VETT 1710 - Pharmacology for Veterinary Technicians

Credit Hours: 4.00

Objectives:

1. Define terms relating to pharmacology.
2. Identify common sources of drugs used in veterinary medicine.
3. Outline the basic principles of pharmacotherapeutics.
4. Describe the difference between over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs.
5. Compare and contrast pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
6. List and describe routes of drug administration.
7. Explain routes of drug excretion.
8. Explain the mechanisms by which drugs produce their effects in the body.
9. Describe clinically important drug interactions.
10. Recognize the various names a particular drug may be given.
11. Explain the different methods of drug administration.

Outcome 2: Upon completion of this course, students will prepare medications for dispensing.

Objectives:

1. List the items required on a drug label.
2. Prepare a drug label.
3. Demonstrate the procedure for counting and packaging drugs.

Outcome 3: Upon completion of this course, students will demonstrate proper handling of controlled substances.

Objectives:

1. Explain the procedures for the correct handling and storage of controlled substances.
2. Demonstrate the procedures for correct controlled substance log maintenance.
3. Describe the procedures for disposal of expired or unused controlled substances.
4. Identify the governmental agencies that oversee the handling of controlled substances and drugs used in food producing species.

Outcome 4: Upon completion of this course, students will use calculations in pharmacology.

Objectives:

1. Describe the system of measurement.
2. Describe how to perform conversions.
3. Accurately perform drug calculations.
4. Prepare percent concentration calculations.
5. Accurately perform calculations that determine toxic dose ingestion.

Outcome 5: Upon completion of this course, students will associate various drugs with their effects in major body systems of domestic species.

Objectives:

              Nervous system

1. Describe how various drugs affect the autonomic nervous system.
2. Describe the different classes of ANS drugs.
3. Describe the indications and precautions for the use of barbiturates.
4. Describe dissociative anesthesia and identify the drugs that produce this anesthesia and their side effects.
5. Define neuroleptanalgesia and describe examples of drugs combinations that are neuroleptanalgesics.
6. Identify drugs used to control seizures and describe side effects, routes of administration, and monitoring of these drugs.
7. Compare and contrast commonly used inhalant anesthetics.
8. Describe the characteristics of effective euthanasia agents and identify common medications use in these agents.
9. Describe the uses and adverse side effects of reversal agents.

              Respiratory system

1. Compare and contrast the actions of expectorants, antitussive, and mucolytics and identify drugs from each category.
2. Describe the function, clinical use, and side effects of bronchodilators.
3. Discuss the mechanism of action, clinical use, and side effects of antihistamines and decongestants.
4. Identify respiratory stimulants and describe their clinical use.   

             Cardiovascular system

1. Describe the four compensatory mechanisms of the cardiovascular system as they related to treatment of cardiac disease.
2. Identify the indications for use, physiologic effects, and side effects of positive inotropes.
3. Describe the four categories of antiarrhythmics, identify drugs from each category, and list their clinical use and potential side effects.
4. Describe the actions, clinical use, and potential side effects drugs used in the treatment of heart failure and hypertension.

             Gastrointestinal system

1. Identify emetic drugs and anti-emetic drugs and describe their mechanism of action and side effects.
2. Illustrate the pathophysiology of diarrhea and the medications that control it.
3. Describe the clinical use and adverse effects and of antiulcer medications, laxatives, and GI stimulants.

              Endocrine system

1. Differentiate between endogenous and exogenous hormones.
2. Describe the drugs used for treatment of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism, hypoadrenocorticism, and diabetes insipidus.
3. List the types of insulin and describe the correct handling and administration of insulin.

              Reproductive system

1. List commonly used gonadotrophins, gonadal hormones, progestins, and prostaglandins and explain their use and adverse effects in common domestic species.

              Urinary system

1. Discuss renal dysfunction and its effect on the metabolizing and excretion of drugs.
2. Explore the classes of drugs affecting the urinary system and the clinical use and side effects of these drugs.

              Integumentary system

1. Describe the clinical indications for common otic agents and their routes of administration.
2. Discuss the use of topical medications in the treatment of diseases of the integument of common domestic species.

Special senses

1. Identify the ophthalmic medications used for the treatment of common ophthalmic diseases of veterinary species and describe their mechanism of action and side effects.

               All Body systems

1. Identify common tradenames.             

Outcome 6: Upon completion of this course, students will explain the characteristics of antibiotics.

Objectives:

1. List the classes of antibiotic and describe the clinical use and side effects of each class of antibiotic. 
2. Identify commonly used antibiotics from each antibiotic class.
3. Identify trade names for commonly prescribed antibiotics.

Outcome 7: Upon completion of this course, students will explain the characteristics of antiparasitic drugs used in domestic species.

Objectives:

1. Describe the generic medications found in anthelmintics and insecticides.
2. Differentiate classes of parasiticides and their spectrum of activity, side effects, and contraindications for use.  
3. Identify trade names of commonly prescribed anti-parasitic drugs.

Outcome 8: Upon completion of this course, students will explain the characteristics of fluids and fluid additives.

Objectives:

1. Describe the basic principles of fluid therapy in domestic species.
2. Distinguish types of crystalloids and colloids used in veterinary medicine.
3. Identify fluid additives.

Outcome 9: Upon completion of this course, students will recognize drugs used in the treatment of cancer and immune-mediated diseases.

Objectives:

1. Recognize anti-neoplastic drugs and describe their side effects.
2. Recognize drugs used as immunosuppressants.

Outcome 10: Upon completion of this course, students will explain the characteristics of non-drug, health giving therapeutics.

Objectives:

1. Identify vitamins and minerals commonly prescribed for domestic species.
2. Identify nutraceuticals commonly prescribed for domestic species.

Outcome 11: Upon completion of this course, students will explain the use of multimodal pain management for common domestic species.

Objectives:

1. Describe the nociceptive pathways and list classes of drugs that affect the four parts of the pathway.
2. Describe classes of analgesics.
3. Describe indications, uses, and side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including species specific uses of these drugs. 
4. Differentiate the cyclooxygenase activity of commonly use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
5. Compare and contrast the two major categories of corticosteroids, their indications for use and any side effects.
6. Identify clinically relevant corticosteroids, and define their clinical use, side effects and contraindications.
7. Identify local anesthetic agents and outline their clinical use, side effects and contraindications.
8. Describe the indications for clinical use of opioid and non-opioid analgesics and their potential side effects.
9. Identify common trade names for commonly prescribed analgesic drugs.

• Communication: The graduate can communicate effectively for the intended purpose and audience.
• Critical Thinking: The graduate can make informed decisions after analyzing information or evidence related to the issue.
• Global Literacy: The graduate can analyze human behavior or experiences through cultural, social, political, or economic perspectives.
• Information Literacy: The graduate can responsibly use information gathered from a variety of formats in order to complete a task.
• Quantitative Reasoning: The graduate can apply quantitative methods or evidence to solve problems or make judgments.
• Scientific Literacy: The graduate can produce or interpret scientific information presented in a variety of formats.

1. History of pharmacology, units of measurement, and medical math
2. Absorption and excretion of drugs
3. Prescriptions and laws
4. Drug groups and categories, organized by body system
5. Fluid therapy
6. Drug administration and excretion routes
7. Multimodal pain management