Handbook

You will gain an introduction to pharmacology and therapeutics that will be expanded upon in future years. You will learn the basic principles of pharmacology with an emphasis on drug action, from the molecular and cellular levels to tissue, organ and whole organism levels. The course will cover key topics including: the principles of drug action (pharmacodynamics) in terms of drug-receptor interaction, receptor theory and dose-response relationships; receptor-mediated signal transduction, membrane receptors and autonomic pharmacology; the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (pharmacokinetics); toxicology and the adverse effects of drugs, as well as the basics of drug safety and pharmacovigilance.