Pharmacology module (BS32046)

Pharmacology is the study of how medicines work in the body. It helps us understand how drugs can treat illnesses and what side effects they might cause.

In this module, you'll learn how to use numbers and data to understand how medicines work. This includes mathematical descriptions of how drugs attach to parts of the body (receptors). It also includes how the body absorbs, uses, and gets rid of them (pharmacokinetics).

This helps you explain things like how much of a drug is needed, how fast it works, and how long it stays in the body.

What you will learn

In this module, you will learn about:

• receptor binding
• full, partial, and inverse agonists
• reversible competitive, irreversible competitive and non-competitive antagonists
• receptor desensitisation and tachyphylaxis
• drug absorption / distribution and routes of administration
• drug metabolism and bioavailability
• drug excretion, clearance and elimination half-life
• dosing regimens.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• describe pharmacodynamic mechanisms of action for drugs
• explain how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolised and excreted
• apply your knowledge of pharmacokinetics measures to interpret novel datasets
• apply numeracy and data analytic skills to pharmacokinetic data
• show your independent study skills.

Assignments / assessment

• coursework (data analysis report) (40%)
• written exam (60%)

Teaching methods

• lectures
• workshops
• tutorials
• self-directed study