Ateneo - UPO

The course will deal with the description of the main therapeutic classes and the active ingredients used in the clinical routine and their classification within evidence-based medical therapy, as well as the problems of Clinical Toxicology.

The main text for Special Pharmacology is
“Le basi farmacologiche della terapia”, Goodman & Gilson.

Alternative texts are “Farmacologia” (Rossi, Cuomo, Riccardi) o "Farmacologia" (Rand and Dale), as long as they are integrated with class notes. The exclusive use of the material provided in class cannot be considered sufficient.
Additional sources of information that will be demonstrated during the course are the scientific literature (Pubmed), the EPARs of centrally authorized drugs (www.ema.europa.eu), the summary of product characteristics (RCP, AIFA) and the report Osmed (www.aifa.gov.it) which will contextualize the current use of drugs in Italy.

The main objective of the course is knowledge and understanding and the ability to apply the relevant knowledge of medicine use and prescription and to:
1) Provide the bases and skills for understanding pharmacotherapy and its rational development;
2) Provide knowledge on the main drug classes and on the specific drugs available;
3) Provide solid training for the evaluation of new drugs that may emerge in the professional future of learners.
4) Provide the notions of Toxicology, antidotal and recovery therapies useful for clinical practice
5) Underline elements related to gender pharmacology.
The general objective is to enable the student to develop independent judgement, communication skills and learning ability for this subject.

The Special Pharmacology course is the natural continuation of the General Pharmacology course, held in the third year of the Degree Course. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will represent the basic concepts on which to establish the pharmacology of therapeutic specialties.
For a better use of the course the learner must have knowledge of general pathology, biology, immunology and physiopathology.

The lessons will all be frontal and held entirely by the teacher.
The lessons will be conducted with the help of slides in which the main concepts underlying the therapy will be examined. The material will be made available to students, both directly at the beginning of the individual lessons, and indirectly, through the dedicated IT platform (DIR). The password for access will be provided at the first lesson. The material discussed in class and made available to students is to be considered supplementary to the textbook and never a substitute for it. The chosen text will be the reference for conducting the final evaluation of the students.
Students will be actively involved in the learning process and in the development of a critical spirit through clinical examples and computer simulations in the classroom.
Particular attention will be paid to the adoption of gender language and information for students with disabilities, with Specific Learning Disorders (DSA), with Special Educational Needs (BES).

The teacher usually receives on Tuesday afternoon from 1pm to 3pm. A first contact via email is strongly recommended at the following address: donato.colangelo@med.uniupo.it
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.
The exam will specifically evaluate a) the knowledge acquired on specific medicinal classes; (b) the ability to place each drug in the pharmacological class, describing its main prescribing characteristics; (c) the integration of pharmacological specialties in the specific clinical context.
Students will be asked to describe at least two therapeutic classes, in terms of the list of the main active ingredients that are part of it, the mechanism of action, the advantages and disadvantages of each active ingredient, the clinical uses and how the choice is based. of the single active ingredient according to the patient. Furthermore, the peculiarities, the main side effects and any off-label uses of the active ingredients will be requested.

The judging criteria adopted will be numerical and will progressively go from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30, according to the level of preparation of the student.
In detail, a vote between:
- 18 and 21 will indicate a modest knowledge of the topics covered and a sufficient ability to place the individual active ingredients in the correct therapeutic use;
- 22 and 24 will indicate a sufficient knowledge of the topics covered, an adequate ability to deal with the topics transversally and to place the knowledge in a clinical context, and a fair ability to place the individual active ingredients in the correct therapeutic use;
- 25 and 27 will indicate a good knowledge of the topics covered, a good ability to face the topics transversally and to place the knowledge in context and more than good ability to place the individual active ingredients in the correct therapeutic use;
- 28 and 30 will indicate an excellent knowledge of the topics covered, excellent ability to deal with the topics transversally and to place knowledge in context and excellent ability to place the individual active ingredients in the correct therapeutic use;

Honors are provided in the event that the student is distinguished by an in-depth knowledge of the subject.

The program includes the topics of Pharmacology of Medicinal Products and Toxicology (antidotal and recovery therapies)
Topics of a general nature (these topics may also be declined for individual drugs and pharmacological classes):
- The risk-benefit as a cornerstone of pharmacology;
- Therapeutic and prescriptive appropriateness
- Evidence-based medicine and narrative medicine
- Drug therapy and gender differences (gender medicine)
- On-label and off-label uses, the therapeutic indications of a drug
- Interactions in pharmacology;
- International and national guidelines;
- Utility and limits of pharmacogenetics;
- The ATC classification of medicines and the concept of DDD;
- The IUU nomenclature;
- The reimbursement regime for a medicine in Italy and the supply regime;
- The AIFA limiting notes on prescribing;
- Peculiarities of biological and biotechnological drugs;
- Generic and biosimilar drugs.
- Principles of anti-blast chemotherapy;
- General principles of anti-microbial chemotherapy;
Principles of toxicology and antidotal therapy

Special Pharmacology (knowledge of the mechanisms of action of the main pharmacological classes, pharmacokinetics and therapeutic implications, therapeutic uses, names of the main drugs and their peculiarities, main guidelines and place in therapy)
Drugs that affect the cholinergic system;
Drugs that act on the adrenergic system;
Parkinson's disease medications;
Medicines for the main neuropsychiatric diseases (anxiety, depression, psychosis, insomnia);
Drugs for epilepsies;
Local anesthetics;
General anesthetics;
Muscle relaxants and botulinum toxin;
Glaucoma medications;
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
Anti-histamines;
Cortisones;
Medicines for disorders related to gastric secretion;
Pain therapy medications;
Medicines for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
Immunosuppressive drugs and drugs used in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (including biological / biotechnological drugs);
Anti-bechic and expectorant drugs;
Anti-emetic drugs;
Drugs for hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia
Diuretics
Medicines for arterial hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension drugs
Erectile dysfunction medications
Medicines for myocardial infarction
Heart failure medications
Medicines for cardiac arrhythmias
Clotting drugs
Medicines for diabetes
Drugs that affect bone mineral homeostasis
Hormones and their antagonists
Growth factors of hematopoietic lines (epoetins and GCSF)
Traditional chemotherapy (anti-metabolites, inducers of DNA damage, alkylating agents, topoisomerase inhibitors, mitotic spindle inhibitors)
Target therapies (protein kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies)
Cancer immunotherapy (ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab)
Antibacterial chemotherapeutic agents: (Drugs active on the bacterial wall, sulfonamides, trimetroprim-sulfamethoxazole, quinolones, inhibitors of bacterial protein synthesis, anti-tuberculosis therapy)
Antiviral chemotherapy
Clinical Toxicology.
The course program includes addressing issues relating to the integration of the gender dimension, in particular with reference to the therapeutic management of patients and the behavior of healthcare personnel in this area.

The expected learning outcomes are the non-notional knowledge of the topics covered, the critical ability to tackle the topics transversally and to place the knowledge in context, and the ability to understand the correct therapeutic use of the main active ingredients and the problems to be addressed in Toxicology. Clinic.