ATE 3615 - Veterinary Pharmacology

School of Veterinary Technology

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Fall 2020 (580)

Requisites

Admission to Veterinary Technology (Bachelor of Applied Science) (VETTC-BAS)

Course Description

This course develops the concepts of pharmacology essential in understanding the advanced clinical courses of the baccalaureate program. The veterinary tech will learn both the scientific fundamentals and the practical applications of pharmacology. The course will explore the most commonly used classes of drugs, the applications to each body system and the record keeping responsibilities involved in handling and prescribing medications, including controlled substances. Students will achieve mastery of concepts through completion of exams, written assignments and case studies.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will recognize the managerial requirements of all pharmaceuticals, including controlled substances by:
    1. explaining The Controlled Substances Act and identifying the substances included in the act.
    2. demonstrating the ability to read and prepare drug orders.
    3. summarizing the requirements of prescriptions and drug labels.
    4. specifying the requirements of handling, storing and dispensing drugs.
    5. documenting the requirements of handling cytotoxic and hazardous drugs.
    6. relating extra-label drug use and its role in contemporary veterinary practice.
  2. The student will demonstrate drug dosage calculations by:
    1. employing the different methods of dose calculation.
    2. solving problems to determine the correct dose when given the relevant data.
    3. deriving the correct dose as part of the analysis required in multiple case reports.
  3. The student will describe the classification of pharmaceuticals by their properties and actions by:
    1. explaining the different characteristics that are the basis of drug classification.
    2. differentiating between the modes of action for each pharmaceutical grouping.
    3. classifying pharmaceuticals into their appropriate groups based on their characteristics and modes of action.
  4. The students will explain the concepts of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and how they relate to drug dosage and administration by:
    1. identifying the factors that affect how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized and excreted.
    2. assessing the effect of route of administration.
    3. analyzing the effect of drugs at the cellular level.
  5. The student will explain the pharmaceutical protocols for each major body system, based on current standards, by:
    1. choosing pharmaceuticals appropriate for treatment of diseases associated with each major body system.
    2. deriving protocols for patients in case reports.
    3. detecting contraindications and adverse side effects that may occur from a specific protocol.
    4. formulating critical information that should be disseminated to clients regarding their pets’ pharmaceutical protocol.
    5. specifying the normal anatomic features for each major body system that is affected by drugs used to target that body system.
  6. The student will recognize terminology related to veterinary pharmacology by:
    1. choosing the correct term in interactive exercises
    2. using the terminology to explain use, characteristics, classification and/or modes of actions of drugs.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 70% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

Effective 20072(0390) Submitted as 3XXX; Approved By SCNS as 3615. Flex access 20081(0400). C&I Approval: 07/10/2007, BOT Approval: 08/21/2007, Effective Term: Fall 2008 (400). C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Spring 2019 (555). C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Summer 2019 (560).
C&I Approval: 02/21/2020, BOT Approval: 03/17/2020, Effective Term: Fall 2020 (580)

Related Programs

  1. Veterinary Technology (VETTC-BAS) (640) (Active)