Internal medicine, Pharmacology and geriatric nursing 2Module Pharmacology
Academic Year 2026/2027 - Teacher: GIULIA DI BENEDETTOExpected Learning Outcomes
The course aims to enable students to develop knowledge and skills concerning the pharmacological basis of therapy through the integrated study of related topics, including pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of molecular action, and the interactions between individual drug classes and the pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms of the diseases for which these drugs are prescribed. The course also addresses methods of drug administration, as well as adverse and unwanted effects.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand the pharmacological basis of therapy.
- Recognize the adverse and toxic effects of drugs, as well as potential drug–drug interactions.
- Understand the biological basis of variability in drug response.
Course Structure
Mandatory attendance to classes, except for new instructions for contingent reasons.
Required Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of the following subjects: Human Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, and General Pathology.
Attendance of Lessons
Mandatory attendance to classes, except for new instructions for contingent reasons.
Detailed Course Content
The course is divided into two sections:
1. General Pharmacology: This section describes the principles underlying the interactions between drugs and the human body. These principles encompass two main areas: pharmacokinetics, which studies the effects of the body on drugs, and pharmacodynamics, which examines the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic, adverse, and toxic effects of drugs.
2. Clinical Pharmacology: This section describes the characteristics of the individual classes of drugs.
Textbook Information
Taglialatela - Cantarella - Leone - Mattioli - Moretti - Pignataro – Vanzetta. Farmacologia per le lauree triennali e magistrali, IV Edizione - Idelson-Gnocchi, 2024.
Amico Roxas, Caputi, Del Tacca. Compendio di Farmacologia generale e Speciale, II Edizione - EDRA, 2021.
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General principles of Pharmacology | see textbook tab |
| 2 | Drug development | see textbook tab |
| 3 | Routes of drug administration | see textbook tab |
| 4 | Pharmacokinetics: absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of drugs | see textbook tab |
| 5 | Pharmacodynamics: biological targets of drugs, classification of receptors and theories, concentration-response curve | see textbook tab |
| 6 | Signal transduction mechanisms | see textbook tab |
| 7 | Adverse drug reactions | see textbook tab |
| 8 | Autonomic nervous system drugs | see textbook tab |
| 9 | Central nervous system drugs | see textbook tab |
| 10 | Steroidal and non-steroidal antinflammatory drugs | see textbook tab |
| 11 | Drugs of the cardiovascular system | see textbook tab |
| 12 | Diabetes mellitus medications | see textbook tab |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Oral exam.
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
Routes of drug administration; drug–receptor interactions; adverse drug reactions; antihypertensive drugs; general and local anesthetics; glucocorticoids.