PHA-10032 - Module Specification
School of Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

n/a

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

This module provides a comprehensive and fully contextualised introduction to pharmaceutical sciences and related subjects, providing a foundation and embedding them in the BSc Pharmaceutical Science programmes. The module aims to develop knowledge and skills in a wide variety of core chemistry-related disciplines by demonstrating the linkages between seemingly disparate topics in science.
This module will enable you to develop a deeper understanding of the topics covered, as well as underlying common aspects of health and safety practice which underpin safe and professional laboratory working in the pharmaceutically relevant chemical sciences.
The laboratory classes are complimented by workshops and lectures which provide support for key aspects of the pharmaceutically relevant chemical sciences, including health and safety, numeracy and calculations and feedback and feed-forward sessions which will inform and support your development throughout the module. Linkages between the various core modules within the programmes will be highlighted at every opportunity and you will begin to understand how advances in knowledge within science and technology drive drug discovery and business development within the global pharmaceutical industry.

To provide an introduction to the key concepts in physical and organic chemistry as they relate to medicinal chemistry and relevant aspects for pharmaceutics and drug delivery.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Identify common organic molecular structures and functional groups, and write suitable reaction mechanisms for their interconversion: 1,2,3
Demonstrate knowledge of the basic thermodynamic and kinetic principles that govern the progress of chemical reactions both in vitro and in vivo: 1,2,3
Identify how the structural features, stereochemistry, and functional groups responsible for chemical and physical properties can influence the biological activity of molecules: 1,2,3
Acquire data from experiments, analyse and manipulate it using appropriate techniques, and apply methods for the presentation of data, including statistical analysis and choosing an appropriate method of presentation: 1
Recognise and apply appropriately the health and safety practices and policies required for a wide range of pharmaceutical science laboratory classes, including appropriate documentation: 1
Demonstrate the ability to perform common scientific calculations with precision and accuracy.: 1,2,3
Describe the process of drug discovery and development, from target disease to the design and isolation of a pure lead compound for formulation to provide a medicinal product: 1,2,3
Describe the basic aspects of physical chemistry as they relate to formulation science and that are important in understanding drug action, design and development: 1,2,3

Study hours

Active Learning 78hrs:
54 hours of lectures and workshops, laboratory debrief sessions and calculations classes;
24 hours of chemistry laboratory-based practical work.
Independent Study 222hrs:
Examinations: 3 hours
219hrs which will include reading and preparing for teaching sessions (including laboratory classes) and revision

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment