Course description

During Veterinary Pharmacology 2, students learn the theoretical and practical aspects of the usage of etiotropic drugs involving antimicrobial, antiparasitic and antineoplastic agents. Similarly to the first semester, we aim to develop students’ first day skills of drug use and educate pharmacology based on the relevant scientific literature supplemented with ethical, legal and public health aspects. Significant part of the course is dedicated to the pharmacology of antibacterial agents, where strong emphasis is put on the prudent use of these drugs due to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in both human and veterinary medicine. Furthermore, during practicals, students learn to calculate drug doses to be administered for both individual and mass treatment, and they perform and evaluate a complex pharmacokinetic investigation on broiler chickens.

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Lectures theme

Pharmacology 2. lecture schedule

Academic year 2024/2025, 2^nd Semester

Time of lectures: Monday 12¹⁵-14⁰⁰ (Magyary-Kossa)

	LECTURES	PRACTICALS
3 February Lect. 1-2	Penicillins and other beta-lactam antibiotics Ákos Jerzsele	3-7 February Practical 1: Introduction to chemotherapy No small test
10 February Lect. 3-4	Cephalosporins, aminoglycosides Ákos Jerzsele	10-14 February Practical 2: Reduction of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine Small test
17 February Lect. 5-6	Tetracyclines, phenicols Orsolya Farkas	17-21 February Practical 3: Basic knowledge of pharmacokinetics No small test
24 February Lect. 7-8	Macrolides, lincosamides, pleuromutilins Ákos Jerzsele	24-28 February Practical 4: Ocular pharmacology No small test
3 March Lect. 9-10	Fluoroquinolones and other antibacterial agents Ákos Jerzsele	3-7 March Practical 5: Drug development and authorization, Practical use of drugs in rabbits. Small test
10 March Lect. 11-12	Polypeptides, rifamycins, glycopeptides; Sulphonamides and diaminopyrimidines Ákos Jerzsele	10-14 March Midterm 1 No practical
17 March Lect. 13-14	Anthelminthic agents I. György Csikó	17-21 March Practical 6: Usage of antibiotics in poultry and swine Midterm 1 retake No small test
24 March Lect. 15-16	Anthelminthic agents II. Ectoparasiticides I. György Csikó, Ákos Jerzsele	24-28 March Practical 7: Usage of antibiotics in ruminants and horses No small test
31 March Lect. 17-18	Ectoparasiticides II. Ákos Jerzsele	31 March – 4 April Practical 8: Usage of antibiotics in companion animals Small test
07 April Lect. 19-20	Anticoccidials and other antiprotozoal drugs György Csikó	7-11 April Practical 9: Usage of endoparasiticides I. – companion animals No small test
14 April Lect. 21-22	HOLIDAY ISSUED BY THE RECTOR	14-18 April HOLIDAY ISSUED BY THE RECTOR
21 April Lect. 23-24	HOLIDAY ISSUED BY THE RECTOR	21-25 April Practical 10: Usage of endoparasiticides II. – farm animals No small test
28 April Lect. 25-26	Disinfectants and antiseptics Orsolya Farkas	28 April – 2 May Midterm 2 No practical
5 May Lect. 27-28	Antifungal drugs Erzsébet Gere	5-9 May Practical 11: Usage of ectoparasiticides Midterm 2 retake No small test
12 May Lect. 29-30	Antineoplastic and antiviral agents Erzsébet Gere	12-16 May Practical 12: Usage of antifungal drugs Final midterm retake No small test

 

Budapest, 31^st January 2025

Ákos Jerzsele DVM Ph.D.

Head of department

 

Evaluation description

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY 2 in English, Spring semester, Academic year 2024/2025

 

1. For completing the semester the followings are required:

1. Regular visiting of the lectures.
2. Successfully completing all practicals, including:

   • practicals can be missed not more than five times per semester, and all missed practicals must be retaken (the date and method of retake must be discussed with the practical group teacher),

   • changing group for the practicals is allowed two times per semester, but only upon previous agreement with the practical group teachers,
3. Passing the small tests: achieving at least an average of 70% on the small tests.
4. Passing the two midterm tests: achieving at least 70% 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). 

For taking the Veterinary Pharmacology 2 course, it is required to attend the Veterinary Pharmacology 1 course first. Obtaining the signature for Veterinary Pharmacology 1 is not a pre-requisite for taking Veterinary Pharmacology 2.   

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. Students should bring a lab coat to all practicals. It is prohibited to take pictures or record the practicals.  

3. Tests during the semester

During the practicals, students must be able to answer questions about the topic of former and actual practicals satisfactory. Furthermore, students will need to write small tests at the beginning of practicals, and for passing the course, at least an average of 70% should be achieved on these small tests. Dates of the tests are included in the course schedule. All small tests are obligatory and can be done only once (there will be no retake option). In case of not achieving 70%, 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 signature and cannot sign up for the exam. 

Besides the small tests, two midterms will be written during the semester. Both midterms are obligatory, and one retake option will be provided for each. At least 70% should be achieved on each midterm for the signature. If the student cannot attend the 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. The Department should be informed about such situations in advance to the midterms. 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 all topics of the semester. If this is also failed, the student cannot get signature and cannot sign up for the final exam. The midterms’ date is shown in the course schedule. 

During the midterm tests, students must leave 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. 

At the end of the semester, students must pass the final exam, which consists of a written and an oral part. Students who achieve at least an average of 90,0% on the midterms of Pharmacology 1 and 2 (4 midterms in total) will be exempted from the written part of the final exam. 

The written exam is obligatory. There are no consequences of 1 failed written exam, but after 2 unsuccessful written exams a fail (1) mark is applied. The oral exam can only be taken after successfully passing the written part. The written exam is successful in case of achieving at least 60%. 
On the oral exam, two topics must be drawn by the students. For passing the exam, both topics must be known on a satisfactory level. The final grade will be based on the performance on the oral exam. The result of the written part does not affect it. The oral exam cannot be successful without knowing the most important drug names marked on the drug list previously provided by the Department. All topics on the oral exam must be started with listing the relevant drug names, at least the marked, main substances. However, knowing these drug names alone is not enough for passing the oral exam! 

In case of diseases, missing the oral exam can be accepted, but only if there is written notice to the Department not latest than on the day of the exam, and a medical certificate is provided in 5 working days. 

 If a successful written exam is followed by a failed oral exam, the written part doesn’t need to be repeated in the current semester. However, if the course must be retaken in a later semester, the written exam must also be repeated. Furthermore, starting from the 2022/23/2 semester, all previously passed written exams became invalid, regardless of their date. Therefore, all students (normal, retake and inactive) must start the final exam with the written part. 

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

 

31 January 2025

Ákos Jerzsele DVM Ph.D.

Head of Department

Exam information

Pharmacology oral exam – general requirements

Template for discussing oral exam topics:

1.	The student must list drug groups and at least the most important active substances (written in bold in the drug list) included in the topic. Without listing the most important substances, the topic cannot be started, and the exam cannot be accepted. However, listing the substances without further knowledge of the topic is not enough for passing the exam. (See drug list for the substances needed to be known for the oral exam.)
For all aspects below, important differences between animal species must be known by the student (if it is applicable to the topic).
2.	The student must know information about chemical structure of the drug group, and if there are chemical structure based grouping of substances in the topic. Furthermore, if applicable, structure related pharmacological properties must be mentioned (e.g. beta lactam antibiotics, NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, fluoroquinolones structure – activity relationship).
3.	Mechanism of action. The student must know exact mechanism of action of the drugs belonging to the topic, including structure dependent and independent actions, molecular background of their effect, drug targets, agonist and antagonist effect, etc.
4.	In case of chemotherapeutics, the student must know their mode of action (bacteriostatic, time/concentration-dependent bactericidal).
5.	In case of chemotherapeutics, the student must know information about resistance to the drugs included in the topic, e.g. mechanisms and spread of resistance in different bacteria against the concerned substances.
6.	In case of chemotherapeutics, the student must know their antibacterial/antiviral/antifungal spectrum (see drug spectrum table).
7.	The student must know information about the pharmacokinetics of the drug group (including absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and if applicable: enterohepatic recirculation, accumulation), and pharmacological consequences of these information, e.g. common routes, dose and frequency of administration. See dosage list for the doses to be known by heart.
8.	The student must know side effects of the drug group, and their consequences, if applicable, e.g. contraindications, drug interactions (e.g. aminoglycosides – muscle relaxants, tiamulin – monensin/narasin/salinomycin) and side effects that might be used as therapeutic indications (e.g. opioids as antitussives and antidiarrheals).
9.	The student must know indications of the active substances, i.e. for which therapeutic purposes are the drug groups and active substances used.

 

Budapest, 31^th January 2025

Ákos Jerzsele DVM Ph.D.

Head of department