Course description

During Veterinary Pharmacology 1, students learn the basics of general pharmacology, and the theoretical and practical aspects of the usage of several drug groups (organotropic agents). Regarding practical aspects, we aim to develop students’ first day skills for successful and prudent drug use in the most common veterinary cases. We put strong emphasis on educating pharmacology based on the recommendations of the current international guidelines and scientific articles, furthermore, through this approach, we encourage students for lifelong learning and the usage of relevant scientific literature. Legal, ethical and public health aspects of veterinary drug usage are also covered by the subject. Furthermore, during practicals, students learn to write prescriptions and can study different drug administration routes and the handling of animals.

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Practical lessons theme

SCHEDULE – VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY

Lectures and practicals

Academic year 2025/2026, 1^st Semester

 

Time of Lectures:     Monday          13¹⁵ – 15⁰⁰       Magyary-Kossa Lecture Hall

Thursday        9¹⁵ – 10⁰⁰        Magyary-Kossa Lecture Hall

Time of practicals: according to the timetable, in the Pharmacology practical room

WEEK	LECTURE	PRACTICAL
8 September Lecture 1-2	General Pharmacology Pharmacodynamics: Structure-dependent and independent drug actions Drug-receptor interaction, Dose-response relationship dr. Ákos Jerzsele	No. 1: 8 Sept – 12 Sept Usage and sources of drugs in veterinary medicine
11 September Lectures 3	Therapeutic concepts, Drug toxicity dr. Orsolya Farkas
15 September Lecture 4-5	Pharmacokinetics: Mechanisms of drug transport, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion dr. György Csikó	No. 2: 15 Sept – 19 Sept Prescription writing, legal aspects, scheduled drugs Stability of drugs
18 September Lectures 6	Pharmacokinetic modelling dr. György Csikó
22 September Lecture 7-8	Principles of pharmacotherapy Factors influencing drug efficacy dr. György Csikó	No. 3: 22 Sept – 26 Sept Forms of prescriptions
25 September Lectures 9	Detailed Pharmacology Neuropharmacology, CNS inhibitor drugs: tranquilizers dr. Ákos Jerzsele
29 September Lecture 10-11	CNS inhibitor drugs: hypno-sedatives dr. Zita Karancsi Anticonvulsive drugs, Antiepileptics dr. Mercédesz Adrienn Veres	No. 4: 29 Sept – 3 Oct Dosage forms Small test (1-3 practical materials)
2 October Lectures 12	Behaviour modifiers dr. Mercédesz Adrienn Veres
6 October Lecture 13-14	Pharmacology of pain:  Opioids, NGF-mABs dr. Ákos Jerzsele	No. 5: 6 Oct – 10 Oct Clinical pharmacology of tranquilizers, sedate-hypnotics, and behavior modifiers Case studies
9 October Lectures 15	Local anaesthetics and myorelaxants dr. Zita Karancsi
13 October Lecture 16-17	General anaesthetics, injectable anaesthetics dr. Ákos Jerzsele Pharmacology of euthanasia dr. Ákos Jerzsele	No. 6: 13 Oct – 17 Oct Clinical pharmacology of anesthetics, euthanasia and analgesics Case studies Small test (4-5 practical materials)
16 October Lectures 18	Inhalational anaesthetics dr. Ákos Jerzsele
20 October Lecture 19-20	Pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system Pharmacology of the parasympathetic nervous system Pharmacology of the sympathetic nervous system I. dr. Erzsébet Gere	Midterm 1 (no practical!)
23 October Lectures 21	Pharmacology of the sympathetic nervous system II. dr. Erzsébet Gere
27 October Lecture 22-23	Pharmacology of inflammation: Pharmacology of NSAIDs Pharmacology of glucocorticoids dr. Orsolya Farkas	No. 7: 27 Oct – 31 Oct Examination of drug activity in rabbits (anesthetics, ophthalmology) Case studies (Midterm 1 retake)
30 October Lectures 24	Pharmacology of antihistamines dr. Orsolya Farkas
3 November Lecture 25-26	JAK inhibitors and other anti-inflammatory agents Pharmacology of immunosuppression dr. Ákos Jerzsele	No. 8: 2 Nov – 6 Nov Principles in fluid therapy. Posology Case studies
6 November Lectures 27	Pharmacology of the respiratory system: Bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs dr. Erzsébet Gere
10 November Lecture 28-29	Antitussive drugs, mucolytics and expectorants. Pharmacology of the cardiovascular system Pharmacology of arrhythmias dr. Ákos Jerzsele	No. 9: 10 Nov – 14 Nov Pharmacology of inflammation Case studies
13 November Lectures 30	Pharmacology of cardiac contractility Pharmacology of vascular tone dr. Ákos Jerzsele
17 November Lecture 31-32	Pharmacology of volume regulation Diuretics dr. Ákos Jerzsele	No. 10: 17 Nov – 21 Nov Drugs acting on the cardiovascular system Case studies
20 November Lectures 33	Pharmacology of haemostasis and thrombosis dr. Erzsébet Gere
24 November Lectures 34-35	Pharmacology of haematopoiesis. Treatment of anaemia dr. Ákos Jerzsele Pharmacology of the digestive system: Emetic and antiemetic drugs. Prokinetic agents dr. Adrienn Mercédesz Veres	Midterm 2 (no practical!)
27 November Lecture 36	Drugs for gastric and duodenal ulcers dr. Adrienn Mercédesz Veres
1 December   Lecture 37-38	Laxative drugs, antidiarrheal drugs Hepatoprotective drugs and appetite increasers dr. Adrienn Mercédesz Veres Pharmacology of the endocrine system: Pharmacology of the hypophyseal and pituitary gland hormones and analogues dr. Ákos Jerzsele	No. 11: 1 Dec – 5 Dec Drugs acting on the gastrointestinal tract Case studies Small test (GI lecture materials) (Midterm 2 retake)
4 December Lecture 39	Pharmacology of gonadal hormones dr. Ákos Jerzsele
8 December Lectures 40-41	Pancreatic hormones, drugs effecting blood glucose level Pharmacology of the thyroid and adrenal gland hormones dr. Ákos Jerzsele	No. 12: 8 Dec – 12 Dec Clinical pharmacology of hormones (Final retake midterm)
11 December Lectures 42	Drugs effecting uterine function dr. Ákos Jerzsele

Budapest, 1st of September 2025

Ákos Jerzsele DVM, Ph.D Head of Department, Associate Professor

 

Evaluation description

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY in English, Fall semester, Academic year 2025/2026

1. For completing the semester these are obligatory:

• Regular visiting of the lectures (lectures can be missed not more than three times per semester)
• Successfully completing all practicals, including:

• • practicals can be missed not more than five times per semester, and all missed practicals must be retaken,
  • changing group for the practicals is allowed two times per semester, but only upon previous agreement with the practical group teacher,
  • passing the small tests: achieving at least an average of 60% on the small tests.

• Passing the two midterm tests: achieving at least 60% on each midterm test.

The acceptance of the semester is certified by the signature of the authorized teacher. More than five weeks of absence in a semester results in an automatic exclusion from the semester (cf. Student’s guide).

 

2. Practicals

The attendance on all practicals is obligatory. The names of students will be checked by the practical group teacher, and in addition, students will prove their appearance with their signature. All missed practicals have to be retaken. Students should bring a lab coat to all practicals.

 

Students have to be able to answer questions about the topic of former and actual practicals satisfactory, especially when there are case studies on the practicals. Furthermore, students will need to write small tests at the beginning of practicals, and for passing the course, at least an average of 60% should be achieved on them. Dates of case studies and small tests are included in the practical schedule. Each small test can be attempted only once, retake of failed small tests is not possible. In case of not achieving the average 60%, a final retake test will be provided at the end of the semester covering all topics of the semester (its date is shown in the course schedule). If this is also failed, the student cannot get the signature.

 

If a student fails to answer the oral questions during the practicals, or misses a practical, it needs to be retaken. Retake of the practicals is done upon agreement with the practical group teacher.

 

3. Midterm tests

Schedule of the two midterm tests is included in the course schedule. Minimum acceptance level of completion is 60% for each midterm. Failed or missed midterm tests can be retaken during the semester only once. If the student cannot attend the retake midterm, it will be counted as a failed test. The only exception is if someone cannot attend the test due some other commitments related to their university studies, in which case an additional occasion can be provided for test writing. Those students who aim to improve their result can also write the retake midterms, but in this case, the second result will count in the final grade, even if it’s worse than the original one. In case someone fails or misses any of the midterms, a final retake midterm should be written at the end of the semester, covering topics of both midterms (date is shown in the schedule). If this is also failed, the student cannot get the signature.

 

During the midterm tests, students must place all their electronic devices (e.g. phones, tablets, smart watches) at a place where they are fully visible, and must not use them during test writing.

 

On the midterms’ weeks, there are no practicals.

 

Reviewing the midterm tests will be done as follows:

• in case of a failed midterm, students may review their test on the week of the midterm with their practical group teacher, upon discussing the dates separately with the teacher,
• in case of a passed midterm, students may review their test at the end of their next practical.

 

4. Final grade

The final grades will be based on the results of two midterm tests and the practical small tests’ average[1]. If any of the three grades is unsatisfactory, the semester will not be accepted. In this case the student should write a final retake test about the topics of the whole semester at the end of the semester. In case of failing this last retake test, the acceptance of the semester will not be certified by the signature of the Head of Department.

At the end of fall semester, students will be evaluated as follows:

excellent (5) – ≥ 90%

good (4)     – ≥ 80%

medium (3) – ≥ 70%

satisfactory (2) – ≥ 60%

unsatisfactory (1)  – < 60%

 

Students who achieve at least an average of 90% on the midterms of Pharmacology 1 and 2 (4 midterms in total) will be exempted from the written part of the Pharmacology final exam.

 

In case of general questions about education, please contact dr. Dóra Kovács (kovacs.dora@univet.hu).

Recommended literature:
Lecture slideshows (obligatory)
Dawn Boothe: Small Animal Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Donald C. Plumb: Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook
Jim E. Riviere & Mark G. Papich: Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Steeve Giguére: Antimicrobial Therapy in Veterinary Medicine

Budapest, 1^st September 2025

Dr. Ákos Jerzsele (Head of Department)

[1] Average of the small tests will give 1/3 of the final grade. The two midterm results will provide other 2/3 for the calculation. Finally, average of these three scores will be calculated and used for the evaluation.