Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE PHR2442

 
TITLE Applied Pharmaceutical Biochemistry

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL Not Applicable

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Pharmacy

 
DESCRIPTION As pharmacy education is being re-dimensioned internationally to adopt an integrated and applied approach to include basic concepts within pharmaceutical aspects, this study unit provides an application dimension of biochemistry as it relates to pharmacy practice.

The study-unit presents a pharmaceutical focus to aspects related to a) structure and function of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and how these relate to drugs, toxicology and clinical enzymology b) endocrine control pathways and aspects of pharmacist-led point-of-care diagnostics relevant for patient monitoring and c) optimisation of pharmacotherapy in human diseases (cancer, cardiovascular, psychiatry) based on an understanding of biochemical pathways including signal transduction.

Study-unit Aims:

The study-unit aims to provide students with application of fundamental knowledge of biochemical processes as it impacts research and development of advanced therapies, use of medicines in the management of disease states, optimization of rational selection in individualization of therapy and patient monitoring.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- describe biochemical pathways that affect drug use, toxicology implications and optimization of therapy;
- describe flow of genetic information and general mechanisms of gene regulation as they relate to choice of treatment;
- extrapolate causes of diseases and effects of drugs and critically approach development of new modes of treatment.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- apply biochemical knowledge to rational selection of medicines and to principles of formulation development;
- formulate care plans associated with pharmacotherapy including relevant patient monitoring of biological parameters.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main text

- Woodbury CP. Biochemistry for the pharmaceutical sciences. Jones & Bartlett Learning 2012.
- Murphy M et al. Clinical Biochemistry. Elsevier, 2018.

Supplementary

- Ronner P. Netter's Essential Biochemistry. Elsevier, 2017.
- Baynes J & Dominiczak M, Medical Biochemistry. Elsevier, 2018.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Tutorial

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Examination (2 Hours) Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit