Description

CAVENDISH UNIVERSITY ZAMBIA

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

PHARMACOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS ASSIGNMENT

INSTRUCTIONS

·         Answer ALL THE questions

·         Each question carries 20 marks. Total marks: 100

·         All your answers should be typed with a font of 12 for main text and 14 for headings

·         Indicate your full names (surname first) and computer number on the cover page of your report

·         Plagiarizing will be penalized with substantial subtraction of marks

·         Submit the assignment report as a hard-copy by 31st October 2020

·         The report should have a minimum of TEN pages and maximum of TWENTY pages (including references)

QUESTION 1

MEDICATION ERRORS AND PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT QUALITY PROBLEMS

·         Explain what medication errors are

·         Describe the various types of medication errors

·         Describe factors that contribute to medication errors

·         Explain the importance of reporting medication errors and describe the information that should be included in medication error reports

·         Give examples of pharmaceutical product quality problems

·         Explain the sources of product quality problems

·         Explain monitoring for product quality problems

QUESTION 2

EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE, STANDARD TREATMENT GUIDELINES, FORMULARIES AND ESSENTIAL MEDICINE LISTS

• Explain the concept of evidence-based-medicine
• Explain the need for evidence-based clinical practice 
• Describe the elements of evidence-based medicine 
• Describe the various types of medical literature articles used in evidence-based-medicine
• Give examples of databases available for medical literature review
• Describe the benefits and challenges of evidence-based-medicine
• Define and describe the features of (a) Standard Treatment Guidelines (b) Drug Formularies (c) Essential Medicine Lists
• Explain the importance of the Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs), Essential Medicines Lists (EMLs) and Drug Formularies in the drug management of disease conditions
• Explain the role of STGs, EMLs and Drug Formularies in promoting rational use of medicines

QUESTION 3

RATIONAL PHARMACOTHERAPY

• Define (a) Rational drug use (b) Rational prescribing
• Describe examples of (a) Irrational drug use practices (b) Irrational prescribing practices
• Explain the factors underlying irrational drug use
• Describe the consequences of irrational drug use
• Outline measures that promote rational use of drugs
• List the aims of rational prescribing
• Describe the processes involved in rational prescribing
• Describe the factors that influence drug selection

QUESTION 4

DRUG USE IN SPECIAL GROUPS (PREGNANT WOMEN, LACTATING MOTHERS, PAEDIATRIC AGE GROUPS, ELDERLY PATIENTS, PATIENTS WITH LIVER DISEASE, PATIENTS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE, AND PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE)

• Explain what is meant by special patient groups
• Describe the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of special patient groups, that require some considerations to be made when prescribing drug therapy for special patient groups
• Describe the considerations that should be made when prescribing drug therapy for special patient groups

QUESTION 5

MONITORING DRUG THERAPY

• Explain the purpose of monitoring drug therapy
• Describe the strategies for monitoring drug therapy
• Describe the process of therapeutic drug monitoring