Year 3 Basic Pharmacology (MBPL 3811, 3822, 3833)
Pharmacology across three trimesters: principles, autonomic and CNS drugs, autacoids, anti-infectives, pain and immunomodulation, then antimicrobial therapy and oncology.
Trimester 1 — MBPL 3811
- Week 1 Introduction to pharmacology — History, branches, drug discovery, sources, nomenclature, drug information and classifications.
- Week 2 Introduction to PK & PD — Pharmaceutics and pharmacotherapeutics; drug interactions.
- Week 3 Drug discovery, targets of drug therapy and clinical trials — Basic principles in toxicology; principles of medication therapy and how to prescribe.
- Week 3 ANS pharmacology — Sympathomimetics, adrenergic blockers, cholinomimetics, cholinergic antagonists, neuromuscular blockers, local anaesthetics.
- Week 4 CNS pharmacology — Neurotransmitters, antidepressants, psychomotor stimulants, antipsychotics, antiemetics, anti-Parkinson drugs, central analgesics, general anaesthetics, anti-anxiety agents, anticonvulsants.
- Week 5 Autacoid pharmacology — Histamine and antihistamines, 5-HT and its antagonists, lipid-derived autacoids and PAF.
- Week 6 Chemotherapy series: anti-infectives and resistance — Basic strategies of antimicrobial therapy; the enemies — Gram-positive, Gram-negative and anaerobic pathogens.
- Week 7 Chemotherapy series: antimicrobial classes — Mycobacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and helminths; cell-wall inhibitors; protein-synthesis inhibitors; quinolones and urinary antiseptics.
- Week 8 Antimetabolites and antivirals — Antiviral therapy (herpes), antiretrovirals (HIV and hepatitis), antifungals.
- Week 9 Vaccines — Basic principles of immunology and vaccines.
- Week 10 Pain management: anti-inflammatory agents — Eicosanoids, cyclooxygenase enzymes, NSAIDs, corticosteroids.
- Week 11 Gout, rheumatoid arthritis and immunosuppression — Immunosuppressive and immunomodulating agents, colchicine, uricosurics, allopurinol.
- Week 12 CAT revision week
Trimester 2 — MBPL 3822
- Week 1 Principles of rational antimicrobial prescribing — Site-specific signs and symptoms, host factors, empirical therapy, isolating the organism, dosing, failure and toxicity, preventing AMR.
- Week 2 Patient cases: prophylaxis, CNS and respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis
- Week 3 Patient cases: infectious diarrhoea, intra-abdominal infections, UTIs, STDs
- Week 4 Patient cases: skin and soft-tissue infections, infections in cancer patients, viral/fungal/parasitic infections
- Week 5 Pharmacotherapy of HIV infection — Opportunistic infections in HIV-infected patients.
- Week 6 Viral hepatitis A, B and C
- Week 7 Pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial agents — Time-dependent versus concentration-dependent killing.
- Week 8 Treatment and management of HIV — Clinical guidelines, review of HAART and the major side effects of ART.
- Week 9 Emerging communicable diseases — Focus on COVID-19.
- Week 10 Medications used in dermatology — Acne treatment, retinoids, sunscreens.
- Week 11 Review of chemotherapeutic agents
- Week 12 CAT revision week
Trimester 3 — MBPL 3833
- Week 1 Introduction to oncology — History of cancer treatment, cellular and genetic basis, mechanisms, cancer biology, immuno-oncology.
- Week 2 Treatment approaches in oncology — Surgery, radiotherapy, pharmacotherapy.
- Week 3 Drug classes used in oncology — How chemotherapy drugs are classified; cell-cycle-specific versus non-specific.
- Week 4 Alkylating agents, antimetabolites, anthracyclines
- Week 5 Topoisomerase inhibitors, mitotic inhibitors, platinum compounds
- Week 6 Antitumour antibiotics and miscellaneous agents
- Week 7 Targeted therapy, hormonal therapy and immunotherapy
- Week 8 Oncology patient care — Overall care of cancer patients; adverse and toxic effects of oncology drugs and how to manage them.
- Weeks 9–10 Management and practice of oncology in Kenya — The life of an oncologist at work; success stories.
- Week 11 Review of drug classes used in oncology
- Weeks 12–13 CAT and final exam revision
Compiled by Abongo Davis · Ompath Study · shared for MBChB students at Mount Kenya University and other universities.