91824 Mechanism of Drugs in Treatment
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 2 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): (91181 Principles of Drug Actions AND 91183 Drugs in the Human Body) OR (91823 Principles of Drug Actions AND 91825 Drugs in the Human Body)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 91182 Mechanism of Drugs in Treatment AND 91707 Pharmacology 1
Description
Pharmacology is a biomedical discipline that is involved with the study of the effects of drugs on living systems. Mechanisms of Drugs in Treatment builds on the introductory principles governing drug action introduced in Principles of Drug Action and Drugs in the Human Body.
The major objectives of Mechanisms of Drugs in Treatment are to use specific examples of common diseases to explore how drugs work as treatment for those diseases, or how drug are used as anaesthetics. Diseases used as examples include asthma, chronic pain, diabetes and epilepsy.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 01. | Apply the principles of pharmacokinetics in describing drug uptake, transport, metabolism and excretion from the human body. |
|---|---|
| 02. | Explain drug activity through interactions with target molecules including receptors, transporters and enzymes |
| 03. | Understand the principles governing individual variation to drugs and drug interactions |
| 04. | Describe the pharmacology and therapeutic uses of the drugs used to treat diabetes, asthma, and epilepsy |
| 05. | Describe the pharmacology of local and general anaesthetics and the benzodiazepine class of drugs based on an understanding of the human nervous system. |
| 06. | Research, interpret and effectively communicate a pharmacology topic you have researched in a written form suitable for online presentation to the general public |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
1.Disciplinary knowledge
From the content delivered, you will gain an understanding of the nature, practice and application of the discipline of pharmacology. Interaction via the monitored message boards and Zoom tutorials will give you the opportunity to apply these principles.
2.Research, inquiry and critical thinking
Searching the scientific literature and drawing conclusions based on many data sources is a fundamental component of science. You will be given the opportunity to research a topic and to interpret and present the data in the form of a scientific blog. You will have the opportunity to receive feedback on your topic prior to the final submission and by providing feedback you will also develop the ability to evaluate the work of other students. You will also be required to carry out a brief literature search to provide background to your laboratory report and to allow you to put your data into a broader scientific context.
3.Professional, ethical and social responsibility
3a. Problem-solving skills: Developing logical thought and problem-solving skills critical to scientific practice and will be taught in Zoom tutorial and assessed in assignments.
3b. Research skills: Gathering and evaluating information collected from diverse resources is an important scientific skill. You will be given a pharmacology topic relevant to today’s society to research, interpret and present as an online blog-style article.
4.Reflection, innovation and creativity
Scientific issues impact on everyday life. Issues such as the development of antibiotic resistance due to the inappropriate use of antibiotics or the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport or in the study are important issues that many people can relate to. You will be given a pharmacology topic relevant to today’s society to research, reflect on and present your conclusions in a creative blog style article.
5.Communication
Communication of scientific concepts to the general public is an important form of communication of scientific ideas and a blog style-article will be submitted on a pharmacology topic that you have researched. Skills in structuring and presenting this style of the document will be taught in lecture and tutorial sessions.
Teaching and learning strategies
Students will direct their learning with online material presented on Canvas. They will use the knowledge for active discussion with their peers via monitored discussion boards and Zoom tutorial sessions.
During the Zoom Tutorial you will be introduced to the Blog Assignment wherein each student will be assigned a topic to research and write a blog-style article about.The blog assignment will be worth 50% of your final mark.
Content will be further assessed through an End-of-Session Quiz that will be delivered on Cavas. You may sit the quiz anytime from 9am Wednesday 12th February to 5pm Friday 14th February 2020. The quiz will run for 40 minutes. Timing will start upon opening the quiz. You have one (1) opportunity to sit this quiz. All topics delivered on Canvas and during the Zoom tutorial are assessable in this quiz. It will be worth 50% of your final mark.
Supplementary assessment items and examinations for this course are not available.
It is recommended that any questions regarding the above are posted to the monitored message board prior to e-mailing the subject coordinator.
Content (topics)
Pharmacology of neuromuscular blockers, opioid analgesics, local and general anaesthetics, benzodiazepines and drugs used in the treatment of epilepsy, diabetes and asthma.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Online Science Communication Task: Blog Style Article
| Intent: | 2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility: 3a. Problem-solving skills 3b. Research skills 4. Reflection, innovation and creativity 5. Communication |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 01, 02 and 06 |
| Type: | Essay |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | Two pages |
| Criteria: | Accuracy of information, addressing societal impact, presentation, creativity |
Assessment task 2: End-of-Session Quiz
| Intent: | 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 and 06 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 20 MCQs |
| Criteria: | Accuracy of responses |
Minimum requirements
Any assessment task worth 40% of more requires the student to gain at least 40% of the mark for that task. If 40% is not reached, an X grade fail may be awarded for the subject, irrespective of an overall mark greater than 50.