BIOL-3910 : Therapeutics of Disease

This course will provide a basic understanding of how medications treat human diseases. First, you will be Introductionduced to the basic tenets of pharmacology and how the complex interplay between physiology and biochemistry impacts the body’s processing of the drug and, consequently, the drug’s activity. Here, we will discuss what a drug is, and the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic principles that affect drug activity. Next, we will discuss several areas of pharmacotherapy including autonomic drugs, central nervous system drugs, cardiovascular-renal drugs, and cancer chemotherapy drugs. We will also discuss a few common disease states by discussing the basics of the disease, the pharmacology of the drugs and drug classes used to manage the disease, and the therapeutic and adverse actions of these drugs. Finally, we will discuss a number of social issues associated with today’s health care system specifically focusing on health disparities and understanding the social structures that lead to these inequalities. Related to these issues, we will examine our own beliefs through videos, readings, discussions, and personal reflections.