Pharmacology and Toxicology

Recommended Prerequisites

NA

Teaching Methods

• lectures combined with active learning strategies, namely peer instruction, concept maps and quizzes using mobile devices and digital platforms.

• theorical-practical classes based on problem solving, analysis of case studies and presentation and discussion of scientific articles.

Learning Outcomes

• Distinguish drug, medicine and food supplement. Distinguish pharmacologic, therapeutic and adverse effects.

• Understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of drug action and their relation with disease; calculate parameters to quantify drug-target interaction and to compare their efficacy and potency.

• Understand and describe the mecanisms underlying cellular toxicity; distinguish mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and teratogenesis and methods for detection.

• Describe the processes of drug biodisposition (ADME) and predict their influence on drug response; calculate and apply basics pharmacokinetic parameters.

• Identify major factors and pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic mechanisms underlying drug response variability and therapeutic implications. Define Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics and their applications.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

•Definition of drug, medicine and food supplement. Pharmacologic, therapeutic, adverse and toxic effects. Pharmacotherapeutic classification of drugs.

•Molecular drug targets; types and quantification of drug-target interactions. Concentration/dose-response curves. Adverse effects and immunological reactions to drugs.

•Mechanisms of drug-induced cell damage and death; hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Definition and testing for mutagenicity, carcinogenicity and teratogenicity.

•Drug cycle: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. Influencing factors.

•General pharmacokinetic principles. Drug plasma concentration vs time curves: analysis and calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters.

•Factors and mechanisms that determine intra- and inter-individual response to drugs. Clinically relevant pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic drug interactions. Concept and applications of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Elaboração de 1 mapa de conceitos: 20.0%
Resolution Problems: 20.0%
Exam: 60.0%

Bibliography

•Clementi F. and Fumagalli G. General and Molecular Pharmacology – Principles of drug action. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2015. ISBN: 978-1-118-76857-0

•Ritter, Flower, Henderson, Loke, MacEwan & Rang. Rang & Dale's, Pharmacology. 9th Edition, Elsevier Ltd., 2020. ISBN: 978-0-7020-7448-6. Caps: 1-4, 6-12, 58. Disponível digitalmente em Clinical Key Student através da rede UC