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Pharmacology: How Drugs Work (PHRM20001)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Subject Coordinators
Dr Michelle Hansen and Amna Mazeh
Administrative Coordinator
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 - Dual-Delivery |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Pharmacology is an exciting discipline that provides insight into the mechanisms of action and beneficial and unwanted effects of drugs in the body. This is achieved by integrating knowledge from a range of biosciences including how the body works in health and disease. This subject uses specific examples of instantly recognizable and newly developed drugs to demonstrate how pharmacologists identify drug targets, design new drugs and test their therapeutic effectiveness.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- demonstrate understanding of the core concepts of pharmacology including pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and the effects of drugs on body processes;
- use key pharmacological knowledge to discuss the therapeutic and adverse effects of drugs used in the treatment of common diseases;
- describe the basic process of drug discovery, development, and regulation;
- apply skills in critical thinking and problem solving to explain fundamental pharmacological principles.
Generic skills
- be adept at learning in a variety of ways
- be able to critically evaluate and synthesise knowledge from multiple sources
- experimental design
- data analysis and interpretation;
- critical thinking and problem solving;
- effective participation in small group work.
Last updated: 22 March 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Completion of a minimum of 37.5 credit points of
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
BIOL10002 | Biomolecules and Cells | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BIOL10008 | Introductory Biology: Life's Machinery |
Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BIOL10009 | Biology: Life's Machinery |
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
BIOL10010 | Introductory Biology: Life's Complexity | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BIOL10011 | Biology: Life's Complexity | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
BIOM10002 | Exploring Biomedicine | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
CHEM10003 | Chemistry 1 |
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
CHEM10004 | Chemistry 2 |
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
CHEM10006 | Chemistry for Biomedicine |
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
CHEM10007 | Fundamentals of Chemistry | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
CHEM10008 | Foundation Studies in Chemistry | Semester 1 (On Campus - Dookie) |
12.5 |
CHEM10009 | Chemistry for BioSciences | Not available in 2024 |
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 22 March 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Continuing assessment of practical and computer-aided learning work
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Continuing assessment (5x 10-minute multiple-choice online quizzes)
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Mid-semester test
| From Week 6 to Week 8 | 20% |
A written examination
| During the examination period | 60% |
Last updated: 22 March 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Michelle Hansen Coordinator Amna Mazeh Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours Lectures, 3x weekly; Tutorials / workshops (1 hr) 6 / semester; Practicals (3hr) 2 / semester (total contact hours: 48) Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 25 July 2022 to 23 October 2022 Last self-enrol date 5 August 2022 Census date 31 August 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 23 September 2022 Assessment period ends 18 November 2022 Semester 2 contact information
Subject Coordinators
Dr Michelle Hansen and Amna Mazeh
Administrative Coordinator
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 22 March 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Course manual (provided)
Recommended texts and other resources
Although there are no prescribed textbooks for Pharmacology the following textbooks are
recommended. All are available in the Brownless library.Harvey: Pharmacology, 4th edition. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins
Rang, Dale, Ritter, Flower and Henderson, Pharmacology, 7th edition. Churchill Livingstone
Katzung, Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 12th edition. Lange
Golan, Principles of Pharmacology, (3rd edition). Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.
Neal, Medical Pharmacology at a Glance (7th edition). Blackwell. (revision purposes)
- Subject notes
This subject is available to students enrolled in the BSc, Biomedicine degree.
Special requirements: laboratory coat.
Experiments involving the use of animals are an essential part of this subject; exemption is not possible.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Informal specialisation Science Discipline subjects - new generation B-SCI Informal specialisation Medicinal Chemistry Major Medicinal Chemistry - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 22 March 2024