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Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Unit Catalogue 2011/12


PA10281: Biopharmaceutics

Click here for further information Credits: 9
Click here for further information Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Click here for further information Period: Academic Year
Click here for further information Assessment: EX 100%
Click here for further information Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Click here for further information Requisites:
Click here for further information Description: Aims:
To introduce students to the physico-chemical characteristics of drugs and allied entities. To explain how these are relevant to their in vivo actions, their analytical quantification in medicines and biological fluids and in the design of medicinal products. To provide a practical training in measurement of physico-chemical characteristics.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the unit the student should be able to:
* correctly derive formulation masses and concentrations;
* demonstrate an understanding of the differences and similarities in real and ideal behaviour of drugs and when the two can be approximated;
* demonstrate a understanding of the solution properties of drugs and the impact of pH and other vehicle variants on their values;
* demonstrate an understanding of the processes of passive drug transport and the role of solution thermodynamics in pharmaceutical science;
* demonstrate an understanding of basic kinetic theory and how it applies to pharmaceutical science.

Skills:
Study skills, problem solving (T/F)
Planning and organisation, handling information (T/F)
Scientific and practical skills (T/F)
Information and communication technology (T/F).

Content:
Ideal and real behaviour of drugs in the gaseous, liquid and solid state. Gas-liquid equilibria. Drug polarity and functional group effects. Crystal structure and polymorphism. Solvents and solute-solvent interactions. Concepts of activity, pH and its determination, pKw. Acid-base equilibria, pH/drug dissociation profiles, buffers. Routes of drug administration, drug absorption and distribution, an introduction to drug metabolism and excretion, pharmacokinetics and drug interactions. Buffer calculations. Drug solubility in aqueous solution, influence of pH, ionic strength and ion pairing. Partitioning, effects of molecular structure and pH. Diffusion and permeation. Introduction to solution thermodynamics and basic kinetics.
Click here for further informationProgramme availability:

PA10281 is a Designated Essential Unit on the following programmes:

Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology

PA10281 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology
  • USPA-AFB02 : BSc (hons) Pharmacology (Full-time) - Year 1
  • USPA-AKB02 : BSc (hons) Pharmacology (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 1
  • USPA-AKM02 : MPharmacology (hons) (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 1

NB. Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.