General Pharmacology

At the end of the course, students should be able to: 1. explain the history of pharmacology; 2. demonstrate understanding of drug interaction in the human body system; 3. explain the effects of disease on drug kinetics; 4. demonstrate understanding of relationship between drug and aging; 5. explain the effect of drugs in pregnancy; 6. explain common allergic reactions to different drugs; and 7. explain common medications used for different diseases or ill conditions.

History of Pharmacology and its development. Introduction to pharmacokinetics; drug absorption and bioavailability. Drug metabolism, pharmaco-genetics. Effects of disease on drug kinetics. Drug in pregnancy and the extreme age. Pharmacodynamics; dose-response relationships, LD50 ED50 and TD50. Therapeutic index; introduction of new drugs, clinical trials; adverse drug reactions and adverse reaction surveillance. Routes of drug administration. Basic principles of pharmacokinetics. Absorption, distribution and biotransformation of drugs. Drug reception interactions. Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID). Muscle relaxants, sedatives and analgesic agents. Anti- hypertensive drugs. Bronchodilators and many others.