Thermodynamics and Energy Transfer Quiz

Fundamentals of Pharmacy/Pharmacology: The Science of Medicines

• This unit introduces the fundamentals of pharmacy and pharmacology, focusing on the science of medicines.
• The course is designed around lectures, problem-based learning, and workshops.
• Assessment is a combination of examinations and a problem-based learning assignment.

Lecture 1 - Unit Introduction

• Course content includes reasons to study the science of medicines, an overview of pharmacology and pharmaceutics, methods of teaching, and assessment.
• Year one units in pharmacy and pharmacology are presented
• Topics include chemistry of drugs, science of medicines, health and disease, and preparation for professional practice.

Lecture 2 - What is a Medicine?

• Learning objectives include drug delivery and absorption, the medicines development pipeline and the role of the science of medicines, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, as well as plasma concentration versus time profiles.
• Drug delivery and absorption routes are discussed.
• Pharmaceutics is presented as a very important aspect in the process

Lecture 3 - Concept of medicine and dosage forms, brands and generics.

• Intended learning outcomes include understanding of nomenclature of medicinal products, reason for protecting medicines, research and development strategies in the pharmaceutical industry, the difference between branded and generic drugs & benefits and potential drawbacks.
• Details of nomenclature, including brand names and chemical names, are provided
• The role of patents in the pharmaceutical industry is also detailed

Lecture 4 - Role of dosage forms and excipients. - Why different dosage forms

• This lecture covers the role of dosage forms and excipients in drug development
• Emphasis on different dosage forms, the importance of factors such as safety, stability, and appropriate taste masking for different delivery methods
• A wide range of examples relating to different types of drug formulations are provided

Lecture 7 - Physicochemical Properties of Small Drugs

• Learning objectives include drug release and dissolution, how dissolution can be described by the Noyes-Whitney equation, drugs absorption pathways passive diffusion of drugs and Fick's First Law, the application of the Stokes-Einstein equation to drug diffusion across membranes, the importance of lipophilicity, and how the physicochemical properties of small drugs affect their dissolution, diffusion, and absorption.
• This lecture details drug release and dissolution from solid oral forms (tablets/capulets)
• Descriptions of drug dissolution steps and their respective rate determining steps are discussed
• The Noyes-Whitney equation and related parameters are covered

Lecture 8 - Acid-Base Theory, pH, pKa, and pKb

• The lecture describes Lowry-Brønsted definitions of acids and bases, conjugate acid-base pairs, the dissociation of weakly acidic and basic drugs, the importance of the pKa and/or pKb values for different drugs, and how these values affect the degree of ionization.
• Focus on how pH affects drug ionization
• Key definitions and examples of various types of acids and bases are presented

Lecture 10 - Electrolytes and buffers

• The lecture covers strong and weak electrolytes, common ion effects, and buffer capacity.
• pH values from different body fluids are listed and studied
• Discussion of different buffer types for drug solubility
• Explanations of why many drugs are either weak acids or bases and how the degree of ionization is highly dependent on pH including the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation

Lecture 11 - Chemical kinetics and stability of dosage forms 1

• Learning outcomes include introduction to reaction kinetics, use of reaction kinetics, to determine the stability of pharmaceuticals, the determination of reaction orders and rate constants, and the use of the Arrhenius equation for determining reaction rate constants.
• Discusses zero and first order reaction kinetics, and their properties
• The concept of shelf life is also explored

Lecture 14 - Pre-formulation of solid dosage forms 1

• Preformulation is the initial stage in developing a dosage form
• The need for certain components such as pharmaceutical salts, crystalline forms and habits to ensure the drugs are administered to patients appropriately is discussed
• Types of solid forms are presented

Lecture 15 - Pre-formulation of solid dosage forms 2

• This covers how physical form impacts product functionality, bioavailability, stability, and formulation design challenges
• Discusses the rational design behind the choice of drug forms
• Understanding of the impact of crystalline solid structures like polymorphs, hydrates, and solvates is covered

Lecture 16 - Drug Solubility and Dissolution Rate 1

• The lecture includes solubility, (semi-quantitative units), solubility (in quantitative units), and the effect on drug absorption.
• Discusses drug dissolution processes, methods of determining solubility and how these parameters affect treatment
• Overview of how the rate of drug dissolving affect the overall impact of drugs in solution

Lecture 17 - Drug Solubility and Dissolution Rate 2

• The lecture covers the concepts of weak acids & bases, the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, the effect of pH on drug ionization and related examples.
• This provides a framework to predict the outcome of drug behaviour
• Examples of weakly acidic and basic drugs are provided

Lecture 18 - Drug Solubility and Dissolution Rate 3

• This lecture covers understanding solubility and dissolution rates, classification of drugs according to their solubility in different conditions, and use of co-solvents to increase drug solubility.
• Describes methods for determining drug solubility and dissolution rate

Lecture 19 - Drug Solubility and Dissolution Rate 4

• This lecture covers understanding of the use of cyclodextrins to enhance solubility, methods of classification of surfactants, and their surfactant properties

Lecture 30 & 31 - Physiological factors affecting drug absorption after oral administration

• Learning outcomes are presented, detailing the process, and different physiological factors affecting drug absorption following oral administration.
• Details of gastrointestinal transit, active secretion, hepatic first pass effect, enterohepatic recycling, metabolism within the gastro-intestinal tract and types of oral dosage forms are discussed, including rate of absorption and drug effects

Lecture 32 - Absorption: Sublingual, buccal & rectal drug delivery

• This lecture examines the anatomy and physiology that affects drug absorption via sublingual, buccal and rectal routes
• Details of the physical properties and functionality of the drug in each area and the advantages and disadvantages of these routes are discussed

Other lectures

• The lectures and workshop content will likely cover various aspects of chemical and physical properties, dosage forms, drug interactions, and related physiological and anatomical factors.

Test your knowledge on the concepts of thermodynamics, including the relationship between temperature and heat, energy transfer, and the difference between work and heat. This quiz covers various temperature scales and key definitions crucial for understanding energy dynamics. Perfect for students studying physical science or engineering topics.