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| PHARMACOTHERAPEUTICS & NUTRITION | Pharmacology, Non-Medication Treatments, Nutritional Considerations in Disease States |
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Pharmacotherapeutics and Nutrition A is a theme which provides the student with a foundation to understand the use of pharmacologic and common procedural approaches in the treatment of disease. It concentrates on providing a scientific basis for rational therapeutics. The theme emphasizes development in the student of an appreciation of the risk/benefit ratio in the therapeutic use of drugs based upon an understanding of their mechanism of action for beneficial effects versus their predictable, alternative or unpredictable adverse reactions. This theme relies upon a firm understanding of basic human biology as developed in the first year. It is integrated with the other components of the second year curriculum and contributes to and builds on a developing understanding of pathophysiology. The ultimate goal of the theme is to provide the foundation for a systematic transition to the use of drugs in the clinical setting in a way that is optimal for the further intellectual development of the student in the third and fourth years and to assure that our students obtain a thorough comprehension of the basic pharmacological principles necessary for developing effective and safe therapeutic regimens for their patients. A nutrition component is also incorporated into this theme with the presentation of the fundamentals of nutritional health and disease. The fall semester begins with the development of an understanding of the general principles of drug action including pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and pharmacogenetics. This is followed with an overview of representative drug classes whose safe and rational use depends on an understanding of their broad actions and use in many different clinical settings. These include drugs affecting the autonomic nervous system and the prostaglandin/ leukotriene cascades. Other topics are then integrated with those being covered in the Altered Structure and Function, Pathogens and Host Defense, and Fundamentals of Patient Care Themes. |
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| Pharmacotherapeutics and Nutrition B: The spring semester is integrated with the other Themes to cover drug classes with primary uses in the context of specific disease processes or functional systems. These include drugs used to treat renal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, psychiatric, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal disorders or settings. The material concentrates on developing an understanding of the mechanism of drug action in the context of pathophysiology, along with the limitations and management of therapy because of adverse drug reactions. The goal is to optimally position the student to study the use of these drugs in a clinical setting in the third and fourth years. This semester will end by covering therapeutic topics requiring a broad understanding of pharmacology and/or pathology; including cancer chemotherapy, geriatric pharmacology, drug testing, applications of pharmacogenetics, interactions of drugs with herbal supplements, and treatment of specific poisoning situations. Nutritional health and disease will be covered as well. |
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