Face to Face.

MANDATORY ATTENDANCES-LECTURES: Laboratory Exercises, Tutorials, Seminar

Use of ICT in teaching:

• Distribution of lectures visual materials
• Use of Microsoft Teams online application for conducting lectures in case of problem (e.g. pandemic).
• Use of Microsoft Teams online application for communication with students (sending written messages/video calls and sending assignments).
• Use of the online Interactive Clinical Pharmacology application (http://www.icp.org.nz) for students to practice pharmacokinetics during online lectures, as well as offline at their convenience.

Use of ICT in Laboratory Education:

• Training in the use of an automated analysis system for the determination of drug levels in biological samples of patients in the context of the laboratory exercise “Clinical Application of Pharmacokinetics”. The exercise is conducted in the Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory of the University Hospital of Larissa.
• Use of the program OBSim: Organ Bath Simulation (http://spider.science.strath.ac.uk/sipbs/software_sims.htm) and spreadsheet software (Excel) for the implementation of the laboratory exercise “Pharmacodynamics & Autonomic Nervous System Drugs: Actions of Acetylcholine & Atropine on the Isolated Ileum (in silico experiment).” The exercise takes place in the Computer Science Laboratory (30 workstations) and the use of the programs is carried out individually by each student.

Use of ICT in communication with students:

• Posting of lecture materials on the e-class platform of the Faculty of Medicine.
• Posting of weekly schedules for lectures and laboratory exercises on e-class.
• Posting of all announcements on electronic platforms of the Faculty of Medicine.
• Completion of an electronic evaluation form by each student.
• Electronic communication with students regarding scientific or administrative issues that arise during the semester.

Assessment Language: The primary language of assessment is Greek. However, Erasmus students are examined in English.

Course Assessment: Students are evaluated through written examinations comprising multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, problem-solving exercises, or a combination of these formats. A minimum passing grade of 5 out of 10 is required.

Laboratory Assessment: Each laboratory session is followed by a written test consisting of multiple-choice questions and/or the submission of a laboratory report. Assessment is based on a Pass/Fail system.

Students are initially introduced to the foundational principles of pharmacology, with a focus on clinically relevant concepts that underpin therapeutic decision-making. Core topics include receptor pharmacology, molecular mechanisms of drug action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics, individualized (precision) medicine, and the clinical and regulatory significance of generic drugs.

The course then progresses to examine a novel class of therapeutic agents—biopharmaceutical products (biologics)—detailing their pharmacological properties, distinguishing characteristics from conventional small-molecule drugs, and their established role in the advancement of disease management. Additionally, students are introduced to the principles of gene therapy, including its underlying molecular basis, therapeutic promise, and the technical and ethical challenges that accompany its clinical application.

Beyond these fundamental elements, the course also encompasses the pharmacology of the autonomic and central nervous systems. Instruction on autonomic nervous system pharmacology facilitates the understanding of drug-mediated modulation of physiological processes across multiple organ systems—such as the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems—that will be explored in depth in BASIC AND CLINICAL SYSTEMS PHARMACOLOGY – CHEMOTHERAPY. In this sense, the course provides the basis upon which the student will be able to rely in order to understand the rationale behind the administration of specific drugs over others to patients during their clinical training in later years of study.

With respect to central nervous system pharmacology, the curriculum covers pharmacotherapeutics employed in the management of diverse neurological and psychiatric disorders, along with agents that function as analgesics and anesthetics. Particular attention is also given to psychoactive substances that are frequently used without medical supervision to induce euphoria, potentially leading to misuse and dependence.

Finally, to foster a comprehensive understanding of the pharmacological management of prevalent pathological conditions that impact public health and quality of life, the course includes therapeutic strategies for allergic and inflammatory diseases. It also covers widely used agents with anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic properties. Moreover, students are introduced to the foundational principles of rational prescribing.

Upon successful completion of the course, the student:

Knowledge

• has comprehensive knowledge of the general principles of pharmacology, including pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, and pharmacovigilance,
• has in-depth knowledge of drugs acting on the autonomic and central nervous systems, their indications, contraindications, adverse effects, and interactions,
• understands the mechanisms of action of drugs for neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases and syndromes, and drugs for managing pain, allergic reactions, and inflammation,
• is aware of modern trends such as gene therapy and biopharmaceutical products.

Abilities

is able to:

• Interpret pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data for evidence-based drug therapy selection,
• Integrate information from pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and pharmacological principles to optimize therapeutic intervention,
• Apply ethical principles in prescribing, with awareness of social consequences and responsibility.

Skills 

develops:

• prescribing skills with accuracy, responsibility, and documentation based on protocols,
• practical skills through laboratory exercises related to Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacokinetics, and CNS pharmacology,
• critical thinking and lifelong learning ability to monitor and incorporate new pharmacological data into practice,
• the ability to recognize the value of personalized pharmacotherapy depending on the disease before coming into contact with actual patients.

General Abilities

The course aims to develop the following general competencies in students:

• Retrieval, analysis, and synthesis of data and information, utilizing appropriate technological tools
• Adaptation to new and evolving circumstances
• Capacity for both independent and collaborative work
• Effective functioning within interdisciplinary environments
• Development and application of critical and self-critical thinking
• Generation of original research ideas
• Respect for diversity and complexity in human and scientific contexts
• Demonstration of social, professional, and ethical responsibility, particularly regarding gender issues
• Promotion of free, creative, and inductive reasoning

Section 1: General Principles of Pharmacology

1. Introduction
2. Drug Receptors & Pharmacodynamics
3. Pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion of drugs)
4. Bioequivalence studies
5. Biopharmaceuticals and Gene Therapy
6. Pharmacogenetics
7. Safety of Drugs – Pharmacovigilance

 Section 2: Pharmacology of the Nervous System

8. Neuropharmacology – Pharmacology of the Autonomic Nervous System
9. Cholinomimetics & Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors
10. Anticholinergic/Parasympathetic Drugs
11. Adrenergic Receptor Agonist and Other Sympathomimetics
12. Drugs Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists
13. Central Nervous System (CNS) Pharmacology – Neurotransmission & Drug Action in the CNS
14. Pharmacological Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders/Dementia
15. Pharmacotherapy for Parkinson’s and Huntington ‘s Diseases
16. Pharmacological Treatment of Other Neurodegenerative Disorders – Ischemic Stroke, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
17. Pharmacological Treatment of Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder
18. Pharmacological Treatment of Depression
19. Pharmacological Treatment of Anxiety
20. Sedatives – Hypnotics
21. Antiepileptic drugs
22. Local and General Anesthetics
23. Muscle relaxants
24. CNS stimulants/Drugs of abuse
25. Clinical applications of antipsychotics (Tutorial)
26. Clinical applications of drugs for the treatment of dementia/neurodegenerative diseases (Tutorial)

Section 3: Pain, Allergy an Inflammation

27. Opioid Analgesics & Antagonists
28. Pharmacological Treatment of Migraine
29. Autocoids, Histamine, Serotonin and Bradykinin
30. Anti-inflammatory, Antipyretic & Analgesic Agents
31. Pharmacological Treatment of Headache & Migraine

Section 4: Special Topics in Pharmacology

32. Introduction to Toxicology: Common poisons and antidotes
33. Ethanol, other alcohols and Drugs to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder
34. Vitamins
35. Clinical management of poisoning (Tutorial)

SEMINAR

1. Drug Prescription 

LABORATORY EXCERCISES

1. Pharmacodynamics & ANS Drugs: Effect of acetylcholine and atropine on ileus preparation (in silico experiment)
2. CNS drugs: Study of the effect of different doses of the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine on rat psychomotor activity (in vivo experiment)
3. Toxicology: Determination of salicylic acid levels in human serum using HPLC

Textbooks:

• Bertram G. Katzung, Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 16^th Edition, MacGraw Hill, 2023

Βασική και Κλινική Φαρμακολογία 2^η  Ε

• Brenner and Stevens’ Pharmacology 6^th Edition, Elsevier, 2022

Brenner and Steven‘s Φαρμακολογία, 1^η Ελληνική (6^η Αγγλική) Έκδοση, Εκδόσεις Πασχαλίδη, 2023

• Brody’s Human Pharmacology Mechanism-based Therapeutics, 7^th Edition, Elsevier, 2024
• Goodman and Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 14^th Edition, MacGraw Hill, 2022

Συναφές: Goodman, Gillman‘s Η Φαρμακολογική Βάση της Θεραπευτικής (Εγχειρίδιο), 2^η Ελληνική (2^η Αγγλική) Έκδοση, Εκδόσεις Πασχαλίδη, 2015

• Lippincott Illustrated Reviews: Pharmacology 8^th Edition, Walters Kluwer, 2022

Φαρμακολογία, Lippincott 6^η  Ελληνική (7^η Αγγλική) Έκδοση, Εκδόσεις Παρισιάνου ΑΕ, 2023

• Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology 10^th Edition, Elsevier, 2019

Rang και Dale: Φαρμακολογία, 3^η  Ελληνική (8^η Αγγλική) Έκδοση, Εκδόσεις Παρισιάνου ΑΕ, 2014

Relevant Scientific Journals:

• Pharmacological Reviews
• Nature Reviews Drug Discovery
• Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
• Pharmacology and Therapeutics