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Cairo University
Faculty of Medicine
Department of Medical Pharmacology
Course Specifications
Course title: Medical Pharmacology Code: PHA-308.
· Department offering the course: Medical Pharmacology.
· Third academic year of M.B.& B.Ch. program
· Date of specification approval: 7 / 9 / 2010
A) Basic information:
· Allocated marks: 300 marks.
· Course duration: 30 weeks.
· Teaching hours:
o Theoretical: 120 hours.
o Practical: 60 hours.
B) Professional information:
1- Overall aim of the course:
· To provide the basic knowledge about commonly used groups of drugs affecting different body systems and their implications in therapy of disease and health promotion.
· To enable students to understand the safe use of drugs as regards adverse effects, contraindications and drug interactions.
2- Intended learning outcomes (ILOs):
A- Knowledge and understanding:
by the end of the course, students should be able to:
A.1-Describe the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and pharmacotherapeutic properties of different groups of drugs affecting body systems. (p-ilo-a.7)
A.2-Describe the adverse and toxic effects, and their management of commonly used groups of drugs. (p-ilo-a.7)
A.3-Define the limitations to the use of drugs such as contraindications and drug interactions. (p-ilo-a.7)
A.4-Explain clinically relevant age, sex and genetic related variations that affect response to drugs (p-iloa.7 & 9).
A.5-Describe the pathophysiology of diseases and explain the rational basis for the use of drugs (p-ilo-a.6).
A.6-Explain the impact of preventive pharmacology in promoting health and prevent illness (p—ilo-a.10).
A.7- Describe the use of life saving drugs. (p-ilo-a.7)
A.8-Define the principles and applications of gene therapy (p-ilo-a.9).
A.9-Recognize the rational and general guidelines of the use of drugs in the proper dose in special population such as pediatrics, geriatrics, pregnancy and lactation and in cases of liver and kidney impairment. (p-ilo-a.7)
A.12-Define the basis of pharmaco-economics. (p-ilo-a.8)
B- Professional and practical skills:
by the end of the course, students should be able to
B.1- Work out drug dosage based on patient's criteria and health condition. (p-ilo-b.1 & 8)
B.2- Write safe prescriptions for selected common and important diseases. (p-ilo-b.1 & 9)
B.3- Practice enteral, parenteral, inhalation; including the use of nebulizers; and topical methods for drug administration. (p-ilo-b.1, 13 & 18)
B.4- Design rational therapeutic strategies for both acute and chronic conditions that take into account the various variables that influence these strategies (p-ilo-b.1, 5 & 6).
C- Professional attitude and behavioral skills:
by the end of the course, students should be able to
C.1- Respect the patient right to know and share in decision making as regards the choice of drugs. (p-ilo-c.2)
C.2- Understand and respect the different cultural beliefs and values that affect the use of certain drug groups. (p—ilo-c.3)
C.3- Respect ethics related to drug prescription and use especially to drugs liable to produce abuse. (p-ilo-c.5)
D- Communication skills:
E- Intellectual skills:
by the end of the course, students should be able to
E.1- Analyze the mode and mechanism of action of known and unknown drugs on various biological tissues and systems. (p-ilo-e.3)
E.2- Calculate accurately drug’s dosage, bioavailability, plasma half life and volume of distribution in different patient populations. (p-ilo-e.1)
E.3- Combine clinical and investigational data with evidence based knowledge for clinical problem solving. (p-ilo-e.3)
E.4- Design a pharmacological plan for management of common diseases and emergencies. (p-iilo-e.5)
F- General and transferable skills:
by the end of the course, students should be able to:
F.1- Adopt the principles of lifelong learning needed for continuous professional development. (p-ilo-f.1)
F.2- Use computers effectively in reaching biomedical information to remain current with advances in knowledge and practice. (p-ilo-f.2)
F.3- Present information clearly in written, electronic and verbal forms. (p-ilo-f.3)
3- Course contents:
A) Topics:
1. General pharmacology: routes of drug administration, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and use of drugs in special population and situations such as geriatrics. Basis of alternative and complementary medicine
2. Autonomic nervous system & drugs affecting the ganglia.
3. Ocular pharmacology : drugs affecting the eye and treatment of glaucoma.
4. Skeletal muscle relaxants :centrally and peripherally acting drugs.
5. Autacoids : histamine , serotonin, endogenous peptides and eicosanoids, and their modulators.
6. Respiration: cough therapy and treatment of bronchial asthma.
7. Renal pharmacology : diuretics, acidification and alkalinization of urine.
8. Cardiovascular system : anti-hypertensive drugs and treatment of ischemic heart diseases, heart failure and dysrhythmias.
9. Blood and blood forming organs : treatment of coagulation defects, anemia and dysrlipidemia.
10. Psycho- neuro pharmacology : analgesics, sedatives, hypnotics and anxiolytics. Antipsychotics, antidepressants, anticovulsants and antiparkinsonism. General and local anaesthesia and .n.s. stimulants.
11. Hormones and their antagonists : insulin, oral hypoglycemic, adrenal steroids, thyroid gland, sex hormones, pituitary hormones and calcium homeostasis.
12. G.i.t. : acid disorders, emetic and ant emetic drugs and purgatives.
13. Chemotherapy : b- lactam antibiotics, aminoglycosides, broad spectrum antibiotics, macrolide, quinolones , sulphonamides, antifungal, antiviral, therapy of tuberculosis, anti-amoebic, anti alarial, antibilharzial and cancer chemotherapy.
14. Drug interaction.
15. Chelating agents.
16. Vitamins and food supplements.
17. Immunopharmacology
18. Pharmaco- economics.
19. Pharmacogenetics.
20. Prescription writing.
B) Practical & applied pharmacology (15 classes):
1- Dosage forms and routes of drug administration (5 weeks).
2- Effect of drugs on isolated heart (2 weeks).
3- Effect of drugs on isolated intestine (2 weeks).
4- Applied ocular pharmacology (2 weeks).
5- Effect of drugs on blood pressure (2 weeks).
6- Pharmacokinetic concepts (2 weeks).
C) Clinical pharmacology (15 classes) :
1- Evidence based medicine and art of prescription writing (2 weeks)
2- Ischemic heart diseases “angina + myocardial infractions” (2 weeks).
3- Hypertension (2 weeks).
4- Heart failure (one week).
5- Bronchial asthma (one week).
6- Peptic ulcer (one week).
7- Diabetes mellitus (2 weeks).
8- Rheumatic fever (one week).
9- Rationale of antimicrobial use (one week).
10- Drugs in special patient groups (2 weeks).
4- Teaching and learning methods:
A- Methods used:
1. Lectures.
2. Tutorial (small group teaching):
A- Experimental modules during the first semester
B- Clinical modules during the second semester
B- Teaching plan:
1. Lectures: one hour / lecture, five days / week. Students are divided into 5 subgroups that attend at 5 lecture halls and taught by 5 different staff at the same time.
2. Experimental classes: two hours / week each. Students are divided into 10 groups, which are sub-divided into 30 small groups.
3. Clinical tutorial classes: two hours / week each. Students are divided into 10 groups, which are sub-divided into 30 small groups.
C- Time plan:
5- Students assessment methods:
A) Attendance criteria: faculty bylaws
B) Assessment tools:
C) Time schedule: faculty bylaws
D) Grading system:
▪ The minimum passing & passing grades (faculty bylaws).
E) examinassions description:
6- list of references:
A- Basic materials:
"Applied pharmacology" by staff members of pharmacology department.
B- Recommended books:
1. "Lippincott's illustrated reviews – pharmacology", editors harvey r.a. and champ r.c.
2. "Pharmacology", editors rang p.a.; et al.
3. "Clinical pharmacology", editors laurance d.r. and bennett p.n.
4. "Basic & clinical pharmacology", editor katzung g.k.
C- Others:
1. CDs Prepared by staff members and provided by the vice dean for education and students' affairs.
3. www.bnf.org
7- facilities required for teaching and learning:
Facilities used for teaching this course include:
1- Lecture halls:
At the building of lecture halls and the big lecture halls a & b.
2- Laboratory classes:
Laboratories in the pharmacology department. All labs are equipped with adequate facilities for these types of experiments such as data acquisition and projection electronic devices, organ bath, recording graphs, chemicals and animals.
3- Clinical classes:
Suitably equipped small rooms and two halls in the pharmacology department.
4- Library:
At the third floor of the department.
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