University of the
West of England
MODULE SPECIFICATION
Code: USSJ4V-20-2 Title: Drugs and Disease Version:
Level: UWE credit rating: ECTS credit rating:
Owning Faculty: Health and Life Sciences Field:
Faculty Committee approval: Q&S Committee (School of Life Sciences) Date: September 2010
Approved for Delivery by: N/A
Valid from: September 2010 Discontinued from:
Pre-requisites:
USSJJL-20-1 Human Anatomy and Physiology
Co-requisites:
Entry Requirements:
N/A
Excluded Combinations:
USSJNG-20-2 Drugs and Toxicology
Learning Outcomes:
The student will be able to:
• discuss the significance of pKa, pH, lipid: water solubility and concentration gradients to drug absorption, distribution biotransformation and excretion;
• explain the relationship between diagnosis, symptoms and therapy for selected diseases;
• discuss the principles of selective toxicity and how they are exploited during the use of cytotoxic agents and antimicrobial agents;
• explain the relationship between drug structure and function of selected cytotoxic agents and antimicrobial agents.
Syllabus Outline:
Material to be covered includes:
- Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics: Introduction to drug absorption, diffusion, biotransformation and excretion with reference to routes of administration and explanation of key terms used to describe effective and lethal doses (ED50, LD50) etc.
- Introduction to pharmacological approaches in the clinical context, and the development of new therapies and treatment approaches.
- Introduction to the concept of toxicity: reference will be made to toxicity/side effects which can be predicted from the drug's pharmacological activity, as well as those side effects that cannot be predicted. In this context, the problem of drug resistance will be developed and specialised toxicity such as genotoxicity - which will be considered as both an unwanted side-effect, and exploited for therapy (e.g. chemotherapy). Methods of genotoxicity testing (both at a research and regulatory/pharmaceutical company level) will be discussed.
- Consideration of drugs in a non-therapeutic environment will be considered, for example, the use of anabolic steroids as performance enhancers in sports people.
- The structures and mechanisms of action of selected antimicrobial agents. The relationship of structure to the modes of therapeutic delivery and spectra of activity. Introduction to microbial resistance mechanisms. Combined therapy - synergy and antagonism.
Teaching and Learning Methods:
The material will be presented as lectures and tutorials supported by the student handbook which will guide them to appropriate reading materials. All lecture materials will be made available online on Blackboard together with extra reading materials and exercises where appropriate.
The laboratory-based components will support and amplify lecture material, and includes workshops as well as data handling and interpretation.
Reading Strategy:
All students will be encouraged to make full use of the print and electronic resources available to them through membership of the University. These include a range of electronic journals and a wide variety of resources available through web sites and information gateways. The University Library’s web pages provide access to subject relevant resources and services, and to the library catalogue. Many resources can be accessed remotely. Students will be presented with opportunities within the curriculum to develop their information retrieval and evaluation skills in order to identify such resources effectively.
Any essential reading will be indicated clearly, along with the method for accessing it, e.g. students may be expected to purchase a set text, be given or sold a print study pack or be referred to texts that are available electronically, etc. This guidance will be available either in the module handbook, via the module information on Blackboard or through any other vehicle deemed appropriate by the module/programme leaders.
If further reading is expected, this will be indicated clearly. If specific texts are listed, a clear indication will be given regarding how to access them and, if appropriate, students will be given guidance on how to identify relevant sources for themselves, e.g. through use of bibliographical databases.
Indicative Reading List:
Rang, H.P., Dale, M.M., Ritter, J.M. and Moore, P.K. (2007) Pharmacology, 6th Ed., Churchill Livingstone (Elsevier)
Books: Selected directed reading from the following:
Despopoulos, A and Silbernagl S (2003) Colour Atlas of Physiology. 5th Ed. Thieme
Greenwood, D., Finch, R., Davey, P., Wilcox, M. (2007) Antimicrobial chemotherapy, 5th Ed Blackwell
Guyton, A.C. and Hall, JE (2011) Textbook of Medical Physiology. 11th Ed. W.B. Saunders & Co
Lullmann, H et al (2005) Colour Atlas of Pharmacology. 3rd Ed. Thieme
McPhee, S.J et al (2010) Pathophysiology of Disease, 6th Ed. McGraw Hill
Neal, M.J. (2009) Medical Pharmacology at a Glance. 6th Ed. Blackwell Publishing
Phillips, J., Murray, P. and Kirk, P. (Eds) (2001) The Biology of Disease, 2nd Ed, Blackwell Publishing
Reading from selected journals including:
Relevant Journals in Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Annual Review of Pharmacology.
Annual Review of Physiology.
Assessment:
Weighting between components A and B (standard modules only) A: 50% B: 50%
FIRST ATTEMPT
First Assessment Opportunity
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Second Assessment Opportunity (Resit) further attendance at taught classes
Component A (controlled) Element Wt (Ratio)
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Component B Element Wt (Ratio)
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EXCEPTIONAL SECOND ATTEMPT Attendance at taught classes .
Specification confirmed by …………………………………………………Date ……………………………
(Associate Dean/Programme Director)