PHARM 3103 - Drug Action and Therapeutics

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2025

The course will provide students with an understanding of how drugs are used as therapeutics. Students will gain an understanding of drug-receptor interactions. Particular emphasis will be given to the key factors that influence and govern the effects of drugs within the body, ranging from molecular determinants to physiological factors that control disposition of drugs within the body. Selected systems pharmacology examples will be given to illustrate contemporary approaches to treatment of disease. The practical component of this course will demonstrate key issues from the theoretical part of the course as well as providing laboratory and experimental proficiency for students, ensuring they gain an appreciation for studying drug actions at different levels of biological organisation, ranging from simple in vitro systems (e.g. organ baths) to whole animals.

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Course Details

Course Code	PHARM 3103
Course	Drug Action and Therapeutics
Coordinating Unit	Medical Sciences
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	HLTH SC 2104
Incompatible	PHARM 3010
Assumed Knowledge	PHARM 2400
Assessment	Students will complete online quizzes, 2 mid-Semester tests (one online), participate in tutorials and engage in workshops. There will be an end of course closed-book examination.

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Ian Musgrave

Course Coordinator: Dr Ian Musgrave
Phone: +61 8 8313 3905
Email: ian.musgrave@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Room S515, Medical School South

Additional Academic Staff

Dr Scott Smid
Phone: +61 8 8313 5287
Email: scott.smid@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Room N531, Medical School North

Dr Abdallah Salem
Phone: +61 8 8313 4327
Email: abdallah.salem@adelaide.edu.auLocation:
Room N506, Medical School North

Dr Janet Coller
Phone: +61 8 8313 3906
Email: janet.coller@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Room N515, Medical School North

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Recognise the fundamental principles of drug actions at their target sites (eg. receptors, enzymes etc)
2. Describe the different types of pharmacodynamic interactions of drugs with receptors and apply quantitative methods to analyse such interactions
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the actions of specific drug classes at selected organ systems and physiological pathways at a molecular and cellular level
4. Explain the functioning of the autonomic nervous system at a pharmacological, anatomical and physiological level, with an integrated approach to its role in physiological homeostasis
5. Compare the functional roles of selected central nervous system transmitters and be able to list clinically important drugs acting at these pharmacological systems
6. Choose a relevant experimental system to test experimental hypotheses (e.g. in vitro or in vivo; animal species etc)
7. Design experiments which are properly controlled and which use appropriate statistical methods of data analysis
8. Work co-operatively in a small group setting to conduct experiments, generate, analyse and interpret experimental data 9. Consider ethical issues when designing experiments using humans or animals
9. Consider the importance of method validation, and the recognition of experimental errors

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1-9
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	3-9
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	7-8
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	7-8
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	9
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	7
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	8-9

Learning Resources

Required Resources

“Rang and Dale's pharmacology” by Rang, Dale, Ritter, Flower and Henderson (Elsevier, 2015, 8th Edition). This book is an
excellent introduction to all aspects of pharmacology and lecturers will assign relevant chapters for each lecture.

Australian Medicines Handbook (online via BSL)

Recommended Resources

Students will be able to open access a variety of third party online and library
resources. Links to journal articles and reading lists disseminated via MyUni.

Online Learning

The primary means of communication outside of the formal contact hours will be via MyUni (or Canvas). Announcements supported
by email will be used as the main method of communicating with the student cohort.

Course material will besupported by online resources, with lecture recordings, tutorial materials and on-line quizzes and tests conducted via MyUni (Canvas).

Lecture notes will be provided in either pdf or PowerPoint format, relevant lab and tutorial handouts
and other supporting materials as required. Material will be sequentially released in line with the teaching and learning activities in each week.

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course is comprised of a combination of didactic lectures, interactive tutorial sessions and prescribed laboratory group-based practical sessions. Problem based tutorials are designed to support the major learning objectives set in the lecture content and require student interaction. Group-based laboratory practicals are designed to reinforce and extend on learning provided in the themed lecture content as well as providing an understanding and proficiency in research methods and experimental design, data analysis and write-up.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

You should spend at minimum 16 hours a week on study activities for this course. This will include an average of 8 hours contact time (lecture/practical/tutorial) and 8 hours revision/preparation/study.

Learning Activities Summary

Tutorial classes are based on the themed lecture content above and are usually set to follow the completion of lecture delivery within the prescribed theme.

Additional tutorial content is delivered in the areas of drug calculations and dilutions and biostatistics, which are topics that reinforce aspects of teaching in the practical classes.

Practical classes:
Session 1- Analytical (quantitative) Methodology
Session 2- Agonist/Antagonist activity in isolated tissues
Session 3- Receptor tolerance
Session 4- Adrenoceptors
Session 5- Receptors & Signal Transduction
Session 6- Drug actions In Vivo CNS

Week	Lecture 1	Lecture 2	Tutorial
1	Intro- Pharmacology Pharmacodynamics I- Drug Targets: Receptors, Enzymes and Ion Channels	Pharmacodynamics II- Dose-Response and Quantitation of Drug Actions	None
2	Pharmacodynamics III- Agonists/Antagonists	Pharmackokinetics	Analytical Methodology
3	Transmitter Systems & Drug Action I - Cholinergic	Transmitter Systems & Drug Action II - Adrenergic	none
4	Drugs in CNS disease I Transmitter Systems & Drug Action III 5HT-modifying drugs	Drugs in CNS disease II Transmitter Systems & Drug Action IV DA and GABA modifying drugs	Pharmacodynamics
5	Receptors and Signal transduction I G-protein coupled receptors	Receptors and Signal transduction II Ion Channels	none
6	Receptors and Signal transduction III Tyrosine Kinases & Nuclear receptors	Receptors and Signal transduction IV Enzymes	Drugs in the Nervous system
7	Pharmacotherapeutics I- Pharmacology of inflammation	Pharmacotherapeutics II- Pharmacology of pain	none
8	Pharmacotherapeutics III Affective disorders I	Pharmacotherapeutics IV Affective disorders I	Signal Transduction
9	Pharmacotherapeutics V Endocrine & metabolic pharmacology I	Pharmacotherapeutics VI - GI Pharmacology	none
10	Pharmacotherapeutics VII Respiratory Pharmacology	Pharmacotherapeutics VIII Reproductive pharmacology	Therapeutics I
11	Pharmacotherapeutics IX Performance enhancing Drugs	Pharmacotherapeutics X Cardiovascular pharmacology I	none
12	Pharmacotherapeutics XI Cardiovascular pharmacology II	Exam revision	Therapeutics II

Specific Course Requirements

Laboratory Conduct
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING :

(LABORATORY COATS and SAFETY GLASSES) MUST BE WORN IN THE LABORATORY.

Thongs should not be worn, and bare feet are absolutely prohibited (danger from glass and spillage).

Wash your hands before meals or on leaving the laboratory for any reason.All possible precautions should be taken when handling body fluid, to prevent spread of any type of infection.

These are:prevent aerosol production (e.g. never mix the fluids with hot water)use disposable gloves;wash hands after handling biological samples;
Avoid contaminating your hands, face or clothes, or the benches, chairs,
stools, notebooks, floors, door-handles, switches, gas, water, pressure,
vacuum or other taps, with animal excreta, toxins, chemicals or drugs.

Other people have to handle things you may have touched. Don't suck pencils or anything similar in the laboratory.No food or drink should be consumed or brought into the laboratory.No smoking should take place in the laboratory.

All solutions should be treated with care. Any material, dry or in solution, spilt on to the bench, the floor, or the hands should be
cleaned up at once with disposable paper towels. Spills should be cleaned up immediately and hands washed after any inadvertent contact.

No drug or syringe must leave the department for any reason.All sharps (hypodermic needles, scalpel blades) must be placed in the yellow sharps disposal bins placed around the laboratory.Solid waste should be placed in the appropriate bins, not in the sink.

Studentsshould pay particular attention to the care of animals.

The ethical
aspects of using animals and techniques for handling and injecting
animals will be demonstrated.

Any equipment failure or other faults should be reported to a demonstrator or to a technician.

At the conclusion of the experiment, it is the student’s responsibility to tidy the work space and to ensure that tubes, tips etc are disposed of in the appropriate bins provided.

No unauthorised persons are to visit students while working in the laboratory.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome(s) being addressed
Final Exam	Summative	40%	1 - 5
Assessment Test I	Summative	15%	1-4
Assessment Test II	Summative	15%	6,7,9
Practicals	Summative and Formative	30%	6-9

Assessment Detail

Online quizzes: Students will access 2 online MCQ formatted quizzes
which will be at weeks 6 and 10 to provide students with a reflective formative
appraisal of their understanding of key concepts from lectures. 0%

Test 1: Online MCQ-based test on all lecture and tutorial content weeks 1-6 inclusive, undertaken in week 7. 10%
weighting

Test 2: Written short answer-based
test on all practical content, undertaken in week 12. 10% weighting

Practicals: Students work in small groups to investigate key experiments which illustrate and re-enforce theoretical concepts. Written reports produced and assessed. 30% weighting.

Examination: A 2 hour exam to be held at the end of semester. 50% weighting.

Submission

All written submissions (eg. practical reports) must be accompanied by a signed cover sheet. Proforma cover sheets will be
available for download off MyUni.

Late submissions of any student work are not acceptable. Coursework received after the deadline will be penalised as follows:10% of total available points will be penalised per day (24 hour period or fraction thereof). An automatic zero mark will be applied after 7 days

If you miss an assessment test e.g. from illness, you are required to present medical or compassionate certification to be eligible to sit a supplementary test. Such certificates need to be provided to The Course Coordinator directly within one week of the test date.

The date and time of the supp. test is then determined by the Course Coordinator and is not negotiable. Students will be informed of the supp. test date by email.

Turn-around times for marking practial reports are 1 week from date of submission. Marked assessment tests are normally returned
within 1-2 weeks from date of sitting.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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