Syllabus
Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals
BIOL 1070: Introduction to Pharmacology
Credits - 3
Description
The course introduces the basic concepts of pharmacology and drug usage for allied health professions. It introduces students to the fundamentals of pharmacology, examining the effects of drugs on the human body systems and the effects of those biological systems on drugs. It explores disorders associated with various body systems and the drugs used for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of those disorders. The course topics are presented through readings, instructor led video lessons and an assortment of interactive activities including discussion forums. Students will be assessed throughout the course with worksheets, quizzes and case studies, as well as both a cumulative midterm and final exam.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Program Outcomes
In lecture courses, students should be able to:
- Communicate scientific concepts and information clearly.
- Illustrate fundamental laws, theories, and principles of scientific disciplines.
- Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to scientific problems.
Course Objectives
Students will:
- Explain the mechanism of action, therapeutic use, and major side effects of common drug classes covered in the course.
- Compare and contrast major drug classes within a body system based on their mechanisms of action, indications, and adverse effects.
- Distinguish between evidence-based pharmacological treatments and pseudoscientific or unregulated health claims using principles of the scientific method.
- Apply principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and drug safety to analyze real-world health scenarios, including current drug therapies, supplement use, and public health challenges.
- Describe the chemical, biological, and biochemical principles that underlie drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion in the human body.
- Identify risk factors for adverse drug reactions and explain how drug interactions can alter therapeutic outcomes.
SELF-PACED DESIGN
On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.
Assignments
Discussions (8)
Discussion forums give you a chance to connect with your classmates and apply course concepts to real-world situations. There are eight discussions across the semester, distributed from Week 1 through Week 15. Topics range from an icebreaker introduction and over-the-counter medications to pharmaceutical advertising, drug side effects, body system relevance, GI remedies, bacteriostatic compounds, and illegal drugs. Each discussion requires an initial post and responses to at least two classmates. Grading criteria are provided in the assignment instructions for each discussion.
Quizzes
Weekly quizzes assess your understanding of the lecture content covered that week. Most weeks include one quiz; Weeks 13 and 14 each include two (one per topic area: GI and Respiratory in Week 13, Antimicrobial and Anti-Cancer in Week 14). Quizzes are closed book and closed notes. No outside resources are permitted once a quiz has been started.
Written Assignments (7)
Written assignments ask you to apply course concepts to real-world topics through short focused writing. Assignments vary in length from 1–2 paragraphs to 3–4 paragraphs and are distributed across the semester. Most require APA citations. Length requirements and specific prompts are provided within each assignment.
Reflections (1)
In Week 4, you will complete a short reflection connecting a cell component from the lecture to a drug mechanism. This is a brief bridging activity designed to help you begin making connections between foundational biology and pharmacological concepts before moving into the drug-focused weeks ahead.
Case Snapshots (2)
Case Snapshots in Weeks 9 and 10 present short patient scenarios and ask you to identify the appropriate drug class, explain the relevant mechanism, and predict physiological effects. These are application-level activities that draw directly on the drug lists and lecture content from that week.
Drug List Assignment
The Drug List is a three-part capstone assignment completed during finals week. In Part 1, you will build a personal drug reference table covering eight body systems studied this semester, selecting one to two drugs per system and completing five fields for each entry: drug name, drug class, mechanism of action, condition treated, and a verified source. At least five entries must cite FDA prescribing information, DailyMed, or Drugs.com. In Part 2, you will write a short paragraph comparing two drugs from a single body system in your table. In Part 3, you will write a short reflective paragraph on what your completed list reveals about pharmacology across body systems. All three parts are submitted as a single document to the Week 16 Assignment Dropbox.
Proctored Final Exam
The final exam covers material from the entire course. Questions are randomly generated. The exam is closed-book and closed-notes, and is proctored. You have two attempts on this exam.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment Category | Percentage of Final Grade |
|---|---|
| Quizzes | 20% |
| Case Snapshots | 10% |
| Assignment | 5% |
| Reflection | 5% |
| Discussions | 30% |
| Mini-Essays | 10% |
| Final Assessments | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 93 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 92.9% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89.9% | 3.50 |
| B | 83 – 86.9% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 82.9% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79.9% | 2.50 |
| C | 73 – 76.9% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 72.9% | 1.75 |
| D | 60 – 69.9% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 59.9% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Week |
Topic |
Lectures / Resources |
Assignments |
|
1 |
Welcome to BIOL 1070 |
Video: Welcome to BIOL 1070 and Pharmacology in Your Everyday Life |
Discussion: 2 Truths and a Lie HonorLock Practice |
|
2 |
Chemistry |
Video: Water Video: Acids and Bases |
Discussion: What OTC Drug Do You Use? Week 2 Quiz |
|
3 |
Organic Chemistry |
Lecture: Organic Chemistry Fundamentals |
Discussion: Memorable Drug Ads Week 3 Quiz |
|
4 |
Biology of Cells |
Lecture: Cells Lecture: Membranes and Such! Lecture: Eukaryotes |
Reflection: From Cell to Drug Week 4 Quiz |
|
5 |
Biochemistry |
Lecture: Biochemistry and Pharmacology |
Written Assignment: Supplements — Do They Work? Week 5 Quiz |
|
6 |
Anatomy |
Lecture: Human Anatomy Overview |
Discussion: Which Body System Matters Most to You? Week 6 Quiz |
|
7 |
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics |
Lecture: Pharmacokinetics — ADME Lecture: Pharmacodynamics |
Written Assignment: Supplements and Absorption Week 7 Quiz |
|
8 |
Adverse Drug Effects |
Lecture: Adverse Drug Reactions Lecture: Drug Interactions Video: Thalidomide — The Chemistry Mistake That Killed Thousands of Babies |
Discussion: Side Effects — What’s the Craziest One You’ve Heard Of? Written Assignment: I Want a New Drug — A Side Effects Analysis Week 8 Quiz |
|
9 |
Cardiovascular Pharmacology |
Lecture: Cardiovascular Pharmacology |
Case Snapshot: Cardiovascular Drug Selection Week 9 Quiz |
|
10 |
Pharmacology of the Autonomic Nervous System |
Lecture: Autonomic Nervous System Pharmacology |
Case Snapshot: Predicting ANS Drug Effects Week 10 Quiz |
|
11 |
Pharmacology of the Central Nervous System |
Lecture: CNS Pharmacology Video: SSRIs — How Do They Work? |
Written Assignment: Feeling Sad? We Have a Drug for That Week 11 Quiz |
|
12 |
Endocrine System Pharmacology |
Lecture: Endocrine Pharmacology |
Written Assignment: Next Gen Diabetes Drugs Week 12 Quiz |
|
13 |
GI and Respiratory Pharmacology |
Lecture: Gastrointestinal Pharmacology Lecture: Respiratory Pharmacology |
Discussion: What Do You Take for an Upset Stomach? Week 13 GI Quiz Week 13 Respiratory Quiz |
|
14 |
Antimicrobial and Anti-Cancer Pharmacology |
Lecture: Antimicrobial Pharmacology Lecture: Anti-Cancer Pharmacology |
Discussion: Bacteriostatic vs. Bactericidal — The Sucralose Papers Written Assignment: Next Gen Vaccines — mRNA Vaccines Can Target Cancer? Week 14 Antimicrobial Quiz Week 14 Anti-Cancer Quiz |
|
15 |
Illegal Drugs, Alternative Medicine, and the Opioid Epidemic |
Lecture: Illegal Drugs and the CNS Lecture: Alternative Medicine and Homeopathy Lecture: Complementary Medicines Video: Top 10 Herbal Teas for a Healthy Lifestyle |
Discussion: Breaking Bad? — Illegal Drugs and the CNS Written Assignment: The Opioid Epidemic and Fentanyl |
|
16 |
Finals Week |
Practice Exam |
Drug List Assignment Final Exam |
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Submit your student support request.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Instructor and Support Contact Information
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
Student Lounge
The Student Lounge Discussion Forum is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.
Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.
Policies
Proctored Examinations
Your course may have proctored exams. Please see your course for full details, access, testing requirements, and guidelines.
Students must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.
Exam Attempts Policy
Students will receive two attempts at all proctored examinations. The higher score of the two attempts will be calculated into the final grade.
All students are encouraged to use a second attempt on their exams in order to improve their overall performance in the course.
Course Discussions
Discussion topics cover events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each discussion topic may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials, visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video before writing a response following the specific guidelines in the discussion topic prompt.
To earn full credit you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You may need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.
Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each discussion topic. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.
Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion is worth.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Length
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.
- Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
- Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
- Course start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.
Withdrawal and Refund Policies
Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.
Grade Policy
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..
Transcripts
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.
Using Generative AI When Completing Coursework
Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.
In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.
Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.
Unauthorized Use
Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.
Citing AI Use
If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools.
Instructor responsibility
Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE Online’s Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester.
Student responsibility
Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.