Introduction to Pharmacology

This pharmacology course will explore the mechanism of action of pharmaceutical drugs on a molecular level. We will delve into various drug classes and decipher how they affect systems within the human body. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate increased knowledge in pharmacokinetics, drug toxicity, therapeutics and drug discovery.

What you'll learn

• By the end of this course learners will be able to:
• Describe the fundamental principles of drug action, including: basic pharmacokinetics, basic pharmacodynamics and receptor binding.
• Analyze the process of drug development , including the involvement of regulatory agencies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major drug classes, including therapeutic uses, mechanism of action and various routes of drug administration.
• Differentiate the common side effects associated with major therapeutic drug classes and how they may impact patient care.
• Construct an evaluation of a recently approved FDA medication.
• Compute basic and advanced dosage calculation problems.
• Differentiate the various responsibilities of healthcare providers in the prescribing and administration of medications.
• Design a therapeutic treatment plan for a patient with a commonly treated disease state or disorder.