Reproductive Pharmacology
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| LIFE3119 | Life Sciences | 3 | 10 | Spring UK |
- Code
- LIFE3119
- School
- Life Sciences
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
Reproductive Pharmacology will introduce you to common reproductive diseases and how they are managed using our knowledge of teratogenicity. You will learn about how drugs are approved for use in this patient population and how drug development is modified to reduce the number of unwanted side effects.
The aim of this module is to better understand common reproductive disorders and their management. The primary focus will be on Women's health issues such as the impact pregnancy can have on drug metabolism and we will explore why some drugs are not recommended for pregnant or breast feeding women. We will also investigate how environmental influences and non therapeutic drugs can impair the function of the reproductive system and increase the risk of male and female infertility. An important skill that you will gain from this module is a better understanding of how drugs can be approved for use in various patient groups.
The module will also examine the impact of underlying health conditions prior to pregnancy and how they are differentially managed in pregnancy such as hypertension, epilepsy and HIV. Secondly the module will examine the changes in physiology at the onset of pregnancy and look at the detailed anatomy of the placenta. Students should be able to describe the development of pregnancy specific disorders such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and pre-term labour and understand the action of drugs that are used to treat these disorders.
Finally the module will cover post-partum complications and why again certain drugs are not permissible for women who are breastfeeding. The Module will then examine new and emerging avenues for research and outline how a potential new drug target can gain approval for use in pregnancy.
Please note the reassessment is exam only.
Target Students
Optional module for students on the BSc Pharmacology degree U6UPHCLG (B211); optional for other students in the School of Life Sciences, subject to them having done the pre-requisite modules (LIFE2106 or LIFE2069).
Classes
This module may be delivered through lectures, seminars, workshops and labs etc
Assessment
- 100% Presentation: Group based presentation.
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The aim of this module is to give students an understanding of the diseases associated with the reproductive system including the pathophysiology of common disorders and new and emerging drug therapies. Students will learn about the potential for drugs to cause harm to the foetus and how the safety of drugs in pregnancy is determined.Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, student should:
1. Be able to describe the pathophysiology of diseases associated with pregnancy.
2. Be able to describe the developmental biology of the placenta and understand its function in pregnancy.
3. Be able to identify the risks of certain drugs on foetal development and what the criteria is for a drug to gain approval for use in pregnancy.
4. Be able to describe how the action of drugs can be altered during the pregnancy state and what this means for the administration and efficacy of each drug used.
5. Be able to explain the rationale behind the successful management of Menopause using Hormone therapies.
6. Be able to describe the common causes of male and female infertility and how these conditions can be managed.