Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This sequel to Clinical Pharmacology I continues to provide the theoretical background that enables students to provide safe and effective nursing care related to drugs and natural products to persons throughout the lifespan. Students will learn to make selected clinical decisions in the context of nursing regarding using current, reliable sources of information, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of drug therapy, teaching persons from diverse populations regarding safe and effective use of drugs and natural products, intervening to increase therapeutic benefits and reduce potential negative effects, and communicating appropriately with other health professionals regarding drug therapy. The course addresses additional classes of drugs and related natural products not contained in Clinical Pharmacology I.

Prerequisites: NRS 230

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Use current, reliable sources of information to access pertinent information about drugs and natural products, focusing on:

• finding and interpreting pertinent current information from a drug guide, comprehensive drug information sources, and electronic databases; and
• accessing and interpreting pharmacology-focused articles in current professional journals.

2. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of drug therapy, focusing on:

• selection, interpretation, and prioritization of focused nursing assessments to detect therapeutic effects, side effects and adverse reactions, and drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-natural product interactions, and
•  surveillance for vulnerability to negative effects of specific classes of drugs based on age, developmental physiology, concurrent pathophysiology, psychopathology or other factors.

3. Teach persons, clients and/or family members, from diverse populations regarding safe and effective use of drugs and natural products, focusing on:

• self-management of specific classes of over-the-counter and prescription drugs that are used episodically,
• self-management of multiple drugs that are taken concurrently for chronic conditions,
• how the action of specific classes of drugs relates to pathophysiological processes, neurochemical processes or normal physiology,
• which side/adverse effects of specific classes of drugs and natural products to self-manage and which ones to report to health professionals, and
• how to avoid or recognize drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-natural product interactions with specific classes of drugs.

4. Identify appropriate nursing interventions to increase therapeutic benefits and reduce potential negative effects of drug therapy, focusing on

• identification of basic nonpharmacological nursing interventions that potentially enhance the effectiveness of specific classes of drugs,
• assessment of barriers to adherence to drug therapy with specific classes of drugs,
•  recognition and basic strategies for reduction of polypharmacy in older adults.

5. Communicate appropriately with other health professionals regarding drug therapy, focusing on:

• using appropriate technical language related to pharmacology,
• explaining drug mechanisms of action and their relationship to normal physiology, and
• prioritizing and reporting pertinent information about an individual’s response to specific classes of drugs or natural products.

Intended Outcomes for the course:

1.  Use current, reliable sources of information to access pertinent information about drugs and natural products, focusing on:

• finding and interpreting pertinent current information from a drug guide, comprehensive drug information sources, and electronic databases, and
• accessing and interpreting pharmacology-focused articles in current professional journals.

2.  Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of drug therapy, focusing on:

• selection, interpretation, and prioritization of focused nursing assessments to detect therapeutic effects, side effects and adverse reactions, and drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-natural product interactions, and
• surveillance for vulnerability to negative effects of specific classes of drugs based on age, developmental physiology, concurrent pathophysiology, psychopathology or other factors.

3.  Teach persons, patients and/or family members, from diverse populations across the lifespan regarding safe and effective use of drugs and natural products, focusing on:

• self-management of specific classes of over-the-counter and prescription drugs that are used episodically,
• self-management of multiple drugs that are taken concurrently for chronic conditions,
• how the action of specific classes of drugs relates to pathophysiological processes, neurochemical processes or normal physiology,
• which side/adverse effects of specific classes of drugs and natural products to self-manage and which ones to report to health professionals, and
• how to avoid or recognize drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-natural product interactions with specific classes of drugs

4.  Identify appropriate nursing interventions to increase therapeutic benefits and reduce potential negative effects of drug therapy, focusing on:

• identification of basic nonpharmacological nursing interventions that potentially enhance the effectiveness of specific classes of drugs,
• assessment of barriers to adherence to drug therapy with specific classes of drugs, and
• recognition and basic strategies for reduction of polypharmacy in older adults

5.  Communicate appropriately with other health professionals regarding drug therapy, focusing on

• using appropriate technical language related to pharmacology,
• explaining drug mechanisms of action and their relationship to normal physiology, and

• prioritizing and reporting pertinent information about an individual’s response to specific classes of drugs or natural products.

Required Readings

Drug Reference Review

Project/Papers

Discussion groups

Case studies

Group activities & presentations

Presentation/projects rubric

In-class quizzes

Multiple choice exams

Themes, Concepts & Issues: Clinical Pharmacology introduces fundamental concepts that underlie the understanding of pharmacology.

Principles of Pharmacology

Principles of Polypharmacy and Lifespan Considerations

Principles of Respiratory Drugs                                                               

Principles of Gastrointestinal Drugs

Principles of Cardiovascular Drugs II

Principles of Neurological Drugs

Principles of Psychotropic Drugs

Principles of Immune System-Related Drugs

Principles of Introduction to Antineoplastic Drugs

Principles of Musculoskeletal Drugs