Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice
Course Objectives:
1. Comprehend the pharmacotherapeutics of broad categories of drugs.
2. Analyze the relationship between pharmacological agents and physiologic/pathological responses.
3. Understand the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of broad categories of drugs.
4. Understand the motivation of patients in seeking prescriptions and the willingness to adhere to
prescribed regimens.
5. Safely and appropriately select pharmacological agents for the management of patient health problem
based on patient variation (e.g. gender, age, reproductive status, ethnicity, or other health conditions),
the problem being managed, and health conditions.
6. Provide comprehensive and appropriate patient education in relation to prescribed pharmacological
agents.
7. Analyze the effects of single and multiple drug regimens on the patient’s health functioning.
8. Understand the variety of state legal requirements for advanced practice nursing prescriptive authority.
9. Discuss specific legal requirements for writing prescriptions for an advanced practice nurse in the
appropriate state.
10. Develop an effective and appropriate pharmacotherapeutic plan of care for a patient, which takes into
consideration life’s circumstance and cultural, ethnic, and developmental variations.
11. Access current and relevant data needed to answer questions identified in one’s nursing practice as it
relates to a pharmacotherapeutic plan of care.
Tips:
For each drug/drug class, you need to know the
● mechanism of action
● indication
● key pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters
● clinically significant drug interactions
● adverse effects
● contraindications
★ Expect to apply these concepts to answer exam questions!
★ Focus on learning generic drug names
Study tool: Self Assessments to prepare for exams
● Katzung & Trevor’s Pharmacology: Exam & Board Review
,Books:
● Lehne’s Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants
The following 2 books are available through TWU library:
● Basic & Clinical Pharmacology
● Basic Concepts in Pharmacology: What you need to know for each drug class
PharmGKB Website: updates regarding pharmacogenomics.
Resources:
● Slide notes
● YouTube videos
Recommendations by instructor:
● As you read the textbook, consider the class of the drug, how it works, what is the differences in the
drugs within the class. Does it have a special property or special indication.
● Freshen up on normal lab values: Normal BP, Normal Blood Chemistry Levels ( NA, Potassium,
Calcium, WBC, Hgb, Hct, etc). This list is not all encompassing.
, Week 1: Overview of General Principles of
Pharmacology, Pharmacodynamics, and Pharmacokinetics
Week 1 Objectives:
1. Differentiate pharmacodynamics (PD) from pharmacokinetics (PK).
2. Understand drug-receptor interactions on a molecular level.
3. Explain the various types of agonists and antagonists.
4. List the four basic concepts of pharmacokinetics.
5. Understand the physicochemical properties for drug transfer.
6. Understand the factors that modify drug absorption in relation to the method of drug administration
and the effect on bioavailability.
7. Understand the factors that modify drug distribution and its relationship to elimination.
8. Explain the factors that affect metabolism, and differentiate between Phase I and Phase II metabolism.
9. Understand the basic parameters of clearance pharmacokinetics.
10. Explain how pharmacokinetics impacts therapeutic dosing.
11. Discuss the mechanisms of drug toxicity.
Week 1 Chapters
● Chapter 4 | Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Drug Interactions
● Chapter 5 | Adverse Drug Reactions and Medication Errors
● Chapter 6 | Individual Variation in Drug Responses
● Chapter 7 | Genetic and Genomic Considerations in Pharmacotherapeutics
● Chapter 8 | Drug Therapy During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
● Chapter 9 | Drug Therapy in Pediatric Patients
● Chapter 10 | Drug Therapy in Geriatric Patients
Course Objectives:
1. Comprehend the pharmacotherapeutics of broad categories of drugs.
2. Analyze the relationship between pharmacological agents and physiologic/pathological responses.
3. Understand the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of broad categories of drugs.
4. Understand the motivation of patients in seeking prescriptions and the willingness to adhere to
prescribed regimens.
5. Safely and appropriately select pharmacological agents for the management of patient health problem
based on patient variation (e.g. gender, age, reproductive status, ethnicity, or other health conditions),
the problem being managed, and health conditions.
6. Provide comprehensive and appropriate patient education in relation to prescribed pharmacological
agents.
7. Analyze the effects of single and multiple drug regimens on the patient’s health functioning.
8. Understand the variety of state legal requirements for advanced practice nursing prescriptive authority.
9. Discuss specific legal requirements for writing prescriptions for an advanced practice nurse in the
appropriate state.
10. Develop an effective and appropriate pharmacotherapeutic plan of care for a patient, which takes into
consideration life’s circumstance and cultural, ethnic, and developmental variations.
11. Access current and relevant data needed to answer questions identified in one’s nursing practice as it
relates to a pharmacotherapeutic plan of care.
Tips:
For each drug/drug class, you need to know the
● mechanism of action
● indication
● key pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters
● clinically significant drug interactions
● adverse effects
● contraindications
★ Expect to apply these concepts to answer exam questions!
★ Focus on learning generic drug names
Study tool: Self Assessments to prepare for exams
● Katzung & Trevor’s Pharmacology: Exam & Board Review
,Books:
● Lehne’s Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants
The following 2 books are available through TWU library:
● Basic & Clinical Pharmacology
● Basic Concepts in Pharmacology: What you need to know for each drug class
PharmGKB Website: updates regarding pharmacogenomics.
Resources:
● Slide notes
● YouTube videos
Recommendations by instructor:
● As you read the textbook, consider the class of the drug, how it works, what is the differences in the
drugs within the class. Does it have a special property or special indication.
● Freshen up on normal lab values: Normal BP, Normal Blood Chemistry Levels ( NA, Potassium,
Calcium, WBC, Hgb, Hct, etc). This list is not all encompassing.
, Week 1: Overview of General Principles of
Pharmacology, Pharmacodynamics, and Pharmacokinetics
Week 1 Objectives:
1. Differentiate pharmacodynamics (PD) from pharmacokinetics (PK).
2. Understand drug-receptor interactions on a molecular level.
3. Explain the various types of agonists and antagonists.
4. List the four basic concepts of pharmacokinetics.
5. Understand the physicochemical properties for drug transfer.
6. Understand the factors that modify drug absorption in relation to the method of drug administration
and the effect on bioavailability.
7. Understand the factors that modify drug distribution and its relationship to elimination.
8. Explain the factors that affect metabolism, and differentiate between Phase I and Phase II metabolism.
9. Understand the basic parameters of clearance pharmacokinetics.
10. Explain how pharmacokinetics impacts therapeutic dosing.
11. Discuss the mechanisms of drug toxicity.
Week 1 Chapters
● Chapter 4 | Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Drug Interactions
● Chapter 5 | Adverse Drug Reactions and Medication Errors
● Chapter 6 | Individual Variation in Drug Responses
● Chapter 7 | Genetic and Genomic Considerations in Pharmacotherapeutics
● Chapter 8 | Drug Therapy During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
● Chapter 9 | Drug Therapy in Pediatric Patients
● Chapter 10 | Drug Therapy in Geriatric Patients
