FUNDAMENTALS

Introduction to Pharmacology

  • Instructor: James Karboski, PharmD, Clinical Professor

Syllabus Highlights

  • Course Code: PHM 338 - Introduction to Pharmacology (Fall 2025)

  • Important Dates:

    • Class Session Dates:

    • Session 1: August 27

    • Session 2: September 3

  • Office Hours: To Be Determined (TBD) or by appointment

  • Lecture Materials:

    • Lecture slides will be provided on Canvas

    • Lecture recordings are intended for enrolled students only

    • Recording distribution of university or student-generated content is prohibited

    • Recordings offered as supplements to lectures, availability not guaranteed

  • Assessments:

    • 3 Exams (60% of final grade)

    • Comprehensive Final Exam (15% of final grade)

    • Lecture Quizzes (15% of final grade)

    • In-Class Polling (10% of final grade)

Course Structure and Assessments

  • Exams (75%):

    • Three non-comprehensive exams, each worth 20% of the final grade

    • One comprehensive final exam worth 15% of the final grade

    • Exams are conducted during regular class periods using Canvas Quizzes with Honorlock.

  • Lecture Quizzes (15%):

    • Quizzes taken before class through Canvas Quizzes with Honorlock.

    • No make-up quizzes allowed; lowest score will be dropped.

  • In-Class Polling (10%):

    • Conducted via UT Instapoll with 3-4 questions per session.

    • Correct responses earn 1 point; incorrect responses earn 0.25 points.

    • No make-up for missed polling, and the lowest 4 scores will be dropped.

Course Schedule (Fall 2025)

  • Session Topics:

    • Fundamentals: August 27

    • Quiz on Basic Pharmacology: September 3

    • Drug Interactions: September 10

    • Renal/Diuretics: Exam 1 on September 24

    • Additional topics include:

    • Hyperlipidemia

    • Hypertension

    • Antibiotic Classification

    • Infectious Diseases

    • Respiratory

    • Diabetes

    • Contraception

    • Gastrointestinal

    • Analgesics

    • Depression/Psychosis

    • Hematology

    • Fall Break

    • Final Exam: December 11-15

Definitions and Concepts

  • The Perfect Drug: Ideally characterized by:

    • Effectively treats, prevents, or cures the patient's condition

    • Produces a rapid, predictable response

    • Produces no adverse effects

    • Convenient administration (usually orally)

    • Infrequent dosing (usually once daily for a short period)

    • Cost-effective and easily accessible

    • Quick elimination from the body post-efficacy

    • No significant interactions with other medications.

Knowledge About Medications

  • Key aspects include:

    • Mechanisms of action

    • Indications

    • Contraindications

    • Adverse drug reactions

    • Drug interactions

    • Usual dose

    • Route of administration

    • Monitoring parameters

Drug Names

  • Types of Drug Names:

    • Chemical Name: E.g., N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide

    • Generic Name (non-proprietary): E.g., acetaminophen, ibuprofen

    • Trade Name (proprietary): E.g., Tylenol®, Datril®, Tempra®

Medication Errors and Their Types

  • Types of Medication Errors (Frequency %):

    • Wrong Drug: 22%

    • Overdosage: 17%

    • Wrong Route of Administration: 8%

    • Noncompliance: 7%

    • Wrong Strength/Concentration: 7%

    • Monitoring Error: 7%

Source of Drugs

  • Categories of Drug Sources:

    • Plants: E.g., Willow tree for aspirin

    • Animals: E.g., Conjugated estrogens from horses

    • Microbes: E.g., Penicillin from Penicillium

    • Minerals: E.g., Ferrous sulfate for iron deficiency

    • Synthetic and Semi-Synthetic: E.g., Man-made drugs

    • Biosynthetic: E.g., Recombinant insulin from bacteria

Drug Information Types

  • Sources include:

    • Primary: Clinical research studies

    • Secondary: Databases for primary literature searching

    • Tertiary: Textbooks/review articles, drug labels, compendia (e.g., UpToDate, Lexi-Comp)

Drug Laws and Regulations

  • Pure Food and Drug Act (1906):

    • Aimed to protect the public from misleading claims; required drug labeling for potentially dangerous ingredients.

  • Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1938):

    • Required testing for harmful effects and accurate labeling.

FDA Approval Process

  • Stages:

    • Preclinical, Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, and FDA Review.

    • Phase I involves pharmacologic evaluation in volunteers.

    • Phase II determines effectiveness and side effects.

    • Phase III establishes safe/effective doses and submits a New Drug Application (NDA).

Generic Drug Approval Criteria

  • Pharmaceutical Equivalence: Comparable active ingredients, dosage forms.

  • Bioequivalence: Absorption rates must be similar to the pioneer drug (AUC, Cmax, Tmax).

Controlled Substances Act (1970)

  • Classification of Drugs:

    • Schedule I through V based on potential for abuse and medical use.

    • Examples:

    • I: Heroin, LSD

    • II: Oxycodone, Morphine

    • III: Acetaminophen with codeine

    • IV: Diazepam

    • V: Low-quantity codeine products