To show the organization of the course that includes this module, follow this link:  Course organization

Learning outcomes

The Course is targeted to give to the student basic knowledge and methodological instruments required to understand the role covered by drugs in therapy, with particular reference to drugs used in intervention areas of the physiotherapist, how they act to modify health status of the patient, risks related to their use, factors that could modify the answer to a pharmacological treatment.

Program

PROGRAMME
During the Course the following topics will be covered:
1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF PHARMACOLOGY
Definition of drug, medicinal product, generic drug, galenic and magistral preparations, biosimilars.
Origin of drugs and the process of drug development.
Symptomatic, curative, preventive and substitutive drugs.
Different actions of drugs: systemic or local, direct or indirect, primary or secondary, collateral, early or late onset.
Pharmacokinetics: absorption (mechanisms, routes of administration), distribution (plasma protein binding, vascularization, blood-brain barrier and placental transfer of drugs), metabolism and excretion of drugs.
Pharmacodynamics: receptor definition, agonism and antagonism, affinity and intrinsic activity.
Adverse drug reactions
2. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF PHARMACOTHERAPY
“Placebo” and “Compliance” definitions.
Dosage, maximum dose, effective dose, posology, therapeutic index.
Therapeutic plasma levels of drugs, peak concentrations, therapeutic range, accumulation, toxic concentrations.
Drug interactions.
Variability in drug response.
3. CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
- Non steroidal and steroidal antiinflammatory drugs: mechanisms of action, pharmacological properties, modality of use, main adverse reactions.
- Opioids and non opioids analgesics (NSAIDs and paracetamol): mechanisms of action, pharmacological properties, therapeutic uses, tolerability.
- Antiparkinson drugs.

TEACHING METHODS
Meetings in hall will be organized as frontal lectures (with slides) and group discussions to favour learning.
For the preparation of the exam, in addition to the notes given by the teacher, the student may look at some textbooks.

Examination Methods

Learning evaluation is made inside the written exam of Pathology: 15 questions referred to Pharmacology are provided through a multiple choice test (2 correct answers between 5).