PHARMACOLOGY FOR ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

ROCE 5701
1.5 CEUs (15 Contact Hours)

Course Information

Course Description:

This course will introduce many of the fundamental pharmacological issues related to health and disease, including some of the basic terminology and concepts with respect to pharmacology, often encountered in the physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology clinic. The focus will be on a basic understanding of drug classification, indications, side effects, and drug-drug interactions. Collaborative communication with the medical team with respect to pharmacological “red flags” encountered will be introduced.

Course Objectives:

1.       Describe the principles of drug administration, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

2.       Predict the effects of exercise and modalities on each of the pharmacokinetic properties.

3.       Describe the physiological changes associated with aging that may change a patient’s pharmacokinetic response to medication.

4.       State the basic mechanisms behind receptor binding and drug actions.

5.       Define the following terms: affinity, efficacy, agonist, antagonist, potency, tolerance, and selectivity.

6.       Describe the physiological consequences of autonomic stimulation on the primary organ systems.

7.       Integrate the effects of drugs and exercise on normal autonomic function.

8.       List the classes and primary medications used in the treatment of the most common cardiovascular disorders.

9.       Explain the actions and side effects of common cardiovascular medications and predict their consequences on therapeutic treatment and outcomes.

10.    Describe the primary actions and side effects of drugs commonly used in the treatment of spasticity and muscle spasms and predict the consequences of these drugs on therapeutic treatment and outcomes.

11.    Compare and contrast the actions, applications, and side effects of local and general anesthesia.

12.    Discuss the actions, side effects, and application of drugs used in the treatment of psychological disorders. Describe the effects of the various classes of drugs on physical therapy.

13.    List the primary classes and primary drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

14.    Explain the actions and side effects of drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson’s and discuss ways you can improve your patient’s mobility during therapy based on your knowledge of pharmacokinetics.

15.    List the classes and primary drugs used in the treatment of seizure disorders.

16.    Discuss the side effects, actions, and application of drugs used in the treatment of seizure disorders.

17.    Compare and contrast the actions, side effects, and application of drugs used in the treatment of pain and inflammation.

18.    Discuss the pharmacological management of rheumatoid disorders.

19.    Describe the actions, application, and side effects of drugs used in the treatment of asthma and COPD

20.    Demonstrate your ability to access and apply information about specific drugs as it relates to physical therapy treatment and outcomes.

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Prerequisites and Corequisites:

Students must be licensed physical therapists, physical therapist assistant, occupational therapists, occupational therapist assistants, and speech-language pathologists.

Course Topics:

Module 1: Principles of Pharmacology

Module 2: Autonomic Pharmacology

Module 3: Cardiovascular Pharmacology

Module 4: Respiratory Pharmacology

Module 5: Psychopharmacology (Anti-psychotics, anti-epilepsy, anti-seizures, anti-schizophrenia)

Module 6: Drugs used for Parkinson’s Disease

Module 7: Anesthetics

Module 8: Skeletal Muscle Drugs

Module 9: Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Modue 10: Gastrointestinal Drugs

Specific Course Requirements:

Students must have knowledge of Microsoft Word, and a computer with Powerpoint capabilities. Submit your assignments within the designated time frame in the dropbox. When you submit your work, label the subject line as follows: firstinitial + last name + assignment#. For example, “JDoeAssignment#1.” The preferred format will be as Microsoft Word attachment. We recommend the use of Microsoft Office 2003. No other format can be accepted at this time.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Pharmacology for Physical Therapists. Barbara Gladson. First edition. 2006. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 13: 978-0-7216-0929-4.

The textbook can be purchased through http://rodp.bkstr.com

Supplementary Materials (but not required):

Mosby’s Drug Reference

Saunders Drug Handbook for Health Professionals

http://www.mosbydrugconsult.com

Hardware Requirements:

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...

Software Requirements:

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...(A list of software the student is required to purchase or download for the course, Real Player, Media Player, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office, etc).

Instructor Information

Dr. Edilberto A. Raynes will be teaching this course. Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.

Assessment and Grading

Testing Procedures:

All exams are scheduled, timed and password protected. The instructor will provide you the username and password in order to access the exams.

A summary of evaluation methods and their weights are as follows:

1.  4 Exams: each exam is worth 100 points (Total 400 points)

2. 10 Discussions: The instructor will post a topic and the student will respond to it. Each discussion is worth 10 points (Total 100 points)

3. Discussion feedback. The student is asked to respond to at least two of their colleagues per discussion posted. Each discussion feedback is worth 5 points. (Total 50 points)

2. 2 Assignments: each worth 50 points.  Each assignment should be submitted in the dropbox. (Total 100 points)

3. Workshop project: worth  100 points (more detailed will be provided by your instructor)

4. Final comprehensive exam: worth 120 points.

As it stands, there will be a total of 870 points.

Grading Procedure:

Grades are based on attendance in the course along with required coursework like assignments and exams.

Grading Scale:

80% or Above---Satisfactory
79% or Below---Unsatisfactory

Assignments and Participation

Assignments and Projects:

Written assignment should be prepared in Microsoft Word, double space, using Times New Roman font, 12-point type, with 1-inch margin. All written work should follow the APA citation and style. All  weekly discussion assignment should be posted in the Discussion Board. The student is expected to reply to the instructor’s original thread or topic. Each student is required to respond at least two of their colleague’s posted discussion.

Description of the Workshop Project

The Workshop Project’s objective is to have the students familiarized the different drugs that are commonly prescribed by the physicians. The student will create will create his or her own “mini-formulary” that is handy, user friendly, and easy accessible in their daily practice. The student is required to fill up a drug index sheet according to:

  1. Drug classification
  2. Generic name of the drug
  3. Mechanism of action
  4. Most common indications
  5. Most common side effects/adverse effects
  6. Most common contraindications
  7. Drug interactions

The student is advised to observe proper citation and referencing of the drugs. The instructor prefers the use of APA style. For details about the APA style, the student is advised to consult the APA Manual 5th edition American Psychological Association Publication.

 

Class Participation:

The instructor will post a topic for discussion each week. The student should respond to the instructor’s original topic or thread on Day 3 of the week. Each student is required to respond to at least two of their colleagues on Day 5.

Punctuality:

The students are expected to submit the assignments, responses to the Discussion Board, responses to their colleagues, and workshop project by the due dates noted in the course. No late assignments will be entertained. A time-extension might be allowed for special circumstances, with instructor approval.

Course Ground Rules

Active participation in this course is required. Students are expected to communicate with other students in the threaded discussion, learn how to navigate in D2L, keep abreast of course announcements, use the assigned college or university e-mail address as opposed of a personal e-mail address, address technical problems immediately, and observe course etiquette at all times. Disrespect toward other students or to the instruction via email or threaded discussions could result in dismissal from the course.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:
  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussion Groups:
  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Chat:
  • Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
  • Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
  • Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
  • Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
  • Be constructive in your comments and suggestion

Web Resources:

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses.

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the left to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:

If you are having problems logging into your course, timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-888-223-0023 (toll free)

 

or email ROCE help: rodptech@tbr.edu