SU503: Pharmacology A

Study Board of Science

Teaching language: Danish or English depending on the teacher
EKA: N800008112, N800008132, N800008102
Assessment: Second examiner: None, Second examiner: External
Grading: Pass/Fail, 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Spring
Level: Bachelor

STADS ID (UVA): N800008101
ECTS value: 5

Date of Approval: 18-11-2022


Duration: 1 semester

Version: Archive

Comment



Entry requirements

Pharmacy students cannot choose this course as optional. Furthermore, the course cannot be taken by students whose curriculum includes SU516, SU517, SU518 and SU519 as mandatory elements.

Academic preconditions

Students taking the course are expected to have basic knowledge of anatomy, protein and RNA/DNA biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, human physiology.

Course introduction

The aim of the course is to provide students with knowledge about the main fields in pharmacology, which are classical pharmacokinetics (drug administration, absorption, distribution and excretion), molecular and cellular pharmacology (effects of drugs at the cellular level including drug-receptor interactions and intracellular signaling), organ pharmacology (effects of drugs on certain organs and their use for treatment of common diseases) and methods used in pharmacological research. This is important in regard to understand how drugs act on the body and the body acts on the drugs.

The course builds on the knowledge acquired in the courses SU501 Anatomy and SU502 Medical Physiology, and gives an academic basis for studying pharmacology in relationship to modern technology and health and apply this in future biomedical research.

In relation to the competence profile of the degree it is the explicit focus of the course to:
Give the competence to:
  • identify own learning needs and structure own learning in different learning environments
  • participate professionally in collaboration both within biomedicine but also cross-disciplinary based on group oriented projects.
Give skills to:
  • combine the basic scientific skills with applied medical skills focusing on the human organism
  • acquire new knowledge in an efficient and independent manner and to consciously apply that knowledge
Give knowledge and understanding of
  • theories and experimental methods in the central fields of molecular biology and biomedicine
  • the mode of action of medicine on the human organs
  • the scientific terminology used within the fields of molecular biology and biomedicine
  • how scientific knowledge is obtained in an interaction between theory and experiment

Expected learning outcome

The learning objective of the course is that the student demonstrates the ability to:
  • Explain basic concepts of the interaction between drugs and receptors and the consequences for intracellular signal mechanisms.
  • Explain principles of pharmacokinetics and make simple calculations by first order kinetics.
  • Explain basic concepts of drug administration, absorption, distribution and elimination.
  • Explain the mechanism of action of drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system
  • Explain the mechanisms of action of common drugs acting on smooth muscle cells in the cardio-vascular system, intestines and bronchi 
  • Explain the mechanism of action of common drugs used for blood glucose regulation, relief of pain, and modulation of inflammation.
  • Explain the principles of antimicrobial drugs and the mechanism of action of main groups of antibiotics
  • Explain the mechanism of action of main groups of anticancer drugs
  • Name and explain common or typical side effects of drugs

Content

The following main topics are contained in the course:
  • Basic pharmacology
  • Receptor and cellular pharmacology
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Methods and measurements in pharmacology
  • Pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system
  • Pharmacology of blood glucose regulation
  • Pharmacology of pain relief
  • Pulmonary pharmacology
  • Cardiovascular pharmacology
  • Pharmacology of antibacterial drugs
  • Pharmacology of anticancer drugs

Literature

See itslearning for syllabus lists and additional literature references.

Examination regulations

Prerequisites for participating in the exam element a)

Timing

Spring

Tests

MCQ-test and participation in lab exercises

EKA

N800008112

Assessment

Second examiner: None

Grading

Pass/Fail

Identification

Full name and SDU username

Language

Normally, the same as teaching language

Examination aids

To be announced during the course

ECTS value

0

Additional information

The MCQ-test must be passed with 80 % correct answers and relate to the laboratory excercise.
The prerequisite examination is a prerequisite for participation in exam element a)

Exam element a)

Timing

Spring

Prerequisites

Type Prerequisite name Prerequisite course
Examination part Prerequisites for participating in the exam element a) N800008101, SU503: Pharmacology A

Tests

E-test and laboratory report

EKA

N800008132

Assessment

Second examiner: None

Grading

Pass/Fail

Identification

Full name and SDU username

Language

Normally, the same as teaching language

Examination aids

To be announced during the course

ECTS value

0.5

Additional information

The exam consists of two MCQ tests and a laboratory report

Exam element b)

Timing

June

Tests

Written examination

EKA

N800008102

Assessment

Second examiner: External

Grading

7-point grading scale

Identification

Student Identification Card

Language

Normally, the same as teaching language

Duration

Written exam - 4 hours

Examination aids

Written exam:
The exam is without aids. However, it is allowed to use the standard build in calculator in Windows/MAC. Furthermore, it is allowed to use Maple, MathCad, Matematica, MathLab, GeoGebra Apps, R, R-Studio, CAS TI-Nspire, Microsoft Excel or Libre Office Calc. WordMat is allowed but not recommended. Use of WordMat is at your own risk and no support is provided in case of a crash or other error caused by the program. 

Internet is not allowed during the exam. However, you may visit system DE-Digital Exam in connection with filling out the multiple-choice questions an accessing part 2 of the exam. 

ECTS value

4.5

Indicative number of lessons

44 hours per semester

Teaching Method

At the faculty of science, teaching is organized after the three-phase model ie. intro, training and study phase.

  • Intro phase (lecture, holding hours) - Number of hours: 29
  • Training phase: Number of hours: 15, of which 10 hours examination and 5 hours laboratory

The introduction phase consists of lectures, in which the students will get a brief introduction to the course topics and the way to achieve competences. This will be complemented by the study guide and the textbook, which the students are expected to study independently.

During the training phase the students achieve competences in the most important topics. In the small classroom teaching, the students work with assignments that they have prepared at home. In the lab practical, the students work independently with computer-based simulations, which illustrate the effects of various pharmacological compounds on the contraction or relaxation of smooth muscle cells in an ex vivo like setting (ring preparation).

In the study phase, students are expected to work independently with the textbook and examples and exercises herein. Old exam questions, MCQ tests and online lab reports are also key elements of the study phase. Students are expected to use part of the study phase to work on tasks of the training phase and do some repetition for the written exam through self-study of the textbook

Activities during the study phase:

  • Written laboratory reports
  • Self-study after introductory and training phase
  • MCQ tests
  • Repetition for the exam

Teacher responsible

Name E-mail Department
Maria Bloksgaard mbloksgaard@health.sdu.dk Kardiovaskulær & Renalforskning

Timetable

Administrative Unit

Biokemi og Molekylær Biologi

Team at Educational Law & Registration

NAT

Offered in

Odense

Recommended course of study

Transition rules

Transitional arrangements describe how a course replaces another course when changes are made to the course of study. 
If a transitional arrangement has been made for a course, it will be stated in the list. 
See transitional arrangements for all courses at the Faculty of Science.