Course description
Programme description
- The only programme of study in London focused on drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics and associated toxicology.
- Links with the pharmaceutical industry in terms of visiting lecturers and site visits.
- Combined teaching with the MSc Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Analysis & Quality Control programmes provides a broad education in the pharmaceutical sciences and allows student flexibility.
This advanced programme consists of four taught modules and a research project:
- Principles of Drug Delivery & Disposition;
- Principles of Analytical Techniques, Numerical Methods & Regulatory Affairs;
- Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics;
- Fundamental, Biochemical & Molecular Toxicology;
- Research Project (or a critical review of the scientific literature).
Programme format and assessment
Lectures; small group tutorials; laboratory classes; laboratory-based research project (or in some instances a critical review of the scientific literature). Each taught module is assessed by a written examination (70 per cent) and coursework (30 per cent).
Programme modules for MSc Biopharmacy
Principles of Chemical Analysis Techniques, Numerical Methods and Regulatory Affairs (Core Module)
An introductory Module concerned with the fundamental philosophy, principles and practice of Chemical Analysis and Quality Control with particular reference to the pharmaceutical sciences. On completion of the Module the student should have: an appreciation of the science and role of analytical chemistry; the ability to design and undertake measurement protocols to GLP standard; an understanding of basic numerical methods and statistics used in chemical analysis and quality control; an appreciation of the scope and limitations of various techniques for product identification, the assignment of molecular structure and the analysis of complex mixtures. Assessment of the Module is based upon performance in a written Examination (70%) and Coursework (30%).
Principles of Drug Delivery and Disposition (Core Module)
An introductory Module which provides an overview of drug delivery and drug disposition, i.e. drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and elementary pharmacokinetics, providing essential background knowledge for the pharmaceutical scientist. On completion of the Module the student should have: an understanding of the significance of physicochemical properties in drug delivery and drug disposition; an appreciation of the approaches for delivering drugs to the body and the associated dosage forms; an understanding of the methods for evaluation of drug release from tablets, capsules and inhalers; an understanding of the structure of biological membranes and the various mechanisms associated with drug transport across them; an appreciation of the potential sites, reactions and factors which influence drug metabolism; an appreciation of the significance of drug metabolism in relation to biological activity; an understanding of the principles of pharmacokinetics and be able to define and calculate the commonly used pharmacokinetic parameters. Assessment of the Module is based upon performance in a written Examination (70%) and Coursework (30%).
Research project/dissertation - Pharmaceutical Sciences (Core Module)
Students on all three Masters Degree Programmes in the Pharmaceutical Sciences (Biopharmacy, Pharmaceutical Analysis & Quality Control, Pharmaceutical Technology) are required to carry out a Research Project. The aim of this Module is to provide students with the opportunity to study a particular topic in depth, give practical experience of research methodologies and in the presentation of scientific data, both orally and as a written report. The Department of Pharmacy at King's is research active and, as a result, Masters candidates are offered a considerable choice of research topics from across the entire spectrum of the Pharmaceutical Sciences, including: computational methods with applications in the pharmaceutical sciences; drug delivery & formulation science; drug metabolism & pharmacokinetics; toxicology; pharmaceutical analysis; isolation, identification and biological evaluation of materials derived from natural sources. The selection and allocation of Research Projects is carried out in November and students are required to select three possible topics from a list of usually over sixty available, the final allocation being made by the Programme Directors. Obviously the projects selected must be appropriate for the degree Programme being undertaken. Project work starts in the second semester and students are expected to spend the equivalent of two days a week working on their projects. Following the summer examinations (these are generally held in May/June) work on the projects is carried out full time and the final report is submitted for assessment in mid-August. Students undertaking the degree Programmes Part-Time are normally expected to carry out a practical based project at their place of work, and they frequently have ideas for areas of investigation which would be of interest to their employers. However, depending on the nature of their employment it is appreciated that this may not be possible for everyone. In such instances these individuals are permitted to submit a Critical Survey of the Literature (Dissertation) rather than a practical based research project. Research Projects/Dissertations are assessed on the basis of the final written report (90%) and a short oral presentation (10%) at the end of the second semester.
Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics
A specialist Module, which builds upon the fundamental principles, provided in MODULE BPM 010. The Module aims to provide a detailed understanding of: the chemical and enzymatic basis of drug and foreign compound biotransformation; the time course of drug absorption and disposition and the relationship between these processes and the intensity and duration of drug action; the factors which influence biotransformation and the magnitude of the pharmacokinetic parameters. On completion of the Module the student should have: an understanding of the chemical and enzymatic mechanisms and pathways of drug biotransformation; the ability to interpret the complex pattern of biotransformations open to xenobiotics; an understanding of the relationship between physiological variables and pharmacokinetic parameters; an understanding of and the ability to interpret pharmacokinetic data; the ability to problem solve in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics; an appreciation of the relationship between pharmacodynamic activity and plasma concentration versus time curves; the ability to design drug dosage regimens using basic pharmacokinetic parameters. Assessment of the Module is based upon performance in a written Examination (70%) and Coursework (30%).
Fundamental, Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology
A specialist Module concerned with the basic concepts of toxicology, which examines the biochemical mechanisms of toxicity and the significance of molecular biology in relation to toxicology and modern drug development. On completion of the Module the student should have: an understanding of the basic principles of toxicology and their relationship to drug safety evaluation; an appreciation of the significance of drug metabolism in relation to mechanisms of toxicity; the ability to interpret toxicological data; gained problem solving skills in toxicology and be able to apply these in the assessment of actual and potential drug toxicity; an understanding of the ways in which molecular biology has, and will, impact on drug discovery, development and use; an appreciation of the fundamental techniques of molecular biology and bioinformatics and their application; an appreciation of the significance of inherited effects in determining inter-individual differences in response to drugs. Assessment of the Module is based upon performance in a written Examination (70%) and Coursework (30%).
