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This module is designed for those who are new to the subject of Pharmacology. The aims of the module are:Ìý

• To provide you with an introductory overview of pharmacology and some of the most important mechanisms of drug action.Ìý

• To illustrate these actions for you with specific examples of important drugs.Ìý

• To provide you with a foundation in some of the basic theory for pharmacology.Ìý

• To illustrate some of the principles of pharmacology whilst providing you with basic laboratory skills and experience.Ìý

• To familiarise you with some principles of laboratory safety.Ìý

The taught components consist of 22 lectures, two practical sessions, two practical follow-up sessions and four tutorials. The module begins by discussing how drugs called ‘local anaesthetics’ can be used to block nerve impulses. This is an important class of compounds that allow simple surgical procedures to be carried out without pain.Ìý

The module then moves on to cover some other examples of drugs acting on excitable tissues, such as the muscle relaxant drugs that are often used as adjuncts to more complicated surgical procedures. During these lectures basic principles of drug action are established by considering what happens at the cellular and molecular level. These ideas are then extended into a simple theoretical framework that provides a basis for establishing mechanisms of drug action (the Hill-Langmuir and Schild equations are the foundations for this).Ìý

The module then examines drugs for the treatment of diseases such as AIDS, malaria and bacterial infections. This is followed by an introduction to the pharmacology of the central nervous system (CNS). This part of the module provides a thumbnail sketch of CNS receptors and some disorders as well as a consideration of drug addiction and the abuse of drugs. Finally, topics around the development of new drugs, drug testing via clinical trials and personalised medicine are all introduced.Ìý