C1 Introduction to Pharmacology
Page 1: Course Introduction
Course: UDDN2503 Basic Pharmacology / UDDD3224 Pharmacology
Instructor: Dr. Sit Nam Weng
Department: Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia.
Page 2: Course Content Overview
Content Topics:
The Sustainable Development Goals
Origins and antecedents of pharmacology
Terminology and drug nomenclature
Course Learning Outcome: Describe the action and fate of a drug in humans.
Reference Text: Katzung, B.G. and Vanderah, T.W. (2020). Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (15th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Page 3: Sustainable Development Definition
Definition: Sustainable development is meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs.
Core Elements for Achievement:
Economic growth
Social inclusion
Environmental protection
Page 4: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Key Goals:
No Poverty
Zero Hunger
Good Health and Well-Being
Quality Education
Gender Equality
Affordable and Clean Energy
Climate Action
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Reduced Inequalities
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Life Below Water
Life on Land
Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Partnerships for the Goals
More details can be found on the UN Sustainable Development website.
Page 5: Goal 3 Targets (Health)
3.1: Reduce global maternal mortality ratio to <70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5, targeting neonatal mortality of <12 per 1,000 live births.
3.3: End epidemics of communicable diseases (AIDS, TB, malaria, etc.) by 2030.
3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one-third.
3.5: Strengthen substance abuse prevention and treatment.
Page 6: More Health Targets
3.6: Halve global deaths/injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020.
3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health services by 2030.
3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to essential medicines and vaccines.
3.9: Substantially reduce deaths from pollution and hazardous chemicals by 2030.
Page 7: Health Financing and Research
3.A: Strengthen WHO's Tobacco Control framework.
3.B: Support development of vaccines/medicines for diseases affecting developing countries.
3.C: Increase health financing and development of health workforce in developing nations.
3.D: Increase capacity for national/global health risk management.
Page 8: Importance of Good Health and Well-Being
Reference for deeper reading: Why Good Health Matters
Page 9: Introduction to Pharmacology
Definition: Study of substances interacting with living systems through chemical action, especially via binding to regulatory molecules.
Page 10: Etymology of Pharmacology
Origin: Derived from Greek 'pharmakon' (magic charm) and suffix '-logy' (study of).
Interrelated with anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pathophysiology.
Challenges: Includes memorizing various drug names, interactions, side effects, mechanisms of action.
Page 11: Historical Development of Pharmacology
Timeline of pharmacology development from 3000 BC to present:
Early herbal remedies
Natural products and therapeutics
Emergence of chemical sciences
Growth of pharmaceutical industry and biopharmaceuticals.
Page 12: Terminology in Pharmacology
Molecular Pharmacology: Study of drugs at the molecular level.
Pharmacotherapy: Use of drugs to treat disease.
Pharmacognosy: Deriving medicines from natural sources.
Pharmacovigilance: Monitoring adverse drug effects.
Page 13: Advanced Terminology in Pharmacology
Pharmacogenetics: Studies genetic differences affecting drug metabolism.
Pharmacogenomics: Systematic identification of all human genes’ impact on drug response.
Page 14: More Terminology
Toxicology: Study of harmful effects of chemicals on biological systems.
Pharmaceutical Chemistry/Pharmaceutics: Focus on drug formulation and properties.
Pharmacy: Preparation, storage, dispensing of drugs.
Page 15: Intersection of Pharmacology with Other Disciplines
Visualization of pharmacology's relationship with other biomedical fields.
Page 16: Poisons and Toxins
Poisons: Harmful effects from substances; "the dose makes the poison" (Paracelsus).
Toxins: Biologically sourced poisons from plants, animals, or microorganisms.
Page 17: Drug Actions in Biological Systems
Definition of a Drug: Alters biological function via chemical action on receptors.
Types of Drugs: Endogenous (produced by the body) vs. exogenous (not made by the body).
Page 18: History and Language of Drugs
Word Origins: Dutch 'droge' (dried herbs), French 'drogue', Latin 'medicina'.
Page 19: Definitions of Medicine
Medicine: Administered for medicinal value as preventive, diagnostic, or therapeutic agent.
Interchangeable Terms: The term drug can refer to substances without therapeutic use.
Page 20: Medical Uses of Drugs
Preventive Use: Prevent occurrence of diseases (e.g., vaccines).
Diagnostic Use: Aid in procedures/tests (e.g., radiopaque agents).
Therapeutic Use: Control/improve symptoms and conditions (e.g., antibiotics).
Page 21: Proprietary and Generic Names
Proprietary Name: Brand name; can have multiple proprietary names.
Generic Name: Single internationally recognized name; no duplicates.
Chemical Name: Most accurate, describes the molecular structure.
Page 22: Nomenclature of Drugs
Common endings indicate pharmacological classification of drugs.
Examples include
-olol for beta-blockers (e.g., Propranolol)
-caine for local anesthetics (e.g., Cocaine)
-dipine for calcium channel blockers (e.g., Nifedipine).
Page 23: Physical Nature of Drugs
Forms: Solid (e.g., aspirin), liquid (e.g., nicotine), gaseous (e.g., nitrous oxide).
Molecular Weight: Majority range is between 100 and 1000.
Page 24: Drug-Receptor Interaction
Binding Types: Electrostatic, hydrogen, and hydrophobic bonds.
Selectivity: Drugs binding through weak bonds are generally more selective.
Covalent Bonds: Involved in certain drug mechanisms (e.g., antineoplastic agents).
Page 25: Chiral Drugs
Chirality: One enantiomer may be significantly more effective than its mirror image.
Page 26: Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacodynamics: Actions of drugs on the body, mechanisms, indications, contraindications, adverse reactions.
Pharmacokinetics: The body's actions on the drug.
Page 27: Indications and Contraindications
Indication: Use of a drug for a particular disease (e.g., insulin for diabetes).
Contraindications: Situations where drug use is harmful.
Relative contraindication: Use caution.
Absolute contraindication: Potentially life-threatening.
Page 28: Potency and Efficacy
Potency: Strength of a drug at a certain concentration.
Efficacy: Drug's ability to produce intense response with increased concentration.
Page 29: Therapeutic Effects
Can target specific areas or organs; may have unintended effects.
Example: Clonidine used for hypertension also demonstrated anti-nasal congestion.
Page 30: Side Effects
Categories of side effects range from mild to severe.
No drug is entirely free from side effects; most drugs have at least one or two.
Page 31: Adverse Effects
Definition: Severe, often unanticipated reactions to drugs (Adverse Drug Reactions - ADR).
Polypharmacy Risks: Using 5 or more drugs increases chances of ADRs.
Page 32: Organ Toxicity from Adverse Effects
Common toxicities include:
Cardiotoxicity (e.g., Daunorubicin)
Hematopoietic toxicity (e.g., Chloramphenicol)
Hepatotoxicity, such as cholestatic jaundice from Erythromycin.
Page 33: Adverse Effect Statistics
USA: 1.5 million hospitalizations annually due to ADRs.
Europe: Median 3.5% hospital admissions due to ADRs.
Page 34: ADR Reporting Trends
Data on adverse drug reaction reports from 2015-2024.
Page 35: Pharmacology Question
Example Question: When using chloroquine and quinine for treatment, it represents:
(A) pharmacologic (B) therapeutic (C) preventive (D) diagnostic (E) prophylactic.