PHA523 Clinical Pharmacokinetics

[1–0, 1 cr.]

Clinical Pharmacokinetics is the application of pharmacokinetic principles for the rational design of an individualized dosage regimen. The objectives of Clinical Pharmacokinetics are to have an optimal drug concentration in order to produce the desired therapeutic response and the drug’s adverse or toxic effects should be minimized. To meet both objectives, this course will provide students the ability to use serum drug concentrations as a guide for monitoring drug therapy, and recommend dosage utilizing pharmacokinetic parameters: half-life, volume of distribution, elimination rate constant, and clearance. Students will understand the clinical application of pharmacokinetics to specific drugs through the presentation of common clinical problems (i.e. renal failure patients, burn patients, ICU patients, etc). These drugs will include, among others, aminoglycosides, carbamazepine, digoxin, lithium, phenytoin, and vancomycin.

Prerequisites: PHA 422 

Corequisite: Professional Year 3 status