module specification

This module will equip students with a fundamental understanding of the actions and fate of drugs in the human body. Throughout the module students will develop an ability to collect, manipulate and interpret experimental data important to the subject matter.

This module aims to equip students with information on how formulated drugs – medicines, (a) get into the body (b) get around the body (c) how they act on the body and (d) how they get out of the body. Understanding and appreciating the physiological aspects of the human body and physicochemical properties of drugs are essential to explaining how these processes affect the behaviour of different medicines.

BE4053 & BE4055.

Available for Study Abroad? YES

Pharmacodynamics (LO 1 – 5)

• Receptor theory
• Sites of drug action
• G-proteins and downstream signalling cascades
• Ion channels and transporters
• Quantitative pharmacology
• Autonomic pharmacology
• CNS pharmacology
• Key receptor families
• Local mediators

Students will be provided with a range of activities to accommodate different learning styles. The module delivery will consist of lectures (23.5 hours), practical classes (3 hours) and tutorials (11 hours).

Lecture and tutorial sessions will include ‘punctuated lectures’ and ‘minute papers’ thus providing opportunities for ‘active engagement’ and to reflect on what has or has not been understood during the sessions. In-class verbal feedback will be provided and students encouraged and directed towards relevant subject matter material. The tutorial sessions will include various types as well descriptive/discussion elements. Students will be expected to prepare in advance for these sessions (11 hours – directed).

The practical session will stress the importance of organisational proficiency by group working and will augment practical skills to produce reliable experimental data. Peer – peer interactions will be encouraged via group working thus developing communication, data handling and interpretation skills. This will culminate in the submission of a summative assessment consisting of an individual piece of data handling coursework which will include a discussion section to encourage critical thinking.

On successful completion of this module, a student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate and recognise receptor biology in mediated pharmacological actions.
2. Recognise molecular mechanisms involved in receptor signalling pathways.
3. Describe different chemical mediators and their importance in pharmacological outcomes.
4. Recognise quantitative methods with which drug actions are kinetically measured.
5. Show core knowledge of the principles behind the autonomic nervous system physiology and its measured pharmaceutical actions.

The module will be assessed in the following order: two unseen written exams (the first exam during the semester and a second exam at the end of the semester – 30% each) and one practical report (40%)

All unseen written exams will examine the specific material covered during that particular part of the semester (e.g. exam 1 will cover material between TW 1 – 5 and exam 2 will cover material between TW 8 – 12). The exams will be comprised of SAQs and LAQs.

One practical report on pharmacology (30%) will be submitted to assess the ability to acquire, manipulate and interpret experimental data. This element will provide a summative assessment.

To pass the module, students need to achieve a minimum aggregate mark of 40%. If the module is passed on reassessment, then the maximum mark awarded will be 40%.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/7FA505A6-6E98-C82C-31E4-2ADFA2B00EE3.html?lang=en-US&login=1