Pathophysiology & Pharmacotherapeutics 1 – Primary Health Care – Global Health

This course will explore the mechanism of altered functioning of human cells, organs, organ systems and the person as a whole in the context of health care across the lifespan, including child, adolescent, adult, and older adult patients. This course will provide students with an understanding of basic pharmacologic concepts, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics. There will be a focus on therapeutic interventions, including consideration of at-risk populations.

The primary focus of this course is on health presentations frequently found in general settings regarding individuals from adolescence to geriatrics. The intention of this course is not to comprehensively address all illnesses and conditions but rather to highlight common presentations and diseases and provide a framework from which to organize knowledge application within primary health care or specialty settings. This framework will be based primarily on the following concepts:

• Alteration in body functions which leads to illness/injury, chronic disease, comorbidities, and emergency health needs
• Systematic examination of illness manifestation
• Clinical presentations related to pathophysiological and psychopathological changes
• Client assessment and diagnostic formulations (differential diagnosis)
• Recommended treatment planning, focused on pharmacotherapeutics
• Health implications of diverse client/population trends, including but not limited to:
  • Social determinants of health
  • Vulnerable populations
  • Opioid use misuse, abuse, addiction, and diversion
  • Oncology
  • Hematology
  • Inflammation
  • Immunity & Vaccines
  • Infectious diseases
  • Mental health
  • MSK
  • Dermatology
  • HEENT
• Pharmacologic content, as is relevant to the topics discussed and including but not limited to:
  • Basics of pharmacology
  • Drug therapy decision making
  • Drug information gathering and interpretation
  • Common indicators for prescribing various classes of controlled substances (including those related to acute/chronic/palliative pain, hyperkinetic and substance abuse, hormonal disorders, sleep disorders, and neurological conditions)
  • NP prescribing requirements
  • Development of appropriate drug monitoring plans, with consideration for at risk populations
  • Mechanisms of adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, and strategies to identify, assess and manage adverse effects of drug therapies
  • Process for reporting to appropriate authorities, in keeping with relevant legislation and organizational policies
  • Marketing strategies used to promote health products, medical devices, medications, and health programs
• Non-pharmacological therapies including but not limited to:
  • Counselling
  • Complementary and alternative therapies in relation to various disease states and symptom management (ie: Pain)