FA501: Pharmacy introductory course

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The aim of the course is that the student experiences a scholarly identity creating and retaining introduction to his study program. The course develops the student’s study competences through introduction to study strategies and active participation in scholarly activities. Throughout the course the student establishes his personal learning plan to organize his learning process, and is associated to a study group, which constitutes itself by a study group contract.

The aim is furthermore to enable the student to apply general methods of calculation, to plan and explain the qualitative and quantitative analytical methods described in pharmacopoeia monographs, primarily base on the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph.Eur.). This includes that the students are enabled to apply proper documentation technique, report writing and observe good laboratory practice (GLP).

The course aims are important regarding the student acquires abilities to study, as well as gain knowledge to use and competencies to discuss analytical methods described in pharmacopoeia monographs with a satisfactory quality of documentation and reporting.

The learning objectives of the course are that the student demonstrates the ability to:

• Apply study and learning strategies to plan own learning process in accordance with intended learning outcomes, learning activities and assessment methods.
• Establish academical relations to other students and describe their role as an active participant in the study programs social and academical environment.
• Define terms and substantiate principles and applications of the selected analytical methods described in pharmacopeia monographs.
• Define GLP
• Apply and handle analytical laboratory equipment and prepare stock solutions, dilutions and stand solutions for fx calibration curves
• Give an account of planning, documentation, execution and reporting quantitative and qualitative compound analysis by spectrophotometry, titration and TLC.
• Calculate concentrations and dilution factors used in stock solutions, dilutions and standards fx for preparation and application of calibration curves and standard curves.
• Calculate and create graphs, of e.g. calibration and standard curves, in [R].
• Calculate precision of the selected procedure.
• Apply and give an account of the selected analytical methods described in the updated pharmacopeias
• Account for solubility of ionized compounds
• Describe and discuss the analytical experiments according the course report writing guidelines
• The student specifies and analyzes a problem in pre-formulated form and communicates the solving process and the result of the process
• The student identifies different science representations (textual, auditory, visual, symbolic, iconic, graphical, tabular, static or dynamic) and applies them in problem solving.

• Working in studygroups (Collaboration, communication, planning, conflict management, group formation, study contract.
• Introduction to itslearning, lab security course, study and learning strategies, assessment and exams, expectation reconciliation, ethical aspects on a university study and personal learning plan.
• Basic computational and writing skills

• Basic compound analysis according to GLP
• Concentration calculation and application of correct units (percentage, molarity etc.)
• Preparation of stock solutions and dilutions of compounds as well as buffer solutions
• Basic aqueous solubility experiments
• Preparation of calibration curves
• Planning and documentation of experiments
• Identification analysis according to Ph. Eur. (identification)
• Test of purity analysis according to Ph. Eur. (Test)
• Quantitative analysis according to Ph. Eur. (Assay)
• Volumetric methods (acid/base titration; redox titration, complexometric titration
• Spectrophotometric methods
• Equations for chemical reaction and chemical equilibrium

Planned lessons 
Total number of planned lessons: 95 
Hereof: 
Common lessons in classroom/auditorium 17 
Team lessons in classroom 42 
Team lessons in laboratory 36 
 
The teaching consist of lectures for the entire class. Here an overwiev og the topic is given, with af brief introduction and perspective. The students are engaged in the lecture by e.g. Polle Everywhere, where they can ask or answer questions about the topic reviewed. This provides an incentive to participate in learning, while retaining one's anonymity.

The class are divided into smaller teams for the training phase, which together participate in both tutorials and compulsory laboratory classes. The tutorials are planned to facilitate "active learning", where the students through active participation work with the course topics. Through e.g. problem solving, in groups or independently, the students are inspired to move higher up the taxonomic ladder.
During the laboratory work, the students work in pairs to perform practical exercises withing the course's subject area. This results in reports which form part of the assesment of the students learning.
The study phase are organized so the students work with study-suppotive subject, which facilitate their abillities to participate in active learning. E.g. becoming aware of their learning style and how to accomodate it, exercises with [R], word or similar to be used in reports, etc. In addition will cooperative leaning be considered added to various tasks.

Other planned teaching activities: 

• Identification of own learning style and how to best utilize it.

• Note taking techniques for use in lectures and reading syllabus.

• Calculation tasks.

• Practice the most important functions in [R] and word, used in the pharmacy education.