This unit builds upon the fundamental concepts of drug delivery with a major focus on oral drug absorption and pharmacokinetics.
Specifically, the unit aims to:
- provide an understanding of theoretical concepts and formulation principles of pharmaceutical dosage forms such as tablets and capsules; and
- introduce students to fundamental concepts in pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics and their impact on drug disposition.
At the end of this unit students will be able to:
- Discuss the formulation principles of tablets and capsules and undertake problems by applying theoretical knowledge in relation to formulation principles;
- Discuss the primary physiological factors influencing drug absorption across the small intestine and the effects of altering rate of absorption and extent of absorption on plasma concentration and amount of drug in the body;
- Define and calculate pharmacokinetic parameters, including drug clearance, elimination half-life, volume of distribution, fraction unbound, fraction excreted unchanged in urine and steady state plasma concentration after intravenous administrations and multiple dosing;
- Distinguish between drugs that exhibit 1 and 2 compartment behaviour and calculate and interpret pharmacokinetic parameters for drugs that obey 1 and 2 compartment kinetics
- Discuss hepatic clearance of drugs in terms of intrinsic clearance, protein binding and hepatic blood flow and how this changes for high and low extraction ratio drugs and calculate hepatic extraction ratios
- Estimate the absolute and relative bioavailability of drugs given either plasma or urine concentration data.
- Describe the characteristics, causes and therapeutic consequences of non-linear pharmacokinetics
Final exam (2.5 hour): 60%; In-semester assessments 40%
Contact hours for on-campus students:
- Thirty six 1-hour lectures
- One 1-hour tutorial
- Three 3-hour workshops
- One 3-hour practical
See also Unit timetable information
PAC1222 Drug delivery I
PAC1132 Systems physiology