PAS 531 - Pharmacology I, 4 credit hours

The 3-part pharmacology course educates students on the fundamentals of drug classifications, pharmacodynamics actions, and the rationale for therapeutic use of prescription and nonprescription medications. In addition, students will be able to describe the potential advantages and disadvantages of specific therapeutic regimens, universal indications and contraindications for usage, dosing schedules, and the relative cost of commonly prescribed medications. Common errors involving prescription writing will be discussed and practical exercises will require students to accurately write prescriptions and treatment orders.

This course will review the mechanism(s) of action, toxicities and interactions of some specific drugs and drug classes, as well as provide the students with an introduction to clinical therapeutics. Clinical therapeutics incorporates the physiologic basis and clinical characteristics of disease states relative to pharmacologic therapy. Disease states that will be targeted are: dermatology, hematology, endocrinology, HIV, hepatitis, pancreatitis, obstructive pulmonary disease and gastrointestinal.