Major Overview

Description

How do medicines produce their beneficial effects on human diseases? How can drugs target particular organs, cells, proteins and genes? This major provides the comprehensive grounding in scientific concepts that you require in order to understand how the body affects the actions, efficacy and safety of drugs, how drugs affect the human body, and how drugs are used to treat human disease. Topics in the units offered include drug–receptor interactions, dose–response relationships, intracellular signalling, drug metabolism and elimination, toxicology, respiratory pharmacology, immunopharmacology, drug discovery and development, as well as the role of genetics in dictating individual responses to drugs. Theoretical content is reinforced by practical laboratory sessions and computer-based workshops.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) discuss the role of pharmacology in improving health outcomes and addressing current and future health challenges; (2) discuss the processes that regulate the fate of drugs in the body; (3) discuss drug action at molecular, cellular, tissue and whole-body levels, discriminating between various mechanisms of action of drugs; (4) relate therapeutic effects and unwanted adverse effects to drug action, recognising the significance of genetic polymorphism in drug response; (5) discuss the development and contribution of advanced technologies to drug design and discovery; (6) investigate a problem related to pharmacology through hypothesis formulation, experimental design, and data collection, analysis and interpretation; (7) perform laboratory experiments relevant to assessing the action of drugs and their impact on pathophysiological processes; (8) select, critically appraise, and communicate scientific information on a topic related to pharmacology; (9) work constructively in a team; and (10) discuss ethical approaches to responsible conduct in learning and research.

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Prerequisites

Student without WACE Chemistry or equivalent, are required to take CHEM1003 in their first year.

Students without ATAR Mathematics Applications, ATAR Mathematics Methods, WACE Mathematics: Specialist 3A/3B or equivalent or higher, will need to take MATH1720 in their first year.

Students without ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology or equivalent will need to take ANHB1101 or BIOL1130, or IMED1001 in their first year.

Courses

Pharmacology can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Example Study Plans

See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2

Students who do not have ATAR Mathematics Applications or equivalent or higher, are required to complete MATH1720 in their first year.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Students without ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology will need to take ANHB1101, BIOL1130 or IMED1001 in first semester to meet prerequisites for SCIE1106. Students without ATAR Chemistry will need to take CHEM1003 in first semester to meet prerequisites for SCIE1106.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) Human Biology or equivalent
or ATAR Subject(s) Biology or equivalent
or Unit(s) ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
or Unit(s) ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human
or Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or Unit(s) IMED1001 Form and Function
and Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry or equivalent
or Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Incompatibility
Unit(s) SCIE2225 Molecular Biology
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 BIOC1001 Introductory Cellular Biochemistry
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry ATAR
or Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
CHEM1004 Biological Chemistry
S1, S2 CHEM1002 Chemistry—Structure and Reactivity
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry (ID 1063)
or ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry
or ATAR Subject(s) WACE Chemistry 3A/3B or equivalent
Bridging units

Take units if applicable:

Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Mathematics Applications or equivalent or higher, will need to successfully complete MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals in their first 48 points of study in this course. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Chemistry or equivalent, are required to successfully complete CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry in their first 48 points of study in this course. Students who have not achieved ascaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology or equivalent will need to successfully complete ANHB1101 Human Biology I or BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology or IMED1101 Form and Function in their first 48 points of study in this course.

Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Mathematics Applications or equivalent or higher, will need to successfully complete MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals in their first 48 points of study in this course. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Chemistry or equivalent, are required to successfully complete CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry in their first 48 points of study in this course. Students who have not achieved ascaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology or equivalent will need to successfully complete ANHB1101 Human Biology I or BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology or IMED1101 Form and Function in their first 48 points of study in this course.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human None
S1 BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology None
S1, S2 CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Incompatibility
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry or equivalent
S1 IMED1001 Form and Function
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
MJD-MEDSC Medical Sciences
or MJD-IMSCP Integrated Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice
or MJD-VISSC Vision Science
or MJD-ENGSC Engineering Science (specialisation in Biomedical Engineering)
or MJD-EBMEG Biomedical Engineering
or MJD-PHMSC Podiatric Health and Medical Sciences
S1, S2 MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Prerequisites
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of less than 50] or with permission
Incompatibility
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of 50 or greater] or Equivalent or higher

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (12 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology
Prerequisites
CHEM1002 Chemistry—Structure and Reactivity
and SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
or
CHEM1004 Biological Chemistry
and SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
or
BIOC1001 Introductory Cellular Biochemistry
and SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
or
IMED1001 Form and Function
and IMED1002 The Facts of Life
S2 PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology
Prerequisites
PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology
or IMED2002 Blood and Drugs
Incompatibility
PHAR2230 Systems Pharmacology

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PHAR3310 Molecular Pharmacology
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology
and PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology ,
or Successful completion of IMED2002 Blood and Drugs and
IMED2001 Body Defences
or IMED2003 Medical Sciences Research Methodologies
or IMED2004 Human Development and Genetics
Incompatibility
PHAR3303 Drugs and Disease A
and PATH3304 Drugs and Disease B
S1 PHAR3311 Molecular Pharmacology Methods
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology
and PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology ,
or Successful completion of IMED2002 Blood and Drugs and
IMED2001 Body Defences
or IMED2003 Medical Sciences Research Methodologies
or IMED2004 Human Development and Genetics
Co-requisites
Enrolment in
PHAR3310 Molecular Pharmacology
Incompatibility
PHAR3303 Drugs and Disease A,
and PATH3304 Drugs and Disease B
S2 PHAR3320 Systems Pharmacology
Prerequisites
[PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology,
and PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology].
or [IMED2002 Blood and Drugs and one of the following units: IMED2001 Body Defences.
IMED2003 Essentials of Research in the Health and Medical Sciences
or IMED2004 Human Development and Genetics]
Incompatibility
PHAR3303 Drugs and Disease A,
S2 PHAR3321 Systems Pharmacology Methods
Prerequisites
[PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology,
and PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology].
or [IMED2002 Blood and Drugs and one of the following units: IMED2001 Body Defences.
IMED2003 Essentials of Research in the Health and Medical Sciences
or IMED2004 Human Development and Genetics]
Co-requisites
PHAR3320 Systems Pharmacology
Incompatibility
PHAR3303 Drugs and Disease A
and PATH3304 Drugs and Disease B