UnderGraduate Courses
The course aims to encourage and develop the natural curiosity of the students, their ability to
communicate, their organizational and problem-solving skills and to prepare them to work
independently as well as in team situations.
Pharmacology is a two-semester duration course, it consists of Pharmacology I and
Pharmacology II. Pharmacology I introduces students to scientific principles which define drug
availability and activity within the body including pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism,
pharmacodynamics, and receptor theory. In addition, all aspects of neurotransmission as well as
drugs used in CNS are covered. In particular, the topic covered in Pharmacology I are:
PHARMACOLOGY I (Fall semester course, Third year)
Introduction to Pharmacology
Absorption, Distribution and Fate of Drugs
Pharmacokinetics and drug-receptor interaction
Cholinergic agonists and antagonists
Noradrenergic agonists and antagonists
Chemical transmission and the autonomic nervous system
Drugs used in Parkinsonžs disease
Anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs
Central nervous system stimulants and psychomimetic drugs
General and local anaesthetic agents
Drugs used in affective disorders
Neuroleptic drugs
Opiod analgesic drugs, drug dependence and drug abuse
Antiepileptic drugs
Pharmacology II provides a broad coverage of drugs affecting major organ systems, endocrine and paracrine cell-signaling, and chemotherapy. Specifically, topics covered in Pharmacology II are:
PHARMACOLOGY II (Spring semester course, Third year)
Drugs affecting the heart
The circulation
Drugs that control lipoprotein metabolism
Drugs affecting haemostasis and thrombosis
Drugs affecting the respiratory system
Drugs affecting the kidney
Drugs affecting the gastrointestinal system
Drugs affecting the endocrine system
Drugs affecting reproductive system
Drugs controlling blood glucose
Basic principles of chemotherapy
Cancer chemotherapy
Antibacterial agents
Antiviral drugs
Antifungal drugs
Antiprotozoal drugs
Anthelminthic drugs
Both Pharmacology I and Pharmacology II are taught through lectures, tutorials, presentations,
practical work demonstrations, and visiting lectures. Student attainment is formally assessed at the
completion of each semester by written examinations, and where appropriate by a continuous
assessment element such as practical reports, essays, presentations.
The department offers the elective course "Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology" which
introduces students to molecular and biochemical aspects of receptor occupation, and it provides a
detailed description of the action of major neurotransmitters in the CNS.
The department of Pharmacology is also responsible for teaching a one-semester Pharmacology
course to students seeking a degree in Medical Biochemistry.