Ateneo - UPO

This course offers an in-depth overview of pharmacological agents, focusing on their pharmacokinetic profiles, mechanisms of action, therapeutic applications, and toxicity. Students will explore specific drug classes used in various pathological conditions. For each pharmacological class, the rationale behind the selection of one drug over others will be discussed, taking into account patient-specific characteristics, side effects, relative and absolute contraindications, drug–drug interactions, and issues related to treatment adherence. Through lectures and discussions with faculty, students will enhance their ability to critically evaluate pharmacological data and apply this knowledge in real-life clinical settings.

- “Goodman & Gilman: Le basi farmacologiche della terapia”
- "Katzung & Vanderah: Farmacologia Generale e Clinica"
- “Rang and Dale: Farmacologia”
Texts should be supplemented with lecture notes and further information from accredited sources*. Relying solely on the material provided during lectures is considered inadequate. *Examples of additional sources of information include scientific literature, the EPARs of centrally authorized drugs (www.ema.europa.eu), the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPCs, available online from the AIFA Drug Database at https://medicinali.aifa.gov.it/it/#/it/), and the Osmed report (https://www.aifa.gov.it/rapporti-osmed), which provides context on current drug usage in Italy.

1) To provide the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for understanding pharmacotherapy and its rational development; 2) To provide information on the main pharmacological classes and the specific drugs available; 3) To offer solid training for the evaluation of new drugs that may emerge in the students’ future professional practice.

A drug is defined by its ability to modify a biological system, understood at the molecular, cellular, organ, or systemic level. For optimal benefit from the course, students are expected to have competencies in chemistry, biology, molecular biology, general pathology, immunology, and physiology. The General Pharmacology exam is a prerequisite for the Special Pharmacology exam.

The lectures will be delivered in a traditional format using slides, which will be made available to students via the DIR platform. The lectures will cover the main topics of the syllabus but may not be exhaustive and should not be considered a substitute for the textbook. In fact, the lectures aim to explain a methodological approach to pharmacological topics rather than merely conveying factual knowledge.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The exam will be oral and will assess (i) the knowledge acquired about pharmacological classes; (ii) the ability to correctly classify individual active ingredients within their respective pharmacological classes and describe their main distinctive pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics; and (iii) the ability to integrate the topics. Students will be asked to describe one or more therapeutic classes, listing the main active ingredients, mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, and adverse effects, as well as to recognize individual drugs. Assessment criteria: From 18 to 21: sufficient knowledge of the topics covered, sufficient ability to approach the topics in a transversal manner and place the knowledge in context, and sufficient ability to correctly assign individual active ingredients to their therapeutic uses; From 22 to 24: good knowledge of the topics covered, good ability to approach the topics transversally and contextualize the knowledge, and good ability to correctly assign individual active ingredients to their therapeutic uses; From 25 to 27: more than good knowledge of the topics covered, more than good ability to approach the topics transversally and contextualize the knowledge, and more than good ability to correctly assign individual active ingredients to their therapeutic uses; From 28 to 30: excellent knowledge of the topics covered, excellent ability to approach the topics transversally and contextualize the knowledge, and excellent ability to correctly assign individual active ingredients to their therapeutic uses.

Drugs for major neuropsychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, sedative-hypnotics) Drugs for epilepsy Drugs for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease Local and general anesthetics Muscle relaxants and botulinum toxin Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Corticosteroids Immunosuppressive drugs and drugs (including biological/biotechnologicalagents) used in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis) Antihistamines Drugs for disorders related to gastric secretion Antiemetic drugs Drugs for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Antitussives and expectorants Drugs for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemias Diuretics Drugs for arterial hypertension Drugs for pulmonary hypertension Drugs for erectile dysfunction Drugs for myocardial infarction Drugs for heart failure Drugs for cardiac arrhythmias Coagulation drugs Drugs for gout therapy Drugs for diabetes Drugs influencing bone mineral homeostasis Chemotherapy and Oncological Therapies Principles of oncological therapy: cytotoxic therapies vs targeted therapies Classes of antineoplastic chemotherapeutics: -Antimetabolites -Mitotic spindle inhibitors (including new generation) -DNA-damaging agents -Alkylating agents -Topoisomerase inhibitors -Hormonal therapies -Modulators of biological response (HDAC inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors, thalidomide derivatives) -Protein kinase inhibitors -Monoclonal antibodies -Immunotherapies -Cellular therapies Principles of antibacterial therapy Antibacterial chemotherapeutics and antibiotics: -Drugs active on the bacterial cell wall -Sulfonamides, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole -Quinolones -Anti-tubercular therapy -Protein synthesis inhibitors Antiviral chemotherapeutics

Starting from an understanding of pharmacotherapy and its rational development, the student will learn the main pharmacological classes and the specific drugs available, gaining knowledge of their mechanisms of action, therapeutic applications, and toxicity profiles. After completing this course, the student will also be able to evaluate the pharmacological profiles of new drugs that will be developed and approved in the future.