534-202 Pharmacology (Lectures Only)

Credit Points

Coordinator

Pre/corequisites

25 points of 100-level Chemistry, and Biology 600-141 and 600-142 (Before 1996: 600-101 Biology); exemption may be considered in special cases (e. g. students taking Psychology in first year). Entry into 3rd year pharmacology for students completing 534-202 Pharmacology (Lectures Only) normally requires the completion of a practical based unit in second year; either Physiology 536-202 or Biochemistry 521-221.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

The lecture course covers the basic principles of drug action; focusing on receptor sites that mediate drug action and the physiological and biochemical mechanisms associated with the response to a drug. The interaction of drugs with hormones and common therapeutic agents will be used to illustrate these principles. It investigates the ways in which drugs are handled by the body in terms of their absorption, distribution and metabolism. It examines the development of new drugs from natural sources or new chemical syntheses and how these drugs are evaluated and regulated. Aspects of drugs of abuse and addiction and the potential strategies for dealing with this problem will be examined. The principles of selective toxicity and the toxicology of environmental contaminants will be introduced. Aspects of venoms and toxins will be examined.

Assessment

A 2-hour end-of-semester written examination. An oral examination may also be held for students who do not pass.