 - Anaesthetics

General Anaesthetics

  • Describe the global pharmacological effects of general anaesthetics (GAs) including theories of anaesthesia
  • Describe the mechanism of action and side-effects of intravenous and inhalational anaesthetics
  • Outline the pharmacokinetic properties of general anaesthetics.

Local Anaesthetics

  • Understand the structure-activity relationships of local anaesthetics and how they relate to duration of action and side-effects
  • Describe the mechanism of action of local anaesthetics on voltage- gated sodium channels
  • Outline the unwanted side-effects of local anaesthetics
  • Describe the clinical uses of local anaesthetics including routes of administration.

Module 5 - Antiepileptic Drugs

  • Describe the etiology of seizures and epilepsy
  • Differentiate the different epilepsy types
  • Define the older and newer subgroups of AEDs and their mechanism of action to control epilepsy
  • Provide drugs of choice for the major categories of epilepsy
  • Outline major drug interactions and teratogenic risks of AEDs.

Module 6 - Drugs for Diabetes Treatment

  • Understand the use of insulin in different types of diabetes
  • Know the administration and side-effects of the insulin
  • Know the classification and working mechanisms of hypoglycemic drugs, their major side-effects and complications in type 2 diabetes
  • Be inspired by the new development of antidiabetic drugs.

Module 7 - Drugs in Asthma

  • Explain the pathophysiology of asthma
  • Explain the importance of bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory therapies
  • Differentiate “controllers/relievers” from “preventers”
  • Explain the mechanisms of action of asthma drugs
  • Limitations to current therapy.

Course delivery

Learning will be facilitated through online material presented on the UTS Canvas learning management system (access will be provided). Participants will use the knowledge for active discussion with their peers via monitored discussion boards and Zoom tutorial sessions.

During the Zoom tutorial you will be introduced to the blog assignment, wherein each participant will be assigned a topic to research and write a blog-style article about. The blog assignment will be worth 50% of your final mark.

Content will be further assessed through an end-of-session quiz that will be delivered on Canvas. All topics delivered on Canvas and during the Zoom tutorial are assessable in this quiz. It will be worth 50% of your final mark.

Supplementary assessment items and examinations for this course are not available.

It is recommended that any questions regarding the above are posted to the monitored message board prior to emailing the course coordinator.

Course learning objectives

On successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Implement the principles of pharmacokinetics in describing drug uptake, transport, metabolism and excretion from the human body
  • Elucidate drug activity through interactions with target molecules including receptors, transporters and enzymes
  • Explain the principles governing individual variation to drugs and drug interactions
  • Explicate the pharmacology and therapeutic uses of the drugs used to treat diabetes, asthma, and epilepsy
  • Explicate the pharmacology of local and general anaesthetics and the benzodiazepine class of drugs based on an understanding of the human nervous system
  • Research, interpret and effectively communicate a pharmacology topic you have researched in a written form suitable for online presentation to the general public.

Assessment

There are two assessment tasks for this course:

Task 1 - Online science communication task; blog style article (weighting: 50%)

Task 2 - End-of-session quiz (weighting: 50%)

In order to pass the course, participants are required to complete all assessment tasks and achieve an overall mark of 50% or above.

Requirements

Mandatory

To complete this online course, you will need a personal computer with adequate internet access and sufficient software and bandwidth to support web conferencing. You will also require an operating system with a web browser compatible with Canvas.

Desired

A background in science is recommended for participants in this course.

Any pharmacology textbook would aid participants in their studies.

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UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

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