Pharmacology is the study of how drugs interact with living organisms to produce a desired effect. It is a branch of medicine that deals with the interaction of drugs with the human body. Pharmacologists are interested in the ways that drugs work in the body, how they are metabolized, and what side effects they may cause. They also study how different drugs can be used to treat disease.
If you are interested in a career in pharmacology, consider our top picks below:
#1. PrEParing: PrEP for Providers and Patients
PrEParing: PrEP for Providers and Patients is a course from Johns Hopkins University which is available online via Coursera. This free health care course offers learners important information, ideas, and practical knowledge that they need to function properly in the medical field. Unlike other courses, this course is designed to allow both healthcare providers and patients to learn about the processes, guidelines, initiation, and other areas of PrEP.
At the end of the program, students should be able to explain the importance of PrEP in the prevention of HIV and make different recommendations on the use of PrEP. This course will be taught by Dr. Jason Farley.
#2. Clinical Pharmacokinetics: Dosing and Monitoring
Offered by Taipei Medical University via FutureLearn, Clinical Pharmacokinetics: Dosing and Monitoring is a free online course with a paid certificate. Taught by Shawn Chen, this course describes the fundamental principles of clinical pharmacokinetics as well as the various elements associated with absorption, metabolism, distribution, and elimination of drugs. The aim of this course is to allow learners to understand how to monitor, evaluate and adjust dosing for their patients.
Based on its specialized curriculum, this course is recommended for practicing pharmacists and undergraduate or postgraduate pharmacy students.
#3. Opioid Analgesics
Provided by FutureLearn, this online course focuses on empowering the learners with an understanding of the fundamental pharmacology of opioids. This is to allow them to execute a safe and effective prescription of these substances for cancer patients. Opioid Analgesics explains everything you need to know about safe prescription, management of the adverse effects of the substances, and the reasons why the substances are often prescribed for treating cancer pain.
Anchored by Victoria Hewitt, this 3-week long course is offered for free; however, paid certificates for interested students. It is recommended for pharmacists, general health practitioners, acute hospital specialists, palliative care practitioners, and other professionals involved in pain management.
#4. Global Tuberculosis (TB) Clinical Management and Research
Global Tuberculosis (TB) Clinical Management and Research is a Johns Hopkins University’s course that is provided via Coursera. It is an online course that takes a look at TB/HIV co-infection and the new research solutions that are being created to combat these problems. This course also gives an introduction to how health practitioners can use the latest clinical and research tool to handle TB treatment and management in any communities that they find themselves.
The class will involve a series of activities and tools such as video lectures, individual assignments, quizzes, peer assessment, group discussions, and inputs from well-known TB and HIV experts. This course is anchored by Jason Farley and will be completed in 9 weeks.
#5. History of Medical Cannabis
History of Medical Cannabis is a free online course that is provided by the University of Colorado Boulder via Coursera. With the help of this course, students will be taught about how cannabis was cultivated in the past and the challenges that it had gone through. Using research and other parameters, the course will also let you learn the present and future of cannabis as well as its health benefits.
Led by Kent Hutchison, History of Medical Cannabis will also shed light on the challenges that the research in the cannabis industry has been facing. Then, it will be concluded with a brief evaluation of the risks associated with the use of this substance.
#6. Introduction to Systems Biology
Introduction to Systems Biology is a course from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Provided via Coursera, this 10-week program is all about contemporary systems biology with the main focus on the meaning, functions, and components of mammalian cells. As an introduction to systems biology, this course will describe the properties of cellular and subcellular systems, the various experiments that determine systems-level thinking, and the importance of simulations and computation of the aforementioned systems.
Taught by Ravi Iyengar, this course has a broad outline that includes Physical Forces and Electrical Activity in Cell Biology, Network Building and Analysis, and Mathematical Representations of Cell Biological Systems.
#7. Essentials of Good Pharmacy Practice: The Basics
In collaboration with FutureLearn, Taipei Medical University presents Essentials of Good Pharmacy Practice: The Basics which is a 3-week free online course that is targeted at teaching pharmacists to be able to deliver improved pharmaceutical services. This course also enhances their professional skills by discussing the fundamentals of preparing medical products and chemotherapy medications.
The basic prerequisite of Essentials of Good Pharmacy Practice: The Basics is a background study in areas such as pharmacy, biological services, and pharmaceutical services. Notably, the classes are anchored by Chung-Hsuen Wu.
#8. Fundamentals of Pharmacology
The Fundamentals of Pharmacology program is focused on the pharmacological principles and how they relate to other areas of medical science. The modules of this course involve Basic Pharmacological Principles, Therapeutics, Applied Pharmacology, and Advanced Pharmacological Principles. Upon completion of this program, the learners should be able to explain the relationship between pathophysiology and biologic targets in line with drug therapy.
Although students have to pay for the certificate, this online course is completely free to study. Taught on Coursera by Emma Meagher, the Fundamentals of Pharmacology program is from the University of Pennsylvania.
#9. Drug Development
Drug Development is a free online course from the University of California San Diego and is available online via Coursera. During the course of this program, learners will be taught about the various stages and regulatory of clinical development. Students will be exposed to product labeling, New Drug Application (NDA) and Investigational New Drug Application (IND).
Williams Ettouati and Joseph Ma will also teach the students how to choose study design methods that can help to create clinical protocols for evaluating the safety, efficacy, and tolerability in several therapeutic aspects. Different clinical trials will be used as examples during the program.
#10. Medical Cannabis for Pain Control
Through the platform provided by Coursera, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology brings Medical Cannabis for Pain Control to everyone that wants to learn about the application of cannabis for treating pains in different medical disciplines. The program will widen the horizon of your knowledge concerning the use of cannabis to treat patients with severe pains.
The syllabus of this free online course includes What is pain?, Botanic, History of medical cannabis and early human contact with cannabis, Effectiveness for pain, Interactions between cannabis and our body, and lots more. The course will be taught by Elon Eisenberg for 8 weeks.
