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  • Principles of Drug Actions
MICROCREDENTIAL

Principles of Drug Actions

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In Principles of Drug Actions, you’ll learn about the chemical structure of drugs, and how this determines their activity at receptor sites. You will also learn about dose-response relationships, and how they can be applied to predict the activity of drugs over time. These concepts are fundamental to understanding the mechanisms behind how drugs produce a desired therapeutic effect.

About this course

Pharmacology is a biomedical discipline that is concerned with the study of the effects of drugs on living systems. This course provides the introductory principles governing drug action. These principles are expanded upon in our accompanying microcredentials, Drugs in the Human Body and Mechanism of Drugs in Treatment.

In this course you’ll explore the chemical nature of drugs and the relationship between structure and activity. You will develop a comprehensive understanding of drug actions at their receptor sites, as well as the mechanisms and specificity of drug action.

Online content is complemented by a Zoom tutorial program which emphasises the relationship between the properties of a drug and its delivery.

The study of pharmacology is an important part of any general medical or bioscience education and is also relevant to careers in teaching, law, and local government. This course is designed not only towards training specialist pharmacologists, but also aims to provide a broad understanding of drugs, how they affect living organisms and their impact on society. The fundamental principles of pharmacology covered in this course are essential to developing an understanding of the metabolism and actions of specific drugs in detail.

Course outline

More information on course content

Module 1 - Introduction to pharmacology

Learning objectives:

  • The birth of pharmacology as a science
  • Definitions
  • How drugs work
  • Drug nomenclature
  • Therapeutic drug market
  • Guide to poisons regulations
  • Mechanisms of drug action
  • Dose-response relationships.

Module 2 - Agonists, antagonists, and drug toxicity

Learning objectives:

  • What are agonists and antagonists?
  • Affinity vs. efficacy
  • Types of receptor antagonists
  • Partial agonists and spare receptors
  • Desensitisation and tachyphylaxis
  • Drug toxicity.

Module 3 - Drug receptors

Learning objectives:

  • To describe the major types of target proteins on which drugs act
  • To describe structure and activity of receptors and ion channels
  • To describe the various forms of receptor- effector linkages
  • Receptor classification
  • Other drug targets (enzymes and transporters).

Module 4 - Pharmacokinetics

Learning objectives:

Administration & Absorption

  • Understand the effect of pH partitioning and lipid solubility on drug absorption
  • Describe factors affecting the absorption of drugs via oral administration, especially first-pass metabolism
  • Understand the suitability, limitations and precautions of various routes of administration
  • Outline the concept of bioavailability.

Distribution

  • Describe the influence of the volume of distribution on tissue distribution of drugs
  • Utilise the volume of distribution to calculate body burden, verify quantities of ingestion and calculate peak plasma concentrations
  • Explain the role of plasma proteins in modulating free drug plasma concentrations and to alter drug half-life
  • Explain risks associated with displacement of plasma protein-bound drugs.

Metabolism & Excretion

  • Understand the concept of prodrugs
  • Outline how the metabolism and/or excretion of a drug may be influenced by the physicochemical properties of the drug
  • Describe the basic mechanisms of phase I and phase II reactions
  • Outline the mechanisms involved in renal and biliary elimination of drugs
  • Describe how enterohepatic recirculation prolongs the duration of action of drugs.

Quantitative Pharmacokinetics

  • Explain how drug clearance (CL) determines steady-state plasma concentration
  • Calculate the half-life, volume of distribution, clearance and loading doses of drugs
  • Explain how the time-course of drug clearance can be described using one or two compartment kinetic models
  • Understand differences between first-order and zero-order (saturation) kinetics
  • Explain the pharmacokinetics of alcohol, including why alcohol has a constant rate of metabolism per hour.

 

 

Key benefits of this microcredential

This course provides 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 subject, Principles of Drug Actions (91181), in the Master of Science (C04241). This microcredential may qualify for recognition of prior learning at this and other institutions.

Who is this course for?

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

Course information

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.

Assessment

There are 3 assessment tasks for this course:

Assessment task 1 - Pharmacokinetics case study (Presentation, group and individually assessed, weight 20%)

Assessment task 2 - End-of-session quiz (Individual, weight 50%)

Assessment task 3 - Pharmacokinetics Zoom tutorial (Quiz/test, individual, weight 30%)

Teaching and learning strategies

Over the course, emphasis will be placed on modes of drug action, structure-activity relationships and drug targets. During the course, there will be opportunities to assess your understanding of the topic and discuss responses through the use of monitored discussion boards and a Zoom tutorial session. Resources and activities are to be accessed via the Canvas learning management system (access will be provided).

Participants will be given access to a self-directed dose-response tutorial. They are encouraged to direct their learning with video links provided and engage in coordinated learning via the monitored discussion boards.

In the pharmacokinetic Zoom tutorial, you will work in groups to tackle a range of pharmacokinetic problems based on real-life examples relating to the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs. During the final hour of the tutorial, you will be given 30 minutes to complete responses based on a case study involving drug interactions to determine the mechanism, potential consequences for patients and alternative therapeutic strategies. Your group will be required to present your case study findings in a five-minute presentation to the course coordinator over Zoom. The tutorial component will be worth 30% of your mark and the case study presentation worth 20%.

Content will further be 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.

Enrolment requirements

Completion of all assessment tasks, and an overall mark of 50% (pass) or above.

Mandatory requirements

There are no specific requirements for this microcredential, though a background in science is recommended.

Required texts

None – any pharmacology textbook would aid study.

Participant requirements and equipment

Access to a computer and the internet.

Price

Full price: $1680 (GST free)

Discount codes are available for the following:

  • 10% discount for Alumni and Staff
  • A discounted price of $AU 1300 for applicants to C04252 Master of Pharmacy

If you are eligible for any of the discounts above, you will need to obtain a discount code BEFORE you sign up to this course.

Please email support@open.uts.edu.au with your UTS staff or alumni number or provide details of your enrolment to C04252 Master of Pharmacy. Once verified, you will be supplied with a voucher code to apply to your cart.

Please note that discounts cannot be combined. A limit of one discount applies per person per course session.

$1,680.00

START DATE

Start anytime

MODE

Online

DURATION

Self paced
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Lead Academic

Associate Professor Brian Oliver

Associate Professor Brian Oliver
Associate Head of School (Research), School of Life Sciences

Brian is a translational researcher who aims to identify and develop new ways of treating respiratory diseases. His scientific training began at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, UK, where he mastered the isolation and in-vitro culture of several types of human lung cells. He then had further training in both molecular biology (two publications: he discovered a new gene in humans, and examined epigenetic programming events during embryogenesis) (University of Leeds) and then virology at Prof Sebastian Johnston’s laboratory at Imperial College, UK, before commencing his PhD at The University of Sydney (supervised by Prof Judith Black).

Brian is now head of the Respiratory Molecular Pathogenesis group with laboratory facilities located at both UTS and the Woolcock Institute. The work from his group is recognised to be amongst the best in the world, evidenced by selection for presentation at symposia at both national and large international conferences, as well as through prestigious publications.

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Book a session

Self paced
Expert: Associate Professor Brian Oliver
  • Monday, 16 November 2020 - Monday, 15 February 2021
  • Online
$1,680.00
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