Overview

The BSc (Hons) Pharmacology explores how medicines and biologically active substances interact with the body and influence health and disease. The course provides a scientific foundation for understanding drug action while developing skills in laboratory investigation, data analysis, and the critical evaluation of evidence.

What You'll Learn

• Core principles of pharmacology and drug action

• Human biology, physiology, and biochemistry relevant to pharmacology

• How drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolised, and eliminated

• Mechanisms through which drugs produce biological effects

• Drug targets, receptors, and cellular signalling

• Drug development, testing, and evaluation

• Toxicology, adverse effects, and medicine safety

• Laboratory methods and experimental approaches in pharmacology

• Analysis and interpretation of pharmacological data

• Critical evaluation of scientific research and evidence

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to explain how medicines interact with biological systems and how these interactions produce physiological and therapeutic effects. They will understand the key processes that determine drug behaviour within the body and the factors that can influence effectiveness and safety. Students will be able to use appropriate scientific and laboratory methods to investigate pharmacological questions, analyse experimental data, and interpret findings accurately. They will also develop the ability to assess research evidence critically, recognise limitations in experimental approaches, and form reasoned conclusions. The course will strengthen scientific problem-solving, research, laboratory, and communication skills, providing an integrated foundation for understanding pharmacology at molecular, cellular, physiological, and therapeutic levels.