COMPREHENSIVE PHARMACOLOGY

This course provides the opportunity for students to acquire complex knowledge and skills in the pharmacologic treatment of commonly encountered health problems and to build on foundational concepts from a basic pharmacology course and experience in the clinical setting. The role of the nurse in collaboration with health team members in providing safe and effective drug therapy will be explored. Principle of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacogenomics as well as adverse drug reactions will be incorporated in the decision-making process to assess and monitor drug therapy and to teach patients safe and effective medication administration. The effects of culture, ethnicity, age, pregnancy, gender and economics on pharmacologic therapy will be emphasized. Assessment of the use of herbal and nutritional supplements, nutraceutical, and over-the-counter drugs on prescribed therapies will be addressed. In addition, current issues in drug therapy will be discussed such as the role of the nurse in the current opioid epidemic and the use of medical marijuana.