PHAR 620 Pharmacogenomics and Contemporary Biotechnology

PHAR 620 is a course oriented for 2nd year pharmacy students. This course consists of lectures designed to introduce the theory and practice of pharmacogenomics and biotechnology. It is most likely that in coming years, personalized medicine will revolutionize the practice of medical disciplines by offering efficacious pharmacotherapy guided by the genetic variants in an individual patient. The goal of this course is to give students an understanding of the principles of human genetics, genomics, and   biotechnology as they apply to improving the problems in drug therapy optimization and patient care. The genetic basis of variability in drug response can contribute to drug efficacy and toxicity, adverse drug reactions, and drug-drug interactions. As such pharmacists need a thorough understanding of the genetic component of patient variability and principles of biotechnology to deliver effective individualized pharmaceutical care. The rationale for biotechnology-driven products and the main methods used to  deliver and target biological drugs are discussed in this course. Also introduced in this course are important concepts associated with biotechnology product handling, storage, and administration. The principles covered in this course will soon become part of clinical care such that a well-trained pharmacist will need to know how to critically evaluate, interpret, and apply this information on a daily basis.