Therapeutics and Human Physiology. How Drugs Work

About this book

• Supports integrated pharmacy education, so that students are learning in a professionally relevant context from day one.
• Focuses on the fundamental ideas that first year students need to fully grasp before progressing with more advanced study.
• Material clearly demonstrates connections between scientific concepts and principles and how they are applied to pharmacy.
• Written by subject experts and edited by academics with a wealth of teaching experience.

Taking medication is a common occurrence for many people, whether it is to soothe an aching head, regulate blood sugars, or to treat life threatening conditions, such as HIV or cancer. In the UK alone, over 900 million prescriptions are dispensed every year. Overseeing all of this are pharmacists: experts in medicines and their use.

The Integrated Foundations of Pharmacy series supports those who are at the beginning of their journey to become a pharmacist. The reader will begin to understand how a drug molecule is made; the process that turns it into a medicine; the role the pharmacist has when dispensing that medicine; and what happens in the body when it is taken. Most importantly, the series shows how each of these aspects are integrated, reflecting the most up-to-date teaching practices.

Therapeutics and Human Physiology: how medicines work introduces the range of physiological processes occurring in the different body systems, and shows how they respond to drugs that are administered.

Online Resource Centre
The Online Resource Centre to accompany Therapeutics and Human Physiology: how medicines work features:

For registered adopters of the book:
- Figures from the book, available to download.

For students:
- Self-assessment questions to help the reader to check and reinforce understanding of the material introduced in each chapter.

Readership: The Integrated Foundations of Pharmacy series is suitable for pharmacy undergraduates studying introductory courses in pharmaceutical chemistry, therapeutics and human physiology, pharmaceutics, and pharmacy practice.

Reviews

"This textbook combines the relevant basic molecular biology, physiology and anatomy with the basic mechanisms of pharmacology into a coherent package for first year pharmacy students." - Dr Stephen Kelley, Medway School of Pharmacy

"The book explains concepts very well, using clear, concise language. The scientific content forms a good foundation on which to build over subsequent years and brings in useful and interesting examples to enable students to appreciate the direct relevance of the subject matter to their understanding of therapeutics." - Dr Julie Sanderson, University of East Anglia

Table of contents

1: The scientific basis of therapeutics
1.1Drugs as therapeutic agents
1.2It all starts with the cell - the 'unit of life'
1.3Communication is vital
1.4So, how do drugs work?
1.5The effect our bodies have on administered drugs

2: Molecular cell biology
2.1The unit of life: the cell
2.2The molecules of life: basic structure of DNA and RNA
2.3The instruction manual of life: the genetic code
2.4How is our genetic code protected and passed on?
2.5What can happen when things go wrong?

3: The biochemistry of cells
3.1Structure and function of proteins
3.2Enzymes and enzyme inhibition
3.3Metabolic pathways and abnormal metabolism

4: Introduction to drug action
4.1Receptor theory
4.2Basic concepts of pharmacodynamics
4.3Adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, and drug tolerance
4.4Drug misuse and addiction
4.5Neuromodulation

5: Communication systems in the body - neural
5.1The need for rapid communication
5.2An exciting journey: how are signals transmitted?
5.3How do nerve cells communicate with each other?
5.4Signal transduction in skeletal muscles
5.5Pain and sensory neurotransmission
5.6Drugs that affect neurotransmission

6: The autonomic nervous system
6.1The structure and function of the autonomic nervous system
6.2Neurotransmission within the ANS
6.3Drug action in the ANS
6.4Effect of the ANS on the cardiovascular system
6.5Effect of the ANS on the respiratory system
6.6Effect of the ANS on the oculomotor system
6.7Effect of the ANS on the digestive system
6.8Effect of the ANS on the hepatic system
6.9Effect of the ANS on the renal and urinary system
6.10Effect of the ANS on the endocrine systems
6.11Effect of the ANS on reproductive system
6.12Effect of the ANS on the integumentary system
6.13Non-adrenergic non-cholinergic control of the ANS

7: Communication systems in the body - autocoids and hormones
7.1Autocoids
7.2Histamine
7.3Serotonin
7.4Kinins
7.5Eicosanoids
7.6Hormones

8: Homeostasis
8.1Regulating the internal environment
8.2Feedback mechanisms to achieve homeostasis
8.3Major homeostatic mechanisms in the human body
8.4The kidneys: key organs in homeostasis

9: Haematology
9.1Introduction to haematology
9.2Erythrocytes
9.3Leukocytes
9.4Plasma
9.5Blood disorders
9.6Haemostasis
9.7Blood groups

10: This is just the beginning
10.1Where do you go from here?
10.2An integrated approach to disease states