Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | AHS-2470-VT01Y - Fundamentals of Pharmacology

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

John Mulhall
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Danielle Lafleur Brooks

Course Description

This course provides an overview of pharmacology language, abbreviations, systems of measurement and conversions as they relate to medication administration. Students will learn the measurement of medication, dosage calculations, routes of administration, and commonly prescribed drugs in the medical office. Topics include legal implementations regarding controlled substances and other medications, forms of medications, patient care applications, drug classifications/interactions, and safety in medication administration and patient care. Basic algebra skills are required. Prerequisites: Human Biology and Medical Terminology.

Essential Objectives

1. Explain the responsibilities of support professionals, such as medical assistants and pharmacy technicians, regarding medication administration and the conditions under which such professionals may administer medication.
2. Understand the legal and ethical implications associated with controlled substances and prescription pads including the role of the FDA, function of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and purpose of the Controlled Substance Act.
3. Apply accurate medical terminology related to pharmacology and administration of medication.
4. Calculate doses accurately for oral and parenteral medications.
5. Interpret and document medication orders, including the parts of a prescription.
6. Identify classifications of drugs, factors that affect drug action, and the undesirable actions of given drugs.
7. Determine classification and application of routes of administration for oral and parenteral medications in relation to the target effect.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of medical recordkeeping, storage, safety, and quality assurance related to medications dispensed in the medical office.
9. Demonstrate the procedure for using a Physicians’ Desk Reference and other reference sources.
10. Identify and understand proper patient assessment skills prior to medication administration, and patient education regarding uses, interactions and adverse effects.
11. Distinguish different routes of medication administration and recognize precautions required for each to assure patient safety.
12. Demonstrate and practice professional conduct in the workplace and effective written and oral communication with patients, coworkers, and supervisors.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Spring 2024 textbook details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

AHS-2470-VT01Y Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

• small and large group discussions
• interactive projects and/or activities
• multimedia presentations and resources
• readings and reflection
• guest speakers
• clinical skills / demonstrations

Evaluation Criteria

Weekly Assignments - 40%

Index Cards - 10%

Take home midterm - 20%

Take home final - 20%

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Participate as you will. I do not grade by participation. Some folks are quieter, some are more social. I will not force you to engage with the material in a way that satisfies me. But, you must engage the material in a manner that is relevant to you.

If you have taken a class with me before, you will know how I do tests. If you haven't, here is a quick rundown. Midterm will be a combination of multiple choice/short answer. You have a bit more freedom regarding your final. We will discuss options, up to three, for the final. This is subject to change, depending on class size. A larger class size requires stricter homogeny of test type.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Under nearly no circumstances will late work be accepted. However, what constitutes 'lateness'? For this class, all work from the first half of the course will be due WITH THE MIDTERM. All work from the second half will be due WITH THE FINAL. No work from the first section will be accepted after the midterm.

It will behoove you to not fall behind at all; but, we're all adults and I understand that things happen in the course of life. This is why you are afforded this flexibility. This flexibility is the limit of my tolerance with respect to due dates.

All work will also be turned in over portal or by hand. No submissions over email so that they do not get lost / so that there is a timestamp.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity