, Scenario Case Studies
for
Pharmacology – Watkins, 4th Edition: A Guide to Drug
Classifications and Dosage Calculations
Each case study features:
A detailed clinical scenario that simulates realistic,
multi-layered patient care challenges.
Key issues highlighted to focus on critical
pharmacological and clinical decision points.
Guiding questions designed to stimulate critical
thinking, analysis, and clinical reasoning.
Suggested evidence-based solutions providing clear,
actionable strategies for safe and effective
pharmacological care.
,Chapter 1: History of Pharmacology — Scenario Case Studies
Case 1: Rediscovering Ancient Remedies
Case Scenario:
A pharmaceutical company is conducting research on traditional Native
American plant-based remedies. A specific compound derived from a plant
used for centuries to treat fevers shows promising antipyretic properties.
Ethical concerns arise when indigenous leaders discover the company plans
to patent the compound without acknowledging their knowledge system.
Key Issues:
Intellectual property rights
Historical exploitation in pharmacology
Ethical pharmacognosy
Cultural sensitivity
Guiding Questions:
What are the ethical obligations of pharmaceutical companies using
traditional knowledge?
How should cultural knowledge be credited and compensated?
What historical examples relate to this scenario?
Suggested Solution:
The company should collaborate transparently with the indigenous
community, offering co-authorship in research, shared patents, and profit-
sharing models. Ethical drug discovery must include acknowledgment of
indigenous contributions and a legal framework to protect their intellectual
heritage.
, Case 2: Sulfanilamide Tragedy Revisited
Case Scenario:
A nursing ethics seminar revisits the 1937 Elixir Sulfanilamide disaster,
where a toxic solvent led to over 100 deaths. Students are asked to analyze
how this tragedy shaped modern drug regulation and to apply its lessons to
the approval of new gene-editing therapies.
Key Issues:
Historical context of drug regulation
Evolution of FDA oversight
Risk management in new technologies
Guiding Questions:
How did the sulfanilamide incident impact pharmacologic policy?
What parallels exist with modern biotechnology regulation?
What safety standards must be emphasized today?
Suggested Solution:
The tragedy led to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Modern
parallels require strict pre-market testing and post-market surveillance,
especially in novel therapies, ensuring patient safety remains paramount.
Case 3: Thalidomide and Global Standards
Case Scenario:
A global nonprofit is conducting prenatal clinical trials in Southeast Asia.
Historical discussions reference the thalidomide disaster. The trial lacks clear
teratogenic screening protocols and local regulation is minimal.
Key Issues:
International disparities in drug safety
for
Pharmacology – Watkins, 4th Edition: A Guide to Drug
Classifications and Dosage Calculations
Each case study features:
A detailed clinical scenario that simulates realistic,
multi-layered patient care challenges.
Key issues highlighted to focus on critical
pharmacological and clinical decision points.
Guiding questions designed to stimulate critical
thinking, analysis, and clinical reasoning.
Suggested evidence-based solutions providing clear,
actionable strategies for safe and effective
pharmacological care.
,Chapter 1: History of Pharmacology — Scenario Case Studies
Case 1: Rediscovering Ancient Remedies
Case Scenario:
A pharmaceutical company is conducting research on traditional Native
American plant-based remedies. A specific compound derived from a plant
used for centuries to treat fevers shows promising antipyretic properties.
Ethical concerns arise when indigenous leaders discover the company plans
to patent the compound without acknowledging their knowledge system.
Key Issues:
Intellectual property rights
Historical exploitation in pharmacology
Ethical pharmacognosy
Cultural sensitivity
Guiding Questions:
What are the ethical obligations of pharmaceutical companies using
traditional knowledge?
How should cultural knowledge be credited and compensated?
What historical examples relate to this scenario?
Suggested Solution:
The company should collaborate transparently with the indigenous
community, offering co-authorship in research, shared patents, and profit-
sharing models. Ethical drug discovery must include acknowledgment of
indigenous contributions and a legal framework to protect their intellectual
heritage.
, Case 2: Sulfanilamide Tragedy Revisited
Case Scenario:
A nursing ethics seminar revisits the 1937 Elixir Sulfanilamide disaster,
where a toxic solvent led to over 100 deaths. Students are asked to analyze
how this tragedy shaped modern drug regulation and to apply its lessons to
the approval of new gene-editing therapies.
Key Issues:
Historical context of drug regulation
Evolution of FDA oversight
Risk management in new technologies
Guiding Questions:
How did the sulfanilamide incident impact pharmacologic policy?
What parallels exist with modern biotechnology regulation?
What safety standards must be emphasized today?
Suggested Solution:
The tragedy led to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Modern
parallels require strict pre-market testing and post-market surveillance,
especially in novel therapies, ensuring patient safety remains paramount.
Case 3: Thalidomide and Global Standards
Case Scenario:
A global nonprofit is conducting prenatal clinical trials in Southeast Asia.
Historical discussions reference the thalidomide disaster. The trial lacks clear
teratogenic screening protocols and local regulation is minimal.
Key Issues:
International disparities in drug safety
