Unit Outline

Pharmacology is the study of drugs, including their actions and effects on the human body. This unit introduces you to the discipline of pharmacology by examining key areas of health and disease, the mechanisms whereby drugs elicit responses, whether drug actions will be selective and long lasting and the nature of adverse effects of drug use. You will learn how common drugs target specific receptors in body tissues, exerting effects as either agonists or antagonists. The practical application of pharmacology is emphasised. An understanding of pharmacology is fundamental to your understanding of pharmaceutical products in terms of efficacy and safety, and provides a rationale for their therapeutic use. Topics covered in this unit include: Basic principles of pharmacology; Endocrine pharmacology; Autonomic nervous system pharmacology; Cardiovascular pharmacology; Respiratory pharmacology; CNS pharmacology; Pain pharmacology; Gastrointestinal pharmacology.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Explain the pharmacology concepts of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics and how these can be applied when drugs or other chemicals are introduced to the body
2	Explain the biochemical mechanisms of action of common drug classes, and how these can result in both beneficial and adverse physiological changes to the body
3	Describe how common disease processes can be modified by the use of drugs or other chemicals.
4	Apply knowledge of pharmacology to analyse a variety of case studies.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CXA107 or (CZZ101 AND CZZ102)

Alterations as a result of student feedback

In response to the feedback from previous student cohort, changes have been made which may include adjustments to assessments and alignment of some of the timelines. As always, the teaching team will greatly appreciate your feedback both informally during the delivery of the unit in 2024, and formally through the University of Tasmania’s eVALUate surveys following your completion of the unit.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Early-semester written assessment (quiz)	Week 5	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Late-semester written assessment (quiz)	Week 9	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Written examination - Final	Exam Period	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Early-semester written assessment (quiz)

Task Description:

Early-semester written assessment (quiz) - Compulsory closed-book exam-style assessment comprising of multiple-choice and short answer questions.
Test will cover basic pharmacological principles and endocrine pharmacology.
This assessment shall be invigilated via Respondus Lockdown.

Task Length:

30 minutes

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	You will be required to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of all key constituents of basic pharmacological principles and endocrine pharmacology.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 2: Late-semester written assessment (quiz)

Task Description:

Late-semester written assessment (quiz) - Compulsory closed-book exam-style assessment comprising of multiple-choice and short answer questions.
Test will cover autonomic and cardiorespiratory pharmacology.
This assessment shall be invigilated via Respondus Lockdown.

Task Length:

30 minutes

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	You will be required to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of key constituents of autonomic and cardiorespiratory pharmacology.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

The following brief textbook presents a clear and accessible approach to the analysis of therapeutic agents at the cellular and molecular level through detailed diagrams, full-colour illustrations, and educational features. I use a lot of the illustrations and diagrams from this textbook throughout the lecture notes.

Neal MJ. Medical Pharmacology at a Glance. Wiley-Blackwell.

For more detail and explanation, the following is recommended:

Bryant B, Knights K. Pharmacology for Health Professionals. Mosby Elsevier.

This is a useful introductory text that summarises the key principles of pharmacology. It has an easy-to-use format with summary diagrams and explanatory notes.
You will also need regular access to your relevant clinical practice guidelines / protocols as follows:
Caffey, M. Paramedic and Emergency Pharmacology Guidelines. Pearson Australia