In both 2016 and 2019, the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination -- RN computerized exam) test plan outlined 15% of content as "pharmacological and parenteral therapies". The test plan also includes physiological sciences. The topics of pharmacology encompass the review of drug action in living organisms, such as humans. As…

Teaching the molecular aspects of drug-target interactions and selectivity is not always an easy task. In this context, the use of alternative and engaging approaches could help pharmacy and chemistry students better understand this important topic of medicinal chemistry. Herein a 4 h practical exercise that uses freely available software as a…

A series of computer-based laboratory experiments have been developed to aid undergraduate students in appreciating the three-dimensional nature of chemistry and biochemistry. Both lower- and upper-division experiments have been developed. Students are introduced to the use of ChemDraw for the production of professional-quality molecular…

We present a simulation tool to aid the study of basic pharmacology principles. By taking advantage of the properties of agent-based modeling, the tool facilitates taking a mechanistic approach to learning basic concepts, in contrast to the traditional empirical methods. Pharmacodynamics is a particular aspect of pharmacology that can benefit from…

Computer simulation of drug formulation problems involves a database of pharmacological properties, chemical stability, and compatibility data on 20 active ingredients, physiological factors and requirements for parenteral solutions, and additives. The user gathers data from the database, formulates a stable and effective solution, and the drug is…

The Prescription Management Program, a software program using Apple's HyperCard on a MacIntosh, was developed to simplify the creation, storage, modification, and general management of prescription-based problems. Pharmacy instructors may customize the program to serve their individual teaching needs. (Author/DB)

Describes the use of a computer-assisted teaching system (CATS) for teaching pharmacology to health professionals. The CATS is composed of two parts: computer-assisted instruction and computer-managed instruction. These parts, program objectives (and the Keller plan to achieve them), instructional units of study, and hardware considerations are…

The use of a package of interactive computer programs designed to simulate pharmacokinetic monitoring of drug therapy in a required undergraduate applied pharmacokinetics course is described. Students were assigned the problem of maintaining therapeutic drug concentrations in a computer generated "patient" as an adjunct to classroom instruction.…

Regulatory agencies around the world require that those involved in producing pharmaceutical products be adequately trained. E-learning can accomplish this, providing consistent delivery and learner assessment. However, there are some unique expectations that regulators and the pharmaceutical industry have of e-learning solutions. These include…

Inability to see the relevance of mathematics to understanding the time course of drugs in the body may discourage interest in pharmacokinetics. A UNC-developed computer graphics simulation program helps visualize the nature of pharmacokinetic-patient interactions, generates classroom handouts, and is used in the pharmaceuticals industry to…

Experiences with a combined computer-assisted and computer-managed pharmacology course that allows both scheduled and individual pacing are described. Students with low aptitudes achieved significantly higher scores on the pharmacology portion of a national medical examination after participation. (Author/MSE)

The development and use of computer assisted learning (CAL) materials in the life sciences is well established and, in the UK at least, significant resources have been provided to enable this. Some years on from when the major investments took place teachers are facing the problem that the technologies used to develop and deliver the CAL programs…

Describes ISAP (Internet Self-Assessment in Pharmacology; http://www.med.umn.edu/ISAP), a World Wide Web-based educational environment for health professionals. This active learning environment that includes text (lecture outlines), reference manual (drug reference cards), and study guide (exam questions), allows users to access and review drug…

Describes the pharma-CAL-ogy project, funded by Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP), which has developed various types of software for use in pharmacology courses. Topics include course organization and delivery software, drill and practice software, tutorial-type programs, simulations, and the need to integrate computer-assisted…

Describes an Internet-based, interactive, learner-centered, asynchronous instructional module for pharmacokinetics that requires minimal computer knowledge to operate. Main components are concept presentation, a simulation exercise, and self-assessment questions. The module has been found effective in teaching the steady state concept at the…