Pharmacology for Occupational Therapy

At the end of the course, students should be able to: 1. describe pharmacology of drugs used in major systemic disorder; 2. develop a basic appreciation of important pharmacological terms, discuss the various systems of classification and naming of drugs, and develop an understanding of how drugs are regulated; 3. discuss basic pharmacodynamic concepts, including familiarity with drug-receptor interactions and dose-response relationships; 4. explain the important terms used in pharmacokinetics, describe the events that occur from the time of drug entry into the body to drug exit from the body, and understand factors that influence drug pharmacokinetics; 5. develop a basic appreciation of the routes of drug administration and various forms of drug preparations; 6. describe the systems and processes used in the prescribing (including meaning and use of common abbreviations), dispensing and administration of medication; 7. develop an appreciation for the occupational health issues in handling of medications and medication management plans; 8. explain implication of drug in relation to treatment program; and 9. critically appraise the role of the occupational therapist in medication management as a health maintenance activity and in monitoring the impact of drug therapy on the therapeutic process.

Pharmacokinetics, side effects and drug interactions of medications prescribed to clients who are commonly referred for occupational therapy services. Role of the occupational therapist in medication management as a health maintenance activity and in monitoring the impact of drug therapy on the therapeutic process and occupational performance of clients. History of pharmacology and its development; Introduction to pharmacokinetics, drug absorption and bioavailability. Drug metabolism and 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.