How do drugs work? How do we find the right drug to treat not just the disease, but the individual patient? What drugs are we going to need in the future, and how are they developed? You will learn the principles of pharmacology that underpin the use of drug molecules to treat disease, applying this to the treatment of some of the most common diseases that affect different physiological systems and cause a substantial burden to physical and mental health among populations around the world. You will gain knowledge of the molecular basis of drug action, the biological basis of disease and the therapeutic approaches to treating them. By exploring the main methods to monitor the effects of drugs on their cellular targets through analysis of experimental data and clinical case studies, you will understand how drugs function, how they are used in clinical care, and the steps needed to develop new drugs to respond to emerging public health challenges.
Lecture 24 hours, Workshop 11 hours, Drop-in Session 2 hours, Feedback Session 1 hour
1,500 words Short Writing Piece. Assessment Details: Case study coursework worth 50%.
2 hours Exam. Assessment Details: Exam worth 50%.
Reassessment Method: Like-for-like
As a requirement of the IBMS accreditation, this module cannot be compensated or condoned as indicated in the course specification.
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1. Interrogate the structure and function of the most common drug targets.
2. Examine the way in which drugs are used to treat disease.
3. Analyse and interpret experimental pharmacological data.
4. Apply knowledge on disease and therapeutic approaches to real-world situations that affect individuals and populations.
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