Modules

Core Module Information
Module title: Pharmacology & Pharmaceutics
SCQF level: 11:
SCQF credit value: 20.00
ECTS credit value: 10
Module code: BMS11112
Module leader: Giacomo Russo
School School of Applied Sciences
Subject area group: Life Sciences
Prerequisites

There are no pre-requisites for this module to be added
Description of module content:

This module will build upon the pharmacokinetic principles of ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination) and bioavailability (F) to allow you to appraise how different medicine design affects these parameters.The way different formulation additives, route of administration and release kinetics (immediate, sustained and targeted release) can impact not only on the pharmacokinetic profile of a drug, but also the doses and the dosing regimen used will be critically evaluated. Factors influencing the rate and extent of drug absorption, which include food-drug interactions, will be explored. The use of key analytical and bioanalytical techniques to assess drug concentration within the body and its application in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and dose adjustment will be critically reviewed and contextualized in the contemporary drug development process. You will learn how to interpret different representations of data such as plasma concentration time curves and urinary drug excretion curves. You will also gain a commercial awareness of medicine manufacture processes (e.g. coatings) and the value of elements such as tablet size, colour and packaging. The biologics market, where medicines are manufactured using recombinant DNA technology, will also be tackled. In the labs you will learn about experimental design, preformulation tests such as Log P (Partition coefficient) determination and use of instrumental analytical techniques such as UV/VIS assays in preformulation testing. In the labs you will also be required to maintain a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) compliant lab book.
Learning Outcomes for module:

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: Interpret and evaluate a wide range of different forms of pharmacological & graphical data to assess the relationship between pharmacology & pharmaceutics.

LO2: Discriminate between and critically appraise the impact of different formulations of a medicine on the central pharmacokinetic parameters (ADME).

LO3: Critically review the value, applications and limitations of key analytical & bioanalytical techniques in therapeutic drug monitoring.

LO4: Demonstrate a critical awareness of the medicine manufacturing process and the contemporary developments in pre-formulation & formulation studies.
Full Details of Teaching and Assessment
2024/5, Trimester 1, In Person,
VIEW FULL DETAILS
Occurrence: 001
Primary mode of delivery: In Person
Location of delivery: SIGHTHILL
Partner:
Member of staff responsible for delivering module: Giacomo Russo
Module Organiser:


Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activityLearning & Teaching ActivityNESH (Study Hours)NESH Description
Face To Face Lecture 22 Lectures will be in-person. The slides used by the instructors will be uploaded on Moodle at least 5 days prior to the lecture taking place and the session will be recorded and made available on Moodle for learning consolidation. Articles or relevant reading materials will be made available on Moodle and will be used as a starting point for discussions in class.
Face To Face Tutorial 8 Tutorials will be in-person and the students will be asked to work in groups, typically to gain an understanding of the main aspects that will be explored in the labs such as calculations, reporting, data handling and analysis and good lab practices. Some sessions will be delivered by (guest) lecturers from pharma companies to offer students an applied and contemporary overview of the pharmaceutical scenario.
Face To Face Practical classes and workshops 16 Practical classes will encompass fundamental topics such as drug analysis, quali-quantitative determination and profiling of the physico-chemical properties of drugs and their metabolites via spectrophotometry or high-performance liquid chromatography. The student will submit a report on Turnitin and feedback will be offered to the class.
Online Guided independent study 154 Each week reading materials and resources will be issued on Moodle (these will also be shared via the Module leganto list at the beginning of the module should you wish more time to engage with the materials). You are expected to read and reflect on the essential reading material which can be discussed during the seminar sessions. Resources to help you to read and take productive study notes created by the University's Academic Skills team can be accessed on the module moodle page.
Total Study Hours200
Expected Total Study Hours for Module200


Assessment
Type of Assessment Weighting % LOs covered Week due Length in Hours/Words Description
Report 50 3 Week 10 , WORDS= 1500 words This is a laboratory report based component of assessment in which the students will be given a set of experimental values and will be required to infer physico-chemical properties such as lipophilicity, water solubility, etc that are crucial for drug development. The content will be mapped to closely resemble the experiments conducted in the curricular wet labs.
Class Test 50 1~2~4 Week 13 HOURS= 3 hours This class test is composed of a compulsory section A based on drug's plasma concentration vs time curves and a section B, that is composed of 4 questions in total, although the students must address only three of these. The four questions are about (1) pre-formulation, formulation and medicine design, (2) drug distribution and metabolism, (3) drug-drug interactions and therapeutic drug monitoring and (4) routes of administration.
Component 1 subtotal: 50
Component 2 subtotal: 50
Module subtotal: 100

Indicative References and Reading List - URL:
BMS11112 Pharmacology & Pharmaceutics
 

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