Pharmacy

To understand the contents of the didactic activities, the student is recommended to possess knowledge of physiology and biochemistry. It is also important to possess knowledge of human anatomy and general pathology.

Introduction to Pharmacology General principles and definitions of drugs, medicinal and galenic preparations, dietary supplements, and functional foods. Innovative drugs, "me too" drugs, orphan drugs and generics. Non-prescription drugs, medical devices. Biological medicines. Biosimilar drugs. Principles of pharmacokinetics Absorption and routes of administration of drugs. Factors affecting the rate and extent of drug absorption. Routes of administration. Distribution of drugs. Factors affecting the distribution of drugs. Metabolism of drugs. General principles and consequences of biotransformation of drugs. Hepatic and extrahepatic biotransformation. Phase I and phase II enzymatic reactions. Induction and inhibition of drug metabolism. Factors that may alter drug metabolism. Excretion of drugs. Plasma concentration curves as a function of time after single administration and after repeated administration. Area under the plasma concentration curve (AUC), Cmax, tmax. Clearance, volume of distribution, half-life. Steady state. Bioavailability and bioequivalence. Drug interactions. Pharmacogenetics and personalized therapy Individual variability in drug response and personalized medicine. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic genetic polymorphisms. Principles of pharmacodynamics Targets of drug action: membrane and intracellular receptors and their associated transduction systems; ion channels; enzymes; transmitters and pumps; nucleic acids; cytoskeletal proteins. New targets and new drugs (monoclonal antibodies; pharmacology of RNA and gene transcription). Characteristics of drug-receptor interaction, binding studies, dissociation constant and concept of affinity. Dose-response curves, agonism, antagonism, partial agonism, inverse agonism, affinity, efficacy, potency. Therapeutic Index. Changes in response to drugs: down- and up-regulation, desensitization, tolerance, dependence, tachyphylaxis. Adverse drug reactions. Allergies. Idiosyncrasies. Pharmacotherapy Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. Catecholaminergic transmission. Serotonergic transmission. Cholinergic transmission. GABAergic transmission. Glutamatergic transmission. Nitrergic transmission. Purinergic transmission. Histaminergic transmission. Opioid system. Cannabinoid system. Vanilloid system. Introduction to neuropeptides. Principles of antimicrobial and tumor chemotherapy.

To understand the contents of the didactic activities, the student is recommended to possess knowledge of physiology and biochemistry. It is also important to possess knowledge of human anatomy and general pathology.

Clementi F., Fumagalli G.: Farmacologia Generale e Molecolare (V Edizione). Edra, 2015. Rossi F, Cuomo V, Riccardi C.: Farmacologia: principi di base e applicazioni terapeutiche (V edizione). Edizioni Minerva Medica, 2023. Laurence L. Brunton Randa Hilal-Dandan Björn C. Knollmann: Goodman & Gilman Le basi farmacologiche della terapia (13^ edizione). Zanichelli, 2019. Katzung B.G.: Farmacologia generale e clinica (XI edizione). Piccin, 2021.

mandatory

The actual achievement of the expected learning outcomes by the student, in accordance with the aims of the course, is evaluated through a combination of written and oral exams. The following aspects will be evaluated and will contribute to the final score of the exam: the specific preparation of the student on the different course topics, the reasoning and judgment skills, and the ability to communicate with an appropriate technical language. The duration of the exam is difficult to define and essentially depends on the student's ability to exhibit. An average duration of about 20 minutes is conceivable. The exam will take place at the end of the course, almost monthly (except for the month of August), according to pre-established dates that are published on the Infostud and e-learning platforms. To pass the exam a student must achieve a minimum score of 18/30, which corresponds to a sufficient preparation on the topics of the course.

To understand the contents of the didactic activities, the student is recommended to possess knowledge of physiology and biochemistry. It is also important to possess knowledge of human anatomy and general pathology.

Introduction to Pharmacology General principles and definitions of drugs, medicinal and galenic preparations, dietary supplements, and functional foods. Innovative drugs, "me too" drugs, orphan drugs and generics. Non-prescription drugs, medical devices. Biological medicines. Biosimilar drugs. Principles of pharmacokinetics Absorption and routes of administration of drugs. Factors affecting the rate and extent of drug absorption. Routes of administration. Distribution of drugs. Factors affecting the distribution of drugs. Metabolism of drugs. General principles and consequences of biotransformation of drugs. Hepatic and extrahepatic biotransformation. Phase I and phase II enzymatic reactions. Induction and inhibition of drug metabolism. Factors that may alter drug metabolism. Excretion of drugs. Plasma concentration curves as a function of time after single administration and after repeated administration. Area under the plasma concentration curve (AUC), Cmax, tmax. Clearance, volume of distribution, half-life. Steady state. Bioavailability and bioequivalence. Drug interactions. Pharmacogenetics and personalized therapy Individual variability in drug response and personalized medicine. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic genetic polymorphisms. Principles of pharmacodynamics Targets of drug action: membrane and intracellular receptors and their associated transduction systems; ion channels; enzymes; transmitters and pumps; nucleic acids; cytoskeletal proteins. New targets and new drugs (monoclonal antibodies; pharmacology of RNA and gene transcription). Characteristics of drug-receptor interaction, binding studies, dissociation constant and concept of affinity. Dose-response curves, agonism, antagonism, partial agonism, inverse agonism, affinity, efficacy, potency. Therapeutic Index. Changes in response to drugs: down- and up-regulation, desensitization, tolerance, dependence, tachyphylaxis. Adverse drug reactions. Allergies. Idiosyncrasies. Pharmacotherapy Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. Catecholaminergic transmission. Serotonergic transmission. Cholinergic transmission. GABAergic transmission. Glutamatergic transmission. Nitrergic transmission. Purinergic transmission. Histaminergic transmission. Opioid system. Cannabinoid system. Vanilloid system. Introduction to neuropeptides. Principles of antimicrobial and tumor chemotherapy.

To understand the contents of the didactic activities, the student is recommended to possess knowledge of physiology and biochemistry. It is also important to possess knowledge of human anatomy and general pathology.

Clementi F., Fumagalli G.: Farmacologia Generale e Molecolare (V Edizione). Edra, 2015. Rossi F, Cuomo V, Riccardi C.: Farmacologia: principi di base e applicazioni terapeutiche (V edizione). Edizioni Minerva Medica, 2023. Laurence L. Brunton Randa Hilal-Dandan Björn C. Knollmann: Goodman & Gilman Le basi farmacologiche della terapia (13^ edizione). Zanichelli, 2019. Katzung B.G.: Farmacologia generale e clinica (XI edizione). Piccin, 2021.

Mandatory

The actual achievement of the expected learning outcomes by the student, in accordance with the aims of the course, is evaluated through a combination of written and oral exams. The following aspects will be evaluated and will contribute to the final score of the exam: the specific preparation of the student on the different course topics, the reasoning and judgment skills, and the ability to communicate with an appropriate technical language. The duration of the exam is difficult to define and essentially depends on the student's ability to exhibit. An average duration of about 20 minutes is conceivable. The exam will take place at the end of the course, almost monthly (except for the month of August), according to pre-established dates that are published on the Infostud and e-learning platforms. To pass the exam a student must achieve a minimum score of 18/30, which corresponds to a sufficient preparation on the topics of the course. Grades will be divided as follows: 18 = sufficient knowledge; 19-23 = fair knowledge; 24-27 = good knowledge; 28-30 = excellent knowledge; 30 with laude = outstanding knowledge.