Introduction to Pharmacology
| Module title | Introduction to Pharmacology |
|---|---|
| Module code | CSC2005 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Mark Carew (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 120 |
|---|
Module description
On this module, you will develop an understanding of the fundamental concepts behind pharmacology and pharmacotherapy as the basis for disease treatment. The basic principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug metabolism will also be discussed. Throughout, the module will provide examples of licenced drugs used in treatment of disease in order to underpin and provide context to the major concepts and principles of pharmacology.
This is a core module for students studying BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences (Pharmacology and Therapeutics) and an optional module for all other BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences students and FHS Bioscience students.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of the module is to introduce and explore the fundamental concepts of studying drugs and how they work (pharmacodynamics) and how these drugs can enter, travel and be eliminated from the body (pharmacokinetics). You will study and identify the most common cell signalling pathways that are targeted by commonly used drugs, either through interacting with a receptor or via non-receptor mediated mechanisms. You will also explore how genetics is playing an ever-increasing role in drug discovery and therapy. You will need to develop and will be provided with opportunities to apply key skills during workshops in the module such as scientific writing informed by journals such as Pharmacology Research and Perspectives), data analysis, critical analysis alongside key laboratory skills; all of which will help and support you developing important transferable skills.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe and define the basic terms and concepts of pharmacology.
- 2. Describe the targets for drug action and explain how we can quantify these interactions between drugs and cells, receptors, enzymes and genes.
- 3. Describe, explain, analyse, apply, and evaluate concepts and data based on categories of agonists / antagonists, concentration effect (and dose-response) curves, experimental techniques used to derive them and mechanisms relating to affinity, efficacy and signal transduction.
- 4. Describe, explain analyse, apply, and evaluate the basic processes of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism (including biotransformation) and excretion using examples of commonly used drugs.
- 5. Gain competence in calculation of drug calculations and serial dilutions
- 6. Describe, analyse, apply and evaluate how drugs act on the heart, lungs, autonomic nervous system, and central nervous system
- 7. Discuss examples of therapeutic drugs and critically evaluate the evidence supporting their mechanism of action
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Explore good laboratory practise, competency and professional behaviour within laboratory sessions.
- 9. Critically appraise aspects of current research in basic and clinical pharmacology by reference to the literature.
- 10. Write up data in the style of poster and present to a member of module team
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 11. Communicate ideas effectively by written and verbal means
- 12. Develop skills for independent study
- 13. Select and properly manage information derived from the scientific literature, textbooks and the internet.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:
- Brief history of pharmacology and how drugs have been discovered; whilst also exploring modern pharmacology and an insight to the future of pharmacology.
- Introduction to basic principles of pharmacodynamics and the targets of drug action (receptors, ion channels, enzymes, drug transporters) including drugs with non-mediated effects
- Explore and define key concepts such as agonists and antagonists, efficacy, and affinity, while illustrating experimental measurements with concentration or dose-response curves, Schild plots, etc.
- Explore the basic principles of pharmacokinetics (ADME): administration, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
- Identify key second messenger signalling pathways that are initiated/blocked via commonly used drugs.
- Explore basic principles of experimental pharmacology.
- Develop and apply scientific critique and data evaluation.
Expert-delivered seminars outlining core pharmacological concepts will be supplemented by student-directed study to apply basic principles to novel situations. The outcomes of student study will be presented and discussed with the whole cohort of students.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 117 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 1 | Module induction session |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 20 | Workshop/seminars |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 6 | Laboratory sessions |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 6 | Drop-in support/feedback sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 12 | Lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | 15 | Workshop/seminars preparation on specified topics/activities |
| Guided Independent Study | 12 | Laboratory practical poster write up |
| Guided Independent Study | 18 | Data analysis questions formative study with online Drug Discovery Game |
| Guided Independent Study | 60 | Reading of literature and textbooks to support learning |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidate apply workshops | 6 hours | 1-4, 6-7, 9, 11-13 | Written |
| Calculations/data analysis workshops | 6 hours | 5 | Oral |
| Facilitator derived feedback on good laboratory practise/competency and behaviour during laboratory sessions | 2X3(6hrs) laboratory sessions | 8 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation of data from lab practical | 40 | Presentation of data from the two lab practicals on Daphnia in a poster with a question-and-answer session with a member of the module team. Each student will receive a unique set of questions about the practical. The poster will be assessed on the quality of presentation and critical appraisal of data. | 1-7, 9-10 | Written and verbal feedback on poster and questions |
| Data analysis assessment (two short answer questions based on individualised data sets) | 60 | 1 hour | 1-7 | Written (on request). NB: Individualised data sets have been used for past three years on CSC2005 exam paper (one of the six questions) |
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation of data from lab | Presentation of data from lab practical in a poster with a question-and-answer session with a member of the module team. Each student will receive a unique set of questions about the practical. The poster will be assessed on the quality of presentation and critical appraisal of data. (40%) | 1-7, 9-10 | Referral/Deferral Period |
| Data analysis assessment | Data analysis assessment (two short answer questions based on individualised data sets) (60%) (1 hour) | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral Period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
H. P. Rang, J. M. Ritter, R. J. Flower and G Henderson Pharmacology (10th Ed). Churchill Livingstone 2023 ISBN: 978-0-7020-5362-7
M.J. Neal, Medical Pharmacology at a Glance (9th Ed) Wiley-Blackwell 2020 ISBN: 978-1-119-54801-0
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
IUPHAR/BPS Guide to pharmacology: http://guidetopharmacology.org
Electronic Medicines Compendium: http://medicines.org.uk
British National Formulary: https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/Pubmed/MedLine: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 29/09/2014 |
| Last revision date | 10/02/2025 |
