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This module covers the mechanisms of action and uses of the major groups of drugs and important aspects of pharmacokinetics and drug toxicity. Students must have a sound knowledge of physiology and biochemistry. Teaching is through lectures and compulsory tutorials

After taking this module you will be able to:

1.Describe the actions of many of the important groups of drugs used in medicine.

2. Cite experimental evidence to support ideas about the detailed mechanism of action of drugs at the molecular, cellular or tissue level.

3. Understand how drugs (and toxins) may be of use in elucidating physiological processes.

4.Understand how the time-course of drug action may depend on the processes of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, and how changes in the concentrations of drugs in the body can be described quantitatively (pharmacokinetics).

5.Understand how the activity of a drug is related to its chemical structure and how structural changes can modify therapeutic efficacy or toxicity.

6. Consider the problems of designing, developing and conducting clinical trials of new drugs.

This module is designed for students from biomedical programmes including Neuroscience, Physiology, Physiology/Pharmacology (joint), Natural Sciences (Biomedical Sciences stream) and Medicinal Chemistry. PHAR0009 Intermediate Pharmacology has the same lecture content as PHAR0004 General and Systematic Pharmacology but the coursework assessments are different.

Indicative lecture list (based on 2023/24 syllabus)

• Introduction: Drug Targets, Selective Toxicity, Therapeutic Index.
• Receptor Structure.
• Transduction Mechanisms.
• Dose-Response Curves. Affinity and Efficacy.
• Basic Principles of Pharmacokinetics: Drug absorption, distribution, excretion and metabolism (5 lectures).
• Drug Antagonism.
• The Peripheral Nervous System.
• Adrenergic Pharmacology (2 lectures).
• Cholinergic Pharmacology (2 lectures).
• Smooth Muscle Pharmacology.
• Local Anaesthetics: Antidysrhythmic Drugs.
• Atherosclerosis and Lipid Lowering Drugs.
• Diuretics.
• Antianginal Drugs: Cardiac Glycosides.
• Antihypertensive Drugs.
• Inflammatory Mediators.
• Antagonist of Histamine and Treatment of Peptic Ulcers.
• Eicosanoids.
• Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.
• Drugs used to treat Asthma.
• Introduction to neuropharmacology.
• Aminoacid neurotransmitters. Benzodiazepines.
• Parkinson’s disease and other motor disorders.
• Psychotic disorders - schizophrenia.
• Drugs used in affective disorders.
• Anxiolytics.
• Anti-epileptics.
• General anaesthetics. Mechanism of action of ethanol.
• Analgesics.
• Non-medical use of drugs, dependence.
• Anti-obesity drugs.
• Insulin and oral antidiabetic agents.
• Pharmacological control of fertility.
• Chemotherapy: anti-bacterial drugs, I & II, anti-fungal drug.
• Chemotherapy: anti-viral drugs
• Chemotherapy: anti-cancer drugs.
• Drug toxicity.
• Relationship between chemical structure and pharmacological activity.
• Clinical trials.
• 4 Tutorials
• 5 Workshops