INFO 310 Foundations of Pharmacology
Course Description
Foundational view of the relationship between pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic knowledge; safe administration of medication; emphasis on the reasoning behind the selection of route, dosage, and dosing schedules of medications provided to patients across their lifespan; legal and professional issues surrounding the safe administration of medication.
For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.
Course Guide
View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*
Rationale
The student will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the terms, concepts, and processes in medication administration and pharmacology terminology upon completion. Application and knowledge of the drugs, side effects, adverse effects, and management will be critical areas of administration and teaching areas within healthcare delivery.
Course Assignment
Textbook readings and presentations
No details available.
Course Requirements Checklist
After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.
Discussions (4)
Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 400 words, demonstrate course-related knowledge, and include at least 2 scholarly references. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 300 words, and contain at least 1 scholarly reference. Any sources used must be cited in current APA format and must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include scholarly sources, in addition to the textbook and Bible.
Homework Assignments (8)
Each homework will cover the Learn material for the assigned module and be completed in Cengage MindTap. Each homework will be open-book/open notes, contain a case study with questions, and have an unlimited time limit.
Medication Error Case Study Assignment
The student will analyze a provided medication error case study and analyze, identify, and propose solutions to decrease the risk of medication errors. After identifying and describing at least two (2) medication errors from the case study, the student will research and identify the at least three (3) factors contributing to the medication errors. Based on the findings, the student will identify improvements to be made and explain how the use of informatics technologies (a minimum of 2) could have eliminated or decreased the risk of the medication errors. The student’s analysis of the case study should be competed in the form of a paper at least 1,250 words in length in current APA format. The paper must include at least 5 references (scholarly articles published within the last five years) in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible.
Role of Healthcare Informatics in Ensuring Patient Safety with Cardiovascular Medications Assignment
The student will investigate the role of healthcare informatics in ensuring patient safety within the context of a specific cardiovascular drug class. The student will provide a comprehensive overview including common medications within this class, their mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, and potential risks. The assignment should also describe key considerations related to dosage adjustments, drug interactions, and the importance of regular monitoring. The student will analyze the role of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in supporting safe prescribing, administration, and monitoring of these medications. The assignment will conclude with a summary of key findings related to patient safety in the context of healthcare informatics and actionable recommendations for informatics professionals, healthcare providers, and organizations to enhance patient safety in the administration of cardiovascular medications.
The student will compile this information into a professional, 10-15 minute recorded slideshow presentation. The student can create the presentation using any platform of his/her choice. The presentation should be 8-15 slides in length, including the introduction and references slides. The presentation must include at least 5 references (scholarly articles published within the last five years) in addition to the course textbook and the Bible. All sources used must be cited according to current APA format.
Patient Education Assignment
The student will develop educational material (e.g., pamphlet, infographic) and an oral presentation to educate a simulated patient about a specific medication from Chapters 17-22 of the Colbert, James, and Katrancha textbook. The student should support both the educational material and oral presentation with citations to at least 3 of the same references (credible websites or scholarly articles published within the last five years) in addition to the course textbook and the Bible. Any references used should be cited in both materials. Both parts of this assignment should be submitted as separate files.
After researching the selected medication, the student will develop the education material for the student, incorporating information on medication purpose, recommended dosage, administration details, side effects, interactions, and safety and storage considerations. The education material that the student produces should include visuals and be one page in length. Any references used should be cited at the bottom of the material or in a separate sheet in APA format.
In addition to this, the student will develop an oral presentation audio recording for the mock patient with a maximum length of 3 minutes. The student will need access to an audio recording device (i.e., a phone app or online tool) to generate an mp3 file for submission. The presentation should begin with an introduction stating purpose of the medication and its relevance to the patient’s health. The student should cover key aspects (what the medication is, how it should be taken, when to take it, why it has been prescribed), emphasize safety considerations (potential side effects and adverse reactions), prioritize critical details (ensuring to give the patient an understanding of the medication regimen), and discuss factors related to absorption and elimination that may impact medication efficacy. In the conclusion, the student will summarize key points and express the importance of medication adherence. The student will also reiterate the importance of medical support for any further questions or concerns. The student should be sure to verbally acknowledge the references he/she pulls from within the content of the presentation to serve as his/her citations for the oral presentation.
Analyzing Medication Administration Workflows and Optimization Assignment
The student will be presented with a case scenario and will analyze healthcare workflows related to medication administration and propose informatics solutions for optimization in a 2,000-word paper. The title and reference pages do not count towards the word count requirement. The student will identify at least three challenges and/or areas for improvement and propose at least three informatics solutions to enhance efficiency, safety, and overall optimization of medication administration processes. Each solution the student provides should be supported by relevant literature. The paper must include at least 7 references (scholarly articles that have been published within the last five years) in addition to the course textbook and the Bible. The paper should be formatted according to current APA style.
Quizzes (26)
In this course, there are 2-5 chapter quizzes each week that will be completed in Cengage MindTap. Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module. Each quiz will be open-book/open notes, contain a case study with questions, and have an unlimited time limit.
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