Pharmacology Curriculum For Pharmacy Students

Pharmacology is a branch of biology concerned with the study of drugs action.
The word ‘drug’ is a broad term for agents, which exerts a biochemical and physiological effects on living things. In simple terms, it is the study of the interaction between a drug agent and a living organism that affect the organism’s biochemical function. More definition involves analysing living things like plants and animals on human body and how the different properties and chemicals in the natural world around us react.
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Pharmacology is broad. However, the main aspect of pharmacology that is contained in a B. Pharm programme is on pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. In general, this pharmacology is the shortest among every other pharmacy course in terms of the curriculum.

Pharmacology Curriculum

For schools that starts it from year 1, it will normally begin with just one course in a semester. However, in schools where it starts from year three, a semester may compose of two or three courses in pharmacology. In some cases, just one.
The real practice draws principles from scientific fields such as biochemistry, analytical chemistry, microbiology, etc.
Pharmacokinetics studies the effects of biological systems on the drug while pharmacodynamics is all about the effects of a drug on biological system. To cut it short, pharmacodynamics is concerned with chemicals on biological receptors while pharmacokinetics is on drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of chemicals in the body. There are many more sub disciplines of pharmacology, which include;
1. clinical
2. neuron pharmacology
3. psychopharmacology
4. pharmacoepidemology systems pharmacology
5. toxicology
6. etc.
The course normally starts with the history of pharmacology within and outside Nigeria. This is the easiest course pharmacology has to offer so just enjoy it why it last. The introduction to pharmacology may be complex because students are not very conversant with pharmacological terminologies. However, it explains the meaning of pharmacology, job prospects, job duty, etc. that is not all as topics such as function of blood and body fluids, essential human organs will be explained. For example, function of blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells, which is how they defend the body against diseases and coagulation. Some of the introduction include topic on how drugs work in the body by binding to certain sites. Some non-drugs can also bind to a location a drug is supposed to bind to thereby preventing the drug from getting to the target site, which can cause problem to the drug user. These are known as agonist or antagonist.

Pharmacology curriculum

Cardiovascular pharmacology is all about the disease condition of the heart and its peripherals and the pharmacology and non-pharmacology approach in their management. A brief introduction into the course requires a little bit of knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the heart and its peripherals. Knowledge like this explains how the body acts when it is not functioning well during disease state. The topic is not complete without listing the various diseases that affects the heart and the mechanism. The last part is drugs used in treating each of the disease as well as their side effects, adverse effects and other information relating to the drugs.
Another system in the body is the renal system of which a course will take care of. The physiology and anatomy are used to introduce the topic before the different diseases that affect the renal system is . The renal system includes the kidney, urethra etc. The drugs needed to cure some of the disease conditions and their side effects, adverse effects etc are studied.
Another system that is normally covered is respiratory system, which is all about the lungs, and its peripherals. The alimentary canal is not left out in the topics covered in this aspect. This is very important because it explains how food and drugs move when they hit the mouth.
Gradually, pharmacology moves to more complex topics such as the autonomic nervous system popularly known as ANS. This course will first talk about the anatomy and physiology of the ANS. This involves the synthesis, storage, release, and distribution of the neurotransmitter. Then move on to the disease conditions affecting it and its peripherals. The drug’s use and their effects are thoroughly analysed. The ANS is all about the transmitters that are released and when they are triggered. It is all about the neurons. Just for emphasis, there are two types of nervous system, which are central, and peripheral.
The central nervous system CNS pharmacology focus on the transmission of neurons in the spinal cord and when they are triggered. A brief overview of the CNS based on anatomy and its physiology begins this course. A detail information on how and why this transmission fails sometimes, including drugs to correct these anomalies. CNS normally covers drugs that are used to keep a patient sleeping during operation. In simple terms, anaesthetics (painkillers).
Reproduction is a very common topic back in secondary school coming up every term and in different subjects. However, reproduction is only talked about in pharmacology throughout pharmacy school. It covers everything a pharmacist need to know from the hormones responsible for the development of puberty and other hormones responsible for the other functions. The most interesting part is when they are released and why. It also focuses on why some of the hormones may not be released, over secreted, or under secreted. A comprehensive list of drugs agents that can correct these anomalies is discussed. Other hormones found in the body are not left out as they are analysed just like the hormones in reproduction. Some of these hormones can be produced in the laboratory.
The routes drug are given to humans are many. A very common example is the mouth. Others are through injection, anal, skin etc. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Some drugs can be administered through any routes by varying the dose. Unfortunately, some drugs are not stable and hence unsuitable in certain routes. The correct dose of a drug by oral may be different for injection or anal. This is a very important part of this course.
No pharmacy student can talk of pharmacology without mentioning adsorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. This is how a drug passes through in the body during the process of its action. A very good knowledge of this helps pharmacist understand how drugs work helping them to give appropriate counsel to patients.
The enzymes in our body are so much that it is a difficult thing for a drug to pass through the body without encountering one. Some of these enzymes even help some drugs to perfume their task while some destroys the drug. That is while some drugs are given through a different route to bypass a particular enzyme or coated.
Chemotherapy was a major problem back in the days because it has to do with memorizing disease as well as drugs used in treating the disease.
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We will not leave if we fail to mention immunopharmacology. It explains how our immune system works and what can cause it to fail including how to treat the conditions. A very good example is asthma.
If you buy a drug today, the patient information leaflet must contain side and adverse effects. That means that even during normal use, some drugs can cause body damage. There are some can cause bigger body injury when the drug Is abuse and misuse. In other news, some non-drug can cause harm to the body is ingested into the body through any means. The more the dose and duration, the more the harm done. This topic covers the drugs that can be used to treat such cases and first aids.
Veterinary pharmacology was combined with one of the course, which I can not really remember right now but it was a very short course. The truth is that it is important and supposed to be thoroughly dealt with in pharmacology. I remembered a court case in Port Harcourt (P.H) where a veterinary doctor wanted to control drugs for animals but he lost the case to the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (P.C.N). The course focuses on compounding and dispensing of medicines to animals. Drugs used in treating animal diseases including agents that are poisonous to animal. A short essay on why animals fail to comply with drugs and how to improve on it. Lastly, the different instruments used in giving drugs to animals as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
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