Online Graduate Pharmacology Course

(for college credit given by your university)

Instructions to get credit

Title: Advanced Pharmacologic Applications in Primary Care Credit Hours: 3 credit hours

Pre- or Co-Requisite: Graduate status and graduate pathophysiology course

Course Description
This course is designed to prepare clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, midwives and other nurses to accurately describe, administer, and counsel patients regarding appropriate and safe medication regimens. In addition, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and clinical nurse specialists will be prepared for medication prescriptive authority within their scope of practice. Basic pharmacologic principles and the pharmacologic actions of the major drug classes will be discussed in relation to physiologic systems, with emphasis on the application of these agents.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to:

• explain the basic principles of pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics;
• describe the most commonly prescribed agents in the major drug classes;
• explain the mechanism of action of the major drug classes;
• analyze the adverse effect and drug interaction profiles of the major drug classes and individual drugs within these classes;
• make appropriate therapeutic treatment decisions for individual patients utilizing drugs from the major drug classes;
• apply the laws governing the prescribing of drugs when writing prescriptions.

Faculty
Mikael D. Jones, PharmD, BCPS, assistant professor, Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy, University of Kentucky; email: mjone5@email.uky.edu

All questions about course content should be directed to Dr. Jones. He will respond within 24-48 hours. If you have not received a response in that time frame please contact him again as the message might not have reached him. For technical assistance during the Web course call (859) 323-3851.

Teaching/Learning Methods
This is a self-directed learning using core PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, online sites and case solving activities. Students must have access to computer facilities, the Internet, a Web browser that is equivalent to Internet 5 Explorer or higher, an email address and a printer.

Evaluation and Examinations
Each unit will have an examination consisting of 10 multiple choice questions. A comprehensive final must also be completed at the end of the course. The questions will test both understanding and application of the unit material.

Grading Scale

Unit Examinations (14 units X 10 points each)	140 points
Final Assessments	70 points ________
TOTAL	210 points

The total score will be reported to your institution as a percentage. Your institution will assign the final letter grade that you earned for the course.

Class Times
This is a Web course and will use a distance learning format. The course will be taught via a Web-enhanced format utilizing the assigned Web sites, core PowerPoint presentation, Word documents, textbook reading assignments and other self-directed learning activities.

Suggested Texts
Reading assignments made from the Katzung textbook “Basic and Clinical Pharmacology” are intended to supplement student comprehension of assigned learning units.

Finkel (2009). Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Pharmacology, 4th edition, Lippincott W&W ISBN 0781771552; Price $59.95
This textbook provides general overview of each drug class. The book uses many diagrams, graphs and pictures to help illustrate the pharmacology of each drug class.

 (2010) Drug Information Handbook for Advanced Practice Nursing, 11th Edition, Lexi-Comp, Inc.  ISBN 978-1-59195-281-7; Price $49.95
This is a well-known drug information resource that helps students recognize and use appropriate resources for drug information. Students will not be assigned specific readings from the handbook. However students are encouraged to use the handbook throughout each unit to appreciate how the pharmacology relates to the use of a medication in clinical practice. Students may use this book during module quizzes.

Optional Texts
Chisholm-Burns (2010). Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0071621806; Price $149.00
This textbook provides detailed chapters on the pharmacotherapeutics of various disease states. This book will provide excellent examples of how pharmacology knowledge is applied to the care of a patient for rational drug treatment. Optional reading assignments from the Chisholm-Burns textbook “Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice” will be provided for each unit.

Katzung (2009). Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 11th Edition. Lange Medical Books, McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0071604057; Price $64.95
This textbook provides detailed chapters of the pharmacology of various drug classes. The book is very detailed and would be helpful to a student who requires more in-depth pharmacology or does not have much familiarity with the subject.

Core Learning Unit Materials
Units will be available online with continued availability. Assigned readings in the Katzung text are intended to supplement student comprehension of assigned learning units.

Tentative Course Schedule

	Assignments	Topics
Unit 1	Web-based material Required Textbook Reading Chapters 1 and 2 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings: Chapter 1 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 1-4 in Katzung	Basic Principles of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Unit 2	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 30,31,32, and 33 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 69, 71, 72, and 79 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 43-46, 50 and 51in Katzung	Anti-Infectives I Antibiotics
Unit 3	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 35 and 38 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 83, 84, and 87 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 48-49 in Katzung	Anti-Infectives II Antifungals Antivirals
Unit 4	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 19 and 22 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 5 and 6 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 11, 17 (pgs 293-293), and 15 in Katzung	Cardiovascular and Renal Systems I Antihypertensive agents
Unit 5	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 16 and 18 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 7 and 8 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 12,and 13, and 17 (pgs 301-303) in Katzung	Cardiovascular and Renal Systems II Drug used in Congestive heart failure Agents used in Angina and Myocardial Infarction
Unit 6	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 20 (pp 245-247) and 21 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 12 and 66 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 33 and 35 in Katzung	Hematologic system I Agents used Anemias Agents used in Dyslipidemias
Unit 7	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapter 20 (pp 229-245) in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 10 and 11 Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapter 34 in Katzung	Hematologic System II Thromboembolic disorders Miscellaneous hematologic disorders
Unit 8	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 27 and 42 (pp 521-524) in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 14, 15, and 62 Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 9 (pgs 127-128, 130-131, 137), 16 (pgs 275-279), and 20 in Katzung	Respiratory System Asthma/COPD Allergic rhinitis Cough/Cold
Unit 9	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 23 (pp280-284) and 24 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 43and 44 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 38 and 41 in Katzung	Endocrine System Thyroid disorders Diabetes
Unit 10	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 25 and 29 (pp. 343-344) in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 48, 49, 50, and 56in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapter 40 and 42 in Katzung	Reproductive System Hormone Replacement Therapy Hormonal Contraceptives Menstrual Disorders Osteoporosis
Unit 11	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapter 28 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 17, 18, 20, 21 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapter 62 in Katzung	Gastrointestinal System Nausea /Vomiting Diarrhea/Constipation Peptic Ulcer GERD
Unit 12	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 8 (pp. 93-102) and 15 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 30, 31, and 32 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 21, 24, and 28 in Katzung	Nervous System I Seizure Disorders Parkinsonism and other movement disorders
Unit 13	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 23 and 24 in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 37, 38, 40, 41 and 42 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 22, 29, and 30 in Katzung	Nervous System II Antipsychotic agents and Lithium Antidepressant Agents Sedative-hypnotic Agents
Unit 14	Web-based materials Required Textbook Reading Chapters 14, 41 (pp.499-510), and 42 (524-527) in Lippincott’s Illustrated Review: Pharmacology Optional Textbook readings Chapters 33, 34, 58 in Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice Chapters 31 and 36 in Katzung	Nervous System III Opioid analgesics and antagonists NSAIDS

Units
Each unit will consist of objectives, study questions, a core PowerPoint presentation (or Word document), textbook reading assignments and Web-based material.

Contact
(859) 323-3851