Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Select pertinent information about drugs and natural products from current, reliable sources of information, focusing on

• identification of appropriate reliable sources of information in specific nursing situations,
• rapid and accurate retrieval of pertinent information from a current drug guide, and
• accurate retrieval of information from a comprehensive drug information source.

2. Evaluate the effectiveness of drug therapy, focusing on

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

3. Teach patients, family members, and others 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 specific classes of drugs that are taken for chronic conditions,
• how the action of specific classes of drugs relates to developmental, maturational, aging, neurochemical, and pathophysiological processes, or normal physiology,
• which 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 and
• assessment of barriers to adherence to drug therapy, including social determinants of health, with specific classes of drugs.

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
• 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 
• Overview of Autonomic Drugs 
• Nonopioid Analgesics
• Antibiotics
• Opioid Analgesics
• Overview of Autonomic Drugs
• Cardiovascular Drugs I
• Antidiabetics and Principles of Replacement Therapy with Endocrine Hormones 
• Respiratory Drugs