In Association With:

Clinical Toxicology Online Graduate Program

PHA6840 Medicinal Chemistry of Drugs of Abuse
3 Credit Hours – Grades A-E

Download This Information here:   UF PHA6840_syllabus_summer_2017

Medicinal Chemistry of Drugs of Abuse is a graduate and professional level course that explores the Controlled Substances Act and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in more detail to provide an in-depth view of the current trends in drug abuse in the US. The rest of the course is dedicated to the chemical and pharmacological information relating to CNS depressants, stimulants, inhalants and hallucinogenic drugs of clinical and forensic significance. The course will provide the current understanding of the mechanism of action for each drug class discussed, their pharmacokinetics, potential interactions, and a discussion on legal, clinical, and forensic implications.

Teaching Partnership Leader:

Grundmann, Oliver
Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy
Email: grundman@ufl.edu
Office: off-campus
Phone: 352-246-4994
Office Hours: virtual office hours on Monday & Thursday via BigBlueButton, see Canvas Course Calendar and Course Scheduler

Course-Level Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1.      Outline the structure of the US controlled substances act and the definitions of each drug classification.
  2.      Explain and contrast the models of addiction and the observations on which they are based.
  3.      Demonstrate the pharmacological and abuse profiles of the:
    • CNS depressants, barbiturates and benzodiazepines
    • Alcohol
    • Opioid drugs
    • Hallucinogens
    • Cannabinoids
    •  CNS stimulants, cocaine and the amphetamines
    • Inhalants
  4.      Assess patients based on common symptoms as to potential drug exposure and suggest possible treatment approaches.

Course Prerequisite

  1. Completion of all Year 1 Pharm.D. program coursework including milestones.

Course Corequisite

  1. Completion of all Year 1 Pharm.D. program coursework including milestones.

Course Outline

Please routinely check your campus calendar and the Canvas course site for any messages about changes in the schedule including meeting dates/times, deadlines, and room changes.

Mod # Unit Topic Faculty Author Contact Hours [hr.]a
1 Drug Classes and Controlled Substances Act Grundmann 6 hrs
  Module 1 assigned reading 3 hrs
  Welcome discussion
  Module 1 discussion
  Introductory chat session 1 hr
  Assignment & quiz 1 due 2 hrs
2 Drug Dependence and Addiction Grundmann 5.5 hrs
  Module 2 discussion
  Module 2 assigned reading 3.5 hrs
  Assignment & quiz 2 due 2 hrs
3 CNS Depressants Grundmann 5.5 hrs
  Module 3 discussion
  Module 3 assigned reading 3.5 hrs
  Assignment & quiz 3 due 2 hrs
4 Alcohol Grundmann 5.5 hrs
  Module 4 discussion
  Module 4 assigned reading 3.5 hrs
  Assignment & quiz 4 due 2 hrs
5 Opioids Grundmann 5.5 hrs
  Module 5 discussion
  Module 5 assigned reading 3.5 hrs
  Drug of the term 1 hr
  Assignment & quiz 5 due 2 hrs
6 Cannabinoids Grundmann 5.5 hrs
  Module 6 discussion
  Module 6 assigned reading 3.5 hrs
  Assignment & quiz 6 due 2 hrs
7 Hallucinogens Grundmann 5.5 hrs
  Module 7 discussion
  Module 7 assigned reading 3.5 hrs
  Assignment & quiz 7 due 2 hrs
8 CNS Stimulants Grundmann 6.5 hrs
  Module 8 discussion
  Module 8 assigned reading 3.5 hrs
  Assignment & quiz 8 due 2 hrs
9 CNS Volatile Substances Grundmann 5.5 hrs
  Module 9 discussion
  Module 9 assigned reading 3.5 hrs
  Assignment & quiz 9 due 2 hrs
 

Student Evaluation & Grading

Evaluation Methods and how grades are determined.

The Canvas© gradebook will be set-up using the percentages below to compute the grade.

Assessment Item Grade Percentage
9 Written essay assignments (varying points, total of 280 points) 59.60%
9 Online timed quizzes (each 20 points) 38.30%
1 Drug of the term discussion board post (10 points) 2.10%
Total 100%

Grading Scale:

Percentage Range Letter Grade
92.50-100% A
89.50-92.49% A-
86.50-89.49% B+
82.50-86.49% B
79.50-82.49% B-
76.50-79.49% C+
72.50-76.49% C
69.50-72.49% C-
66.50-69.49% D+
62.50-66.49% D
59.50-62.49% D-
< 59.50% E

Rounding of grades:

Final grades in Canvas will be rounded to the 2nd decimal place. If the decimal is X.495 or higher, Canvas will round the grade to X.50. The above scale depicts this policy and grades are determined accordingly.  Grade assignment is made using this policy and NO EXCEPTIONS will be made in situations where a student’s grade is “close.”

Educational Technology Use

The following technology below will be used during the course and the student must have the appropriate technology and software.

Pharm.D. Course Policies

Navigate to the Pharm.D. Course Policies web-page at this URL: http://curriculum.pharmacy.ufl.edu/current-students/course-policies/ (copy and paste this URL into your internet browser) OR visit the curriculum.pharmacy.ufl.edu website and navigate to Course Policies under the ‘For Current Students’ tab.

Appendix A.  Faculty and Staff: Who to Contact

Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director: Dr. Oliver Grundmann, grundman@ufl.edu

  1. Issues related to course policies (absences, make up exams, missed attendance)
  2. Absence requests (Only the Academic Coordinator handles absence requests)
  3. Questions about dates, deadlines, meeting place
  4. Availability of handouts and other course materials
  5. Assignment directions
  6. Questions about grade entries gradebook (missing grades, wrong grade)
  7. Questions about grades
  8. Concerns about performance
  9. Guidance when there are performance problems (failing grades)
  10. General questions about content
  11. Questions about specific content

Technical Support:

For technical support related to eLearning, educational videos, mobile learning tools and other course-related issues, contact College of Pharmacy Educational Technology Support at:

  • HPNP Rm. 4309 or 4312, Monday – Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
  • E-mail: edu-help@ahc.ufl.edu
  • Phone: 352-273-9492

Contact the University of Florida Computing Help Desk for issues related to Gatorlink accounts, UF e-mail, ONE.UF, myUFL and other centralized UF systems, contact UF Computing Help Desk at: