PHCY211 Fundamental Pharmaceutical Science

Overview

Foundation topics in the pharmaceutical sciences, including drug design, medicinal chemistry, medicine formulation and delivery, and biopharmaceutics.

About this paper

Limited to

BPharm

Contact

Professor Joel Tyndall

Teaching staff

Paper Co-ordinator: Professor Joel Tyndall

Paper Structure

Lectures, Laboratories, Workshops

Textbooks

Textbooks are available through the library

Course outline

This paper addresses fundamental concepts required for pharmacists to understand the chemical, physical and biological properties of drugs, how they are formulated into medicines and how the medicines are delivered to patients in order to achieve desired clinical outcomes.

Material in medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences and biopharmaceutics will be delivered in three integrated modules that progress from learning about drug molecules, to how to formulate the drug into a medicine and deliver it to a patient, and then finally focusing on the medicine in the patient.

Workshops and laboratories will be used to illustrate and expand on the concepts taught in lectures and through online content. Each week will have 10 -11 lectures, 1x 3 hour lab and 2 x 2 hour workshops plus online content when required.

Module 1: Drugs
This first module will focus on the acid-base, solubility and stability properties of drugs based on structural elements and functional groups (including how to predict the effect of substituents on drug properties, reactivity and stability). Also covered will be drug dissolution, absorption, diffusion, and transport (including an understanding of factors which influence these properties and how they can be modified). The process of developing a new drug will also be covered.

Module 2: Dosage Forms
This module will include material on the formulation of drugs (small and large molecules) to control and optimise delivery and will include an understanding of the physical and chemical properties of the excipients and drug(s) in the formulation. The application and limitations of the various drug delivery systems will also be covered.

Module 3: Medicines
The final module will focus on the fundamentals of drug action, interactions and metabolism (including an understanding of factors which influence these properties and how they can be modified). Also covered will be the principles of drug delivery, disposition and pharmacokinetics, including drug and patient factors which influence pharmacokinetic profiles and parameters.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this paper students will be able to:

• Interpret and predict how the physical and chemical properties of a drug may influence drug effects and pharmacokinetics.
• Understand the pharmacological actions and metabolic fate associated with drug molecules and their functional groups.
• Apply the principles of drug pharmacodynamics to understand the actions, drug-drug interactions and side effects of medicines.
• Understand the suitability of a drug, dosage form, dose and/or route of administration with respect to therapeutic efficacy.
• Use appropriate pharmaceutical calculations in pharmaceutical settings.
• Understand the process of pharmaceutical development.
• Interpret concepts of quantitative analysis and how this is applied to therapeutics and analytics.
• Apply principles of scientific research and research methods to problem solving.
• Communicate expert scientific knowledge effectively to different audiences.
• Use appropriate communication techniques to establish and maintain a collaborative and constructive relationship with people and colleagues.
• Demonstrate professional integrity through appropriate professional behaviour.

Timetable