Total Hours: 135
Course Description
This undergraduate pharmacology course introduces students to the fundamental principles of drug action and their clinical applications across a wide range of human physiological systems. Emphasizing core concepts such as pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, mechanisms of action, therapeutic indications, and side effect profiles, the course bridges basic science with practical clinical relevance. Learning is
supported through instructional videos, interactive modules, and case-based activities that encourage critical thinking and application. By the end of the course, students will have a strong foundation in pharmacological reasoning, preparing them for advanced study or careers in healthcare and biomedical sciences.
Course Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Explain how pharmacokinetic principles influence drug selection and dosing, in general, pediatric, and geriatric populations.
- Apply mathematical and critical reasoning skills to calculate accurate medication dosages, titrations, and infusion rates.
- Compare the mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, and side effect profiles of drugs which impact the major organ systems.
- Evaluate how physiological and pathophysiologic changes in major organ systems affect drug metabolism, efficacy, safety, and monitoring requirements.
- Differentiate drug classes within major therapeutic categories (e.g., antihypertensives, diuretics, anticoagulants, bronchodilators), and justify their use based on disease mechanisms and patient-specific factors.
- Interpret how genetics, comorbidities, and concurrent medications contribute to individual variation in drug response and adverse effects.
- Integrate knowledge of physiology, drug action, side effects, and patient characteristics to propose evidence-based pharmacologic interventions for common clinical conditions.
