PHR1022 · How medicines work 2: Pharmacokinetics

Overview

This unit builds upon PHR1021 (How Medicines Work 1) to provide an overview of the processes that affect drug concentrations at target tissues in the body, including drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. These processes are all dependent on the chemical properties of the drug (which are studied in detail in PHR1222; How Medicines Work 4) and impact how much drug is available to interact with pharmacological targets (which is studied in detail in PHR1122; How Medicines Work 3). To address these key areas, you will explore the fundamentals of pharmacokinetics including the concepts of drug clearance and volume of distribution, and how these impact on secondary pharmacokinetic parameters. Together these factors ultimately impact the design and application of safe and effective therapeutic dosage regimens for patients.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

In-semester assessments 60%; Final assessment 40% This unit contains one or more competency hurdle assessment tasks that you must successfully complete to be able to pass the unit. You have one attempt, plus an additional assessment capped at 50% of the available marks for the task, to demonstrate your competency in the competency hurdle assessment task. If you fail to meet the hurdle requirement, you will receive a fail grade for the unit regardless of the total marks you achieve.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Calculate and describe how drug clearance and volume of distribution determine the plasma concentration profile of a drug
2. Calculate and apply a range of secondary pharmacokinetic parameters that determine dosage regimens
3. Describe, define and calculate drug bioavailability
4. Describe and evaluate how the relationship between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics determines the time-course of drug response
5. Calculate cumulative drug response given the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug
6. Understand how pharmacogenomics impacts drug pharmacokinetics and response
7. Describe different types of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions and predict their impact on plasma drug concentration vs time profiles and therapeutic response
8. Work in teams and individually to effectively communicate (orally and written) aspects of pharmacokinetics to peers, lay people and other healthcare professionals
9. Work in teams and individually using a structured approach for problem solving

Workload

• Twenty four hours of independent study • Twenty four hours of discovery or pre-learning activities (up to 2 hours per week) • Twenty four hours of applied classes (2 hours a week) • Twenty four hours of small group classes including assessment (2 hours per week)

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.