The course is divided into two main sections: General Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, which are closely integrated to provide a comprehensive and coherent understanding of drug mechanisms of action, with particular emphasis on the origin of active compounds and their therapeutic use.

General Pharmacology aims primarily to equip students with the fundamental knowledge needed to understand how drugs interact with the human body at both the molecular and systemic levels.
Pharmacognosy focuses on developing a solid understanding of the pharmacological properties of active compounds of natural origin—whether plant, animal, microbial, or mineral—while also addressing their synthetic or semi-synthetic counterparts.

In the General Pharmacology section, key concepts of pharmacodynamics (mechanisms of action, affinity, efficacy, selectivity, potency, adverse effects) and pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination) will be covered in detail.

In the Pharmacognosy section, special attention will be given to the study of natural drugs of pharmacological interest, particularly those listed in the European Pharmacopoeia. The active constituents, extraction and standardization methods, therapeutic indications, and their use in both modern and traditional medicine will be thoroughly analyzed.

At the end of the General Pharmacology section, students should be able to identify and describe the main molecular targets of drugs, such as receptors (both membrane-bound and intracellular), enzymes, transporters, ion pumps, and channels. They should also be able to apply the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to analyze a drug’s profile of action, regardless of whether it is of natural or synthetic origin.

For the Pharmacognosy section, students should be able to address issues related to the mechanisms of action and therapeutic uses of natural substances of plant origin and their active constituents. They should understand the importance of in vitro and in vivo studies in identifying and characterizing active compounds from plant sources for therapeutic purposes, and be familiar with the main characteristics of plant-derived active principles.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

For further information during the course, links will be suggested to the main pharmacological databases and to the websites of the regulatory authorities that can be consulted on the web.

Teaching

Classroom lectures

Innovative teaching methods

Flipped classroom 

Course books

The text will be provided at the beginning of the course

Assessment

Oral examination. The exam consists of an interview on the topics present in the program and carried out during the lessons. The aim is to ascertain whether the student has acquired the basic pharmacological concepts described in the section on Learning Outcomes (Dublin Descriptors). The final grade, expressed in thirtieths, will be based on the evaluation of the student's answers.
 

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

It is recommended to use the teaching material available on the Moodle platform

Assessment

Oral examination. The exam consists of an interview on the topics present in the program and carried out during the lessons. The aim is to ascertain whether the student has acquired the basic pharmacological concepts described in the section on Learning Outcomes (Dublin Descriptors). The final grade, expressed in thirtieths, will be based on the evaluation of the student's answers.
 

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.