This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of how drugs work, their interaction with the body in health and disease, and the appropriate therapeutic use of a range of drugs in common clinical situations (excluding cardiovascular diseases and diabetes).

Weekly lectures, supplemented with critical review sessions.

None

At the end of the course the student will undertake a written exam (100%).

This course aims provide students with the opportunity to learn about the use of drugs in clinical situations, develop a deeper understanding of how drugs work and to learn about use of drugs in a variety of conditions (excluding cardiovascular diseases and diabetes).

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Identify and discuss the key drugs used and critically evaluate their application in intensive care settings

2. Discuss the pharmacology of drugs commonly used in the treatment of common respiratory disorders, psychiatric conditions, analgesia, neurological conditions (such as Parkinson's Disease and epilepsy) and gastrointestinal disorders

3. Critically appraise the use of drugs commonly used in the treatment of common respiratory disorders, psychiatric conditions, analgesia, neurological conditions (such as Parkinson's Disease and epilepsy) and gastrointestinal disorders using national guidelines and clinical trial evidence.

4. Critically evaluate the use of biological therapies for inflammatory conditions and articulate the particular challenges and potential benefits these drugs present

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.