Welcome Address

Pharmacology is a branch of the Basic Medical Sciences concerned with the study of drugs (artificial, natural or endogenous substances) which exert biochemical or physiological effect on the human system. Although summarily divided into pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, the field comprises drug design and synthesis, composition and properties, molecular/cellular and organ/systems mechanisms, toxicology and interactions, signal and cellular communication, molecular diagnostics, medical applications, therapy/therapeutics and antipathogenic capabilities. I therefore want to welcome you to a world of study/learning, research, discovery, and depiction of pharmacologic substances.

Our goal in this department is to equip medical/dental students with knowledge of core principles of pharmacology in order to transform them into competent professionals.

The Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics is one of the fundamental departments in the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences of the University of Medical Sciences, located presently at the Laje Campus, Ondo, Nigeria. The Department was established in the 2016/2017 academic session with Dr. Anthony Taghogho EDUVIERE as the pioneer Acting Head of Department. The Department is currently coordinated by Dr. Sunday Elisha OYELERE as Acting Head of Department and other competent, scholarly, proficient, team-spirited and result-oriented academic as well as non-academic (laboratory and administrative) staff as members. The department has a well-equipped, state-of-the-art teaching/research laboratory situated on the ground floor of the Akintade Building, with the departmental offices located on the first floor.

Dr. Elisha Sunday Oyelere

(MB.BS; PGDA; M.Sc)

Acting Head of Department

The Vision of the Department

The Vision of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics is to teach Medical and Dental students the basic principles of drug action, properties of drugs and the mechanisms by which they produce their effects. The Department is also devoted to provide Medical and Dental students with the basic knowledge in Pharmacology which will enable them at the end of the course to be competent in choosing drug(s) rationally for any ailment diagnosed on a scientific basis. Furthermore, the department is also committed to provide Medical students with the basic knowledge in Pharmacology which is one of the major foundations of clinical practice, and scientific pursuit for those who may wish to study the science of Pharmacology and do research in the future.

Mission of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics:

The Mission of the Pharmacology and Therapeutics is to train students to become:

 1.      Skilled health care professionals with understanding of basic knowledge of drug action, indication and contraindication.

2       2.    Scientists and researchers in health-related industries and acquire competence in the use of basic and clinical pharmacology laboratory equipment.

3. Health care professionals with basic knowledge in drug discovery and development projects.

     4.  Future pharmacology teachers in the University, most especially in the College of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Nursing and in other disciplines allied to health sciences.

                  ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES                   CONCEPTS OF GENERAL AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY:                   Part II MBBS and Part IIB BDS 1     Introduction: §  Definitions, historical perspective, branches and scope of pharmacology and its relationship with other medical disciplines (Nursing, Pharmacy, Medicine, Public Health and Allied Sciences). §  The development of modern pharmacology; the growth of Clinical Pharmacology. §  Drug development including its different phases §  Sources of information including drug information studies     2     Nature and sources of drugs: §  Drug nomenclature and dosage forms 3     Routes of drugs’ administration; Advantages and disadvantages of different routes of drug administration 4     Pharmacokinetic considerations: §  Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. §  Pharmacokinetic concepts that are used to decide doses and rational dosing during drug treatment [bioavailability, apparent volume of distribution (aVd), half-life (t ½) and clearance (CL)] 5     Pharmacodynamics; §  Site and mechanism of drug action, drug receptors, receptor regulation, concepts of antagonists, competitive and non-competitive antagonism, partial agonist and inverse agonist drugs 6     Quantitative aspect of drug action: §  Analysis of dose-response curves and therapeutic index (safety index). §  Factors affecting drug action and doses, how to prolong or shorten drug actions and effects. 7     Drug interactions and concept of pharmacogenomics: §  Genetics in drug action, effects and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). §  Adverse drug reactions and role of pharmacovigilance activity in ADR monitoring. 8     Concept of evidence-based medicine; §  WHO essential drug list and medicines, pharmaco-economics, P-drugs and rational prescribing. 9     Development of new drugs: §  Pre-clinical and clinical phases of drug evaluation and development. §  Scope and relevance of Clinical Pharmacology. 10  Essential medicine, rationality of fixed dose combinations. 11  Drug Regulation Acts and other legal aspects.               SYSTEMIC PHARMACOLOGY: [Note: Core information about drugs mentioned below should include: pharmacological actions, mechanism(s) of action, indication(s), contraindication(s), side-effect(s), drug interaction(s), precaution(s), etc]. (I)        Drugs Affecting Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) §  Introduction to Pharmacology of ANS. §  Cholinergic drugs: Cholinoceptor agonists and cholinesterase inhibiting drugs. §  Anticholinergic drugs: Cholinoceptor blocking agents. §  Adrenergic drugs: Adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists, and sympathomimetic drugs §  Anti-adrenergic drugs: Adrenoceptor antagonists (α-& β-receptor blockers) and sympatholytic agents (II)      Drugs Affecting Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) §  Local Anaesthetics. §  Skeletal muscle relaxants. (III)   Drugs Affecting Cardiovascular System (CVS) §  Drugs affecting vascular tone and volume of circulation, rennin- angiotensin system and other mechanisms affecting this system. §  Anti-hypertensive drugs §  Anti-anginal drugs, management of myocardial infarction. §  Drugs for heart failure. §  Anti-arrythmic agents. §  Anti-dyslipidemic agents, and drugs used in peripheral vascular disease. §  Nitric oxide donors and inhibitors, and basic concepts of treatment of shock. (IV)     Drugs Affecting Autacoids, Analgesia, Inflammation and Gout §  Basic physiology of pain §  Histamine, serotonin and their antagonists. §  Treatment of migraine         §  PGs, LTs §  PAF §  NSAIDs §  Drug treatment of gout, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. (V)       Drugs Affecting Kidney Function §  Diuretics §  Anti-diuretics (VI)     Drugs Affecting Respiratory System §  Antitusives, expectorants, mucolytics §  Drug treatment of bronchial asthma, COPD (VII)  Drugs Affecting Gastro-Intestinal System §  Drugs for gastric acidity, peptic ulcer and GERD. §  Anti-emetric and prokinetic agents. §  Drugs for Constipation and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. §  Antidiarrhoeal agents. (VIII)       Drugs Acting on Blood §  Agents used to treat anaemias and haematopoietic growth factors. §  Coagulants and anticoagulants. §  Antiplatelet drugs. §  Fibrinolytic, antifibrinolytic, plasma expanders. (IX)     Drugs Affecting Endocrine System and its Diseases §   Pharmacology of pituitary and hypothalamic hormones. §   Thyroid hormones and anti-thyroid drugs. §   Oestrogen, progesterone and their inhibitors. §   Oral contraceptives and HRT. §   Androgens. §   Drugs for diabetes mellitus:  Insulin and oral antidiabetic agents. §   Adrenocorticosteroids. §   Parathyroid hormones and drugs affecting calcium balance. §   Drugs acting on the uterus. §   Drug treatment for infertility and erectile dysfunctions.   (X)       Immunopharmacology §   Vaccines, immunomodulators and treatment of transplant rejection disorders. ANTIMICROBIAL/ PHARMACOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS (I)          Pharmacology of Chemotherapeutic Agents §  Introduction and basic principles of chemotherapy of infection, infestation and neoplastic diseases, and concepts of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. §  Sulfonamides. §  Quinolones. §  β-Lactam antibiotics. §  Aminoglycosides. §  Macrolides and ketolides. §  Tetracycline and chloramphenicol. §  Oxazolidinones, streptomycin, gentamicin and other antibiotics. §  Antimycobacterial drugs, antitubercular drugs; treatment of MDR and XDR tuberculosis. §  Antileprosy drugs. §  Antifungal drugs. §  Antimalarial drugs. §  Antiamoebic and other antiprotozoal drugs. §  Drugs used in filariasis, scistosomiasis and kalaazar §  Anthelmintics agents. §  Antiviral, anti-HIV/AIDS drugs §  Chemotherapy of urinary tract infection and STDs. §  Basic principles of cancer chemotherapy. (a) Drugs acting on the CNS/mental disorder Drugs Affecting Central Nervous System (CNS) §  Introduction and basic concepts of drugs affecting CNS activity: Neurotransmitters and their pathways. Important sites of Central Nervous System effect of drugs. §  Sedative hypnotic drugs. §  General anaesthetics with pre-anaesthetic medications. §  Antiepileptic drugs §  Antipsychotic drugs. §  Anti-anxiety drugs. §  Antidepressant and antimaniac drugs §  Opioid analgesic and antagonists. §  Antiparkinsonian drugs and drugs for other neurodegenerative and movement disorders §  Pharmacology of ethyl alcohol and other alcohols. §  Pharmacology of CNS stimulants, psychomimetic drugs, drugs dependence and substance abuse (b) Special topics a.    Miscellaneous Topics §     Drug–drug and drug–food interactions. §     Vitamins, nutraceuticals and probiotics. §     Drugs acting on skin and mucous membrane. §     Pharmacology of Diagnostic agents §     Paediatric pharmacology. §     Geriatric pharmacology. §     Bioethics. b.    Toxicology §      Introduction to Toxicology. §      Air pollutants, insecticides and herbicides. §      Chelators and common chelating agents. §      Heavy metals – lead, arsenic and mercury. §      Management of the poisoned patient.

phama@unimed.edu.ng

Pharmacology and Therapeutics Department

University of Medical Sciences

Laje Road, Ondo City

Ondo State.

Nigeria.