I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Pharmacology

2. Course Prefix & Number:
MEDA 1142

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 2

Lecture Hours: 2

4. Course Description:

This course develops the students' awareness of basic pharmacological concepts. It covers drug laws, standards and safe medication administration. Students learn about the actions of medications in the body; i.e., absorption, biotransformation, metabolism, and excretion. The various classifications of medications are discussed, along with how to use medication references.

5. Placement Tests Required:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

7. Other Prerequisites
Admission to the Medical Assistant Program is required for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Pine Technical College, HEOP 1208 Med Dosages, 1 credit
Alexandria Technical College, PNSG 1607 Med Administration, 2 credits
St. Cloud Technical College, PRSG 2429 Essentials of Clinical Pharmacology, 2 credits

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Medical Assistant Diploma
Medical Assistant AAS

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Discuss and educate patients on the necessity for taking medications as directed by providing written and oral directions.
Demonstrate written communication skills	Review an article regarding medication errors and write a paper following rubric guidelines summarizing the error and how to avoid making similar errors.
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Correctly interpret and calculate a provider's medication order to administer the correct dosage and route of administration to be given to a patient.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Identify medication effect/action/contraindication;
• Utilize medication references;
• Identify pertinent medication information;
• Explain federal drug requirements;
• Explain medication safety measures;
• Identify medication terms;
• Interpret medication orders;
• Identify medication classification; and
• Discuss medication errors and prevention methods.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Orientation to Medications
• Drug sources
• Drug uses
• Drug standards
• Drug names
• Drug references
• Drug legislation
• You and the Law
2. Principles of Drug Action
• Pharmacokinietics
• Drug action
• Factors affecting drug action
• Drug effects
• Adverse reactions drug dependence or drug abuse?
3. Administering Parenteral Medications
• Orientation to the parenteral route
• Standard precautions
4. Medication Therapy
• Forms of medications
• Routes of administration
• The medication order
• Types of drug orders
• Questioning a drug order
• Standard medical abbreviations
• Ordering drugs from the pharmacy
• Drug packaging
• Storage and disposal of drugs
• The Seven Rights: rules for giving medications
• Reading and understanding a medication label
• Charting medications
• Principles of charting
5. Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs
• RdA
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Electrolytes
• Herbs
6. Antibiotics and Antifungals
• Infection and immunity
• Antibiotic drugs
• Antifungal drugs
• Antiviral drugs
7. Drugs for the Eye and Ear
• Eye disorders
• Drug therapy for eye disorders
• Ear disorders
• Drug therapy for ear disorders
8. Drugs for the Integumentary System
• Skin disorders
• Topical medications
• General instructions for medicating the skin
9. Drugs for the Cardiovascular System
• Cardiovascular disorders
• Drugs for cardiovascular and blood disorders
• Giving cardiovascular medications
10. Drugs for the Respiratory System
• Respiratory disorders
• Drugs for respiratory disorders
• Giving respiratory medications
11. Drugs for the Gastrointestinal System
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Drugs for gastrointestinal disorders
• Giving gastrointestinal medications
12. Drugs for the Urinary System and Fluid Balance
• Urinary disorders
• Imbalances of body fluids, electrolytes and pH
• Giving medications for urinary tract and fluid imbalances
• Medications that affect the urinary system
13. Drugs for the Reproductive System
• Reproductive disorders
• Use of sex hormones in drug therapy
14. Drugs for the Endocrine System
• Endocrine disorders 
• Hormone therapy
15. Drugs for the Musculoskeletal System
• Musculoskeletal disorders 
• Drug treatment of musculoskeletal disorders
• Care of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)
16. Drugs for the Nervous and Sensory Systems
• Nervous system disorders
• Drugs that affect the Central Nervous System (CNS)
• Giving medications for the nervous and sensory systems
17. Psychotropic drugs
• Mental disorders
• Selection and use of psychotropic drugs
18. Drugs for the Geriatric Patient
• Drugs and the older adult
• The aging grocess
• Pharmacokinetics in the older adult
• Obtaining a medical and medication history
• Administering medications to older adult patients
• Engaging patients in their care