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James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2024

For subject information from 2025 and onwards, please visit the new JCU Course and Subject Handbook website.

PP2150 - Introduction to Medical Pharmacology

Credit points:03
Year:2024
Student Contribution Band:Band 2
Administered by:College of Public Health, Medical and Vet Sciences

Subject Description

    The general principles of drug action, focussing on the major targets for drug action, drug-receptor interactions, chemotherapy, drug design, pharmacognosy and drug screening, toxicology and measurements in pharmacology.

Learning Outcomes

  • describe the approaches to the development of new pharmaceutical agents, including drug design, drug screening and natural product pharmacology
  • understand how drug treatments may be aimed at specific targets, increasing the efficacy of treatment and reducing side effects
  • describe how drugs are able to affect the functioning of living systems
  • describe the principles of selective toxicity and the development of antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and cancer chemotherapy agents
  • explore the rationale behind drug formulations and different routes of administration, the time course of drug action, drug metabolism and toxicology

Subject Assessment

  • Written > Examination (centrally administered) - (60%) - Individual
  • Written > Critical appraisal/review - (40%) - Individual

Note that minor variations might occur due to the continuous subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.

Availabilities

Townsville Bebegu Yumba, Study Period 2, Internal

Census date:Thursday, 22 Aug 2024
Study Period Dates:Monday, 22 Jul 2024 to Friday, 15 Nov 2024
Coordinator(s):
Professor Zoltan Sarnyai
Lecturer(s):
Professor Zoltan Sarnyai
Workload expectations:The student workload for this 3 credit point subject is approximately 130 hours.
  • 36 Hours - Lectures
  • 24 Hours - Specialised