1. Introduction to Pharmacology

• Introduction to Pharmacology is presented.
• Kamran Manzoor can be contacted at [email protected].

Module Overview

• Outlines assessment formats, pharmacology definition, success strategies, and module objectives.

Pharmacology

• Pharmacology is derived from the Greek words "pharmakon" (drug) and "logos" (knowledge).
• Pharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs on living organisms.
• It clarifies the differences between pharmacology and pharmacy.
• A drug is a chemical substance, other than a nutrient or dietary requirement that causes a biological response when administered to a living organism.
• A medicine emphasizes the substance's formulation for treating or preventing diseases.
• A toxin highlights the harmful effects on biological systems.

Drug vs. Medication

• A drug lacks a suitable dosage form, while a medicine does have a suitable dosage form and dose.
• Medicine is the formulated form of a drug with a definite dose and dosage form, used for prevention, diagnosis, control, and treatment of disease.
• A drug consists only of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), whereas medicine is the formulation of API with or without excipients.
• Both drugs and medications can be classified by their mechanism of action (MoA).
• Regarding effect, both drugs and medications act on the living body and alter physiological processes.
• Medications are used for prevention, diagnosis, control, and treatment of disease, whereas drugs have a recreational use.
• Both drugs and medications share the same sources (chemical, biological).
• Medicines are regulated by agencies such as the EMA, FDA, and MHRA.
• Drugs have legal status distinctions as legal vs illegal.
• All medicines are drugs, but not all drugs are medicines based on the medical purpose.
• Medicines are substances used for therapeutic purposes with a suitable dosage form and a dose.
• Drugs are substances that may not have a suitable dosage form or therapeutic use.

Historical Perspective

• Ethanol has been used since approximately 7000 BC for its intoxicating effects.
• Caffeine has been consumed since approximately 3000 BC for its stimulating effects.
• Opium has been known since approximately 3500 BC for pain-relieving properties.
• Nicotine is derived from tobacco and has a history of use.
• Herbal remedies consist of various plants used for medicinal purposes.
• Atropine originates from Southern and Central Europe.
• Atropine's physical characteristics include large, purple/black berries.
• Atropine has medicinal uses, including atropine extraction and pupil dilation.
• The evolution of pharmacology includes primitive therapies, quakery dominance and the scientific revolution.

Development of Pharmacology

• Old Pharmacology involved finding and administering chemicals, evaluating their effectiveness, but showing indifference towards understanding the mechanism.
• Classical Pharmacology involves the beginning of Materia Medica, the rise of synthetic chemistry, the Golden Age of Pharmacology, and the expansion of drug testing.
• Modern pharmacology includes using biological systems to test drugs and identify targets and involves advanced testing at the cellular level.

Pharmacology Today

• Involves interdisciplinary relevance, a biotechnological revolution, modern and classical concepts.

Medicines

• A medication is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease.
• Any substance or combination of substances presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease in human beings is considered a medicine.
• Medicines are often tested for physiological function modification, pharmacological action and immunological action.

Medicine Classification

• Medicines are classified by level of control and pharmaceutical structure
• Prescription drugs require a physician's order and pharmacist dispensation
• Over-the-counter drugs are available for self-selection by consumers
• Conventional drugs are derived from chemical synthesis
• Biopharmaceutical products include recombinant proteins, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies.

Economics and Careers

• The pharmaceuticals industry has a 1 Trillion dollar market
• Involves careers in healthcare, research, scientific writing, legal & regulatory and sales.

Chemistry

• Glutamate is used by brain cells to communicate with each other.
• AMPA is a drug used to mimic effects of glutamate.

Biochemistry

• Illustrates the interaction of a drug with a target for effect.

Cell Biology

• Cells have a wide range of biochemical pathways.
• Drugs can interact with many points of these pathways and can cause side effects as a result.

Physiology

• Illustrates the physiology of synaptic function.

Scientific Disciplines

• Pharmacology is linked to Health Economics, Psychology, Epidemiology, Genetics, Pathology, Biotechnology, Clinical Therapeutics and Pharmacy.

General Aims of Pharmacology

• Clinical Use: the application of drugs in medical practice.
• Pharmacodynamics: the study of drug effects on the body.
• Adverse Effects: potential negative outcomes of drug use.
• Pharmacokinetics: study of drug movement in the body.
• Therapeutic Effects: positive outcomes of drug use.
• Biological Mechanisms: understanding how drugs work at a cellular level.

Drug Interactions

• Can be understood at a molecular, cellular and organism level.

Course Structure

• Consists of lectures, tutorials and practical sessions.

Lectures

• Includes cardiovascular, cytotoxic and anti-infective pharmacology lectures

Tutorials

• Tutorials reinforce lecture material, allow for interactive exploration, and analyze case studies

Practical Sessions

• Sessions will cover pharmacokinetics of paracetamol, local anaesthetic efficacy, and renal clearance.
• Practicals are designed for learning effectiveness, skill development, practical application, and theoretical knowledge

Assessment

• Assessed by written assignment and a 2 hour MCQ exam.
• The assignment includes a formative deadline, feedback session and summartive deadline.
• The MCQ exam will be conducted on 23rd - 27th June 2025.

Recommended Reading

• "Brenner and Stevens' Pharmacology," 6th Edition, Chapter 41.