FRM2040 – Use of Drugs, Part I
Course description
Course content
On this course, students will systematically build up their competence in the use of medicines, by bringing together subject-specific knowledge from several pharmaceutical disciplines (physiology, pharmacotherapy, microbiology, community pharmacy and pharmacognosy). The course is introduced with a general section, which goes into subjects of a general nature that are relevant to the use of medicines, including knowledge of the law, pharmaceutical care and information about medicines. Particular emphasis is put on the significance of patient compliance. The placebo concept is also thoroughly described. In the subsequent specialised section, the use of medicines is taught (including physiology, pathophysiology and the etiology of disease) in diseases of the following organ systems: digestive organs, blood and blood-forming organs, skin. Use of medicines for infectious diseases is treated as a subject in its own right. The various subject areas are mainly taught on an integrated basis and around PBL themes. Other forms of teaching are used in between the PBL group meetings in order to expand upon and illustrate the PBL theme. For each teaching week, detailed objectives have been developed, sub-divided into knowledge objectives, skills objectives and affective objectives.
This course, along with courses FRM3020 – Use of Drugs, Part II (discontinued) and FRM3030 – Use of Drugs, Part III (discontinued) will create a complete picture covering the use of medicines in Norway.
Learning outcome
After completion of each subject area, the student will have gained skills so that he/she:
? can describe the pathogenesis, etiology and symptomatology of individual diseases
? can account for the principles surrounding the medicinal therapy in question
? can suggest an appropriate medicine
? can suggest an appropriate dose of the medicine
? knows the most important “problem medicines” that require special precautionary measures for dosage and use
? can assess the advantages and possible interaction risk when several medicines are taken concurrently
? can identify the probable side effects of medicines
? can asses medicinal therapy in relation to other non-medicamental treatment
? can judge what sort of information is important to give out to different patient groups so that the medicine will be used properly
The course covers the most important diseases of the specified organ systems (see above) that are open to medicamental prophylaxis and therapy. The teaching will be concentrated on the most important/frequently occurring diseases and disease groups, and on subjects where the pharmacist’s work is especially important.
Admission
The course is only available to studenter enrolled at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Oslo.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
In order to participate in this course and to sit for the exam, all earlier Pharmacy courses up to and through FRM2010 must be passed and all manditory activities from FRM2020 and FRM2030 must be approved.
Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
There are compulsory HSE courses at the beginning of the first semester. For students commencing their program from the autumn semester 2015 the following courses are mandatory:
- HMS0501 - Safety and Physical Environment
- HMS0502 - Positive Learning Environment
- HMS0507 - Fire Safety
In addition to this you will have to complete HMS0503 - Laboratory Safety and HMS0506 Patient clinic Safety for participation in Laboratory and clinic-courses in the program.
You will need to provide documentation that you have passed HMS0501, HMS0502, HMS0503 HMS0506 and HMS0507 when you attend the first mandatory lab.
For students who commenced the program from the Autumn semester 2012 up til and including the spring semester 2015 the following courses are mandatory:
- MNHMS0015 - Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) (discontinued) or HMS0501 - Safety and Physical Environment and HMS0502 - Positive Learning Environment and HMS0507 - Fire Safety.
- MNHMS0010LS - Introduction to Laboratory Safety (discontinued) or MNHMS0020LS - In-Depth Laboratory Safety (discontinued) or HMS0503 - Laboratory Safety
- MNHMS0015FS - Introduction to Field Safety (discontinued) or HMS0504 Field Safety.
For more information on the HSE courses and transitional arrangements:
http://www.mn.uio.no/english/studies/courses/hse-courses.html
Teaching
The course includes lectures, laboratory work, group work, theme days and PBL- (problem based learning)excercises. Laboratory excercises and PBL-excercises are compulsory and need to be approved in order for the student to be eligible to take the written exam.
Inactivity and / or excessive absences in compulsory education means that the student does not receive final assessment / examination.
As the teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance. Read about your insurance cover as a student.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
A four hour written exam.
Examination support material
As of 1 August, 2016, the use of own calculators is no longer permitted. Casio FX-991EX calculators are handed out to all exam candidates at the beginning of the exam.
Calculator
Language of examination
You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English. If you would prefer to have the exam text in English, you may apply to the course administrators.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.