Leader: Dr David Taylor

Offered

Parkville First semester 2008 (Day)

Synopsis

The overall aims of this unit are to introduce students to disorders of the central nervous system and, because there are overlapping mechanisms of action/sites of actions, inflammatory diseases and disorders of the ear, eye, nose and throat and the rationale for treating these disorders. This will provide students with the pharmacological background of drugs acting within the central nervous system essential for their practice as pharmacists. Knowledge in this area will be extended in the semester two unit, Pharmacology IIB

Objectives

At the completion of this unit the participant will be able to:

1. Describe the symptoms of the different central nervous system disorders
2. Explain the rationale for prescribing the drugs used in the therapeutic treatment of these disorders
3. Predict adverse effects of the therapeutic drugs used to treat central nervous system disorders based on their mechanism of action
4. Predict adverse reactions of therapeutic drugs used to treat peripheral (outside the central nervous system) disorders that result from their actions within the central nervous system
5. Describe the symptoms and treatments of disorders involving inflammation (acute and chronic)
6. Describe the symptoms and treatments of disorders of the eye, nose throat and ears

Assessment

Presentation, practicals and practical assessment and one end of semester examination worth 80%

Contact hours

24 x 1 hour lectures and 4 x 3 hour practical/workshop classes. Successful completion of this unit will require participants to allocate an average of 6 hours per week for 12 weeks (a total of 72 hours per study period).

Prerequisites

VCP2041 and VCP2042