PHA-10032 - Module Specification
School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

n/a

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

This module provides a comprehensive and fully contextualised introduction to pharmaceutical sciences and related subjects, providing a foundation and embedding them in the BSc Pharmaceutical Science, Technology and Business programme. The module aims to develop knowledge and skills in a wide variety of core chemistry- and pharmacology-related disciplines by demonstrating the linkages between seemingly disparate topics in science.
This module will enable students to develop a deeper understanding of the topics covered, as well as underlying common aspects of health and safety practice which underpin safe and professional laboratory working in the pharmaceutically relevant chemical sciences.
The laboratory classes are complimented by workshops and lectures which provide support for key aspects of the pharmaceutically relevant chemical sciences, including health and safety, numeracy and calculations and feedback and feed-forward sessions which will inform and support student development throughout the module. Linkages between the various core modules within the programme will be highlighted at every opportunity and students will begin to understand how advances in knowledge within science and technology drive drug discovery and business development within the global pharmaceutical industry.

To provide an introduction to the chemistry, formulation and pharmacological and related subjects in the context of pharmaceutical sciences.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Identify common organic molecular structures and functional groups and write suitable reaction mechanisms for their interconversion: 2,3
Demonstrate knowledge of the basic thermodynamic and kinetic principles that govern the progress of chemical reactions both in vitro and in vivo: 2,3
Recognise how the structural features, stereochemistry and functional groups responsible for chemical and physical properties can influence the biological activity of molecules and, hence, the drug design process: 2,3
Acquire data from experiments, analyse and manipulate it using appropriate techniques, and apply methods for the presentation of data, including statistical analysis and choosing an appropriate method of presentation: 1
Recognise and apply appropriately the health and safety practices and policies required for a wide range of pharmaceutical science laboratory classes, including appropriate documentation: 1
Demonstrate and apply the appropriate levels of numeracy and IT skills requisite for further study in pharmaceutical science at all levels to perform common scientific calculations with precision and accuracy: 1,2,3
Describe the structure, fundamental biopharmaceutical properties and transport across biological membranes, distinguishing the roles played by the lipid and protein components of the membrane: 2,3
Describe the process of drug discovery and development, from target disease to the design and isolation of a pure lead compound for formulation to provide a medicinal product: 2,3
Describe the underlying principles of quantitative pharmacology in relation to small organic molecules and biomolecules as therapeutic agents, and its relationship to biological processes and pharmaceutical products: 2,3
Describe the basic aspects of formulation science related to drug distribution and drug action that are important in drug design and development, including the relative merits and demerits of the available forms: 2,3

Study hours

Teaching: 68 hours lectures and workshops, lab debrief sessions and calculations classes; 35 hours chemical science (27) and pharmacology (8) labs
Directed: 97
Independent: 100

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment