Psychopharmacology & Non-Medicinal Use of Drugs

Code School Level Credits Semesters
LIFE3122 Life Sciences 3 10 Spring UK
Code
LIFE3122
School
Life Sciences
Level
3
Credits
10
Semesters
Spring UK

Summary

Students will gain an understanding of the molecular, cellular, and pathway mechanisms of action of drugs which elicit acute and longer term effects on behaviour and/or mood. As part of this, students will learn about the legal status and scheduling of drugs.
Topics covered will include the classification of drug types (for example, ‘uppers’, ‘downers’ and ‘psychedelics’) as well as drugs with less overt psychoactive that are exploited for non-medicinal use (for example, enhancement of physical profile).

Target Students

Year 3 BSc Pharmacology U6UPHCLG (B211) and MSci/BSc Neuroscience U6UNEURS/U7UNEURS (B140/B141).

Co-requisites

Modules you must take in the same academic year, or have taken in a previous year, to enrol in this module:

Classes

This module may be delivered through lectures, seminars, workshops and labs etc

Assessment

Assessed by end of designated period

Educational Aims

The aim of this module is to provide students with information about how drugs with overt psychoactivity exert their effects in the body, as well as how certain drugs can be used for non-medicinal uses. An awareness of the social context of drugs in terms of scheduling will be set out, as well as the adverse impacts on individuals and the broader society.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, student should: 

1.    Identify the classes of drugs used in the context of overt psychoactivity


2.    Be able to describe the classification of drugs for scheduling.

3.    Describe the effects of particular drugs used to impact on effects other than psychoactivity, such as metabolism.

4.    Understand the adverse effects of the use of drugs for non-medicinal purposes

Conveners

View in Curriculum Catalogue
Last updated 07/01/2025.