Practical Connections in Pharmacy: Pesticide Toxicity

Pesticide toxicity pre and in class assignment.pdf

The Practical Connections in Pharmacy activity collection:

Practical Connections activities were designed to present Pharmacy (PharmD) students with topic-driven group-learning opportunities to connect knowledge gained in multiple pharmaceutical sciences and therapeutic courses. This project was envisioned as a remedy for the traditional 'silo-ing' of materials presented in separate courses throughout a curriculum. Participation in these activities is meant to allow students to connect multiple themes, skills, and knowledge learned in a way that allows them to analyze larger topics.

Student Characteristics

• Designed for graduate students in a Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) or Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.) program.
• Students should have at least an introductory background in: anatomy and physiology of the autonomic nervous system, enzyme kinetics, and organic chemistry for the majority of the activity.
• Students would benefit from an introductory background in concepts of drug absorption, enzyme/inhibitor interactions,  CYP-mediated drug metabolism, and toxicology for more advanced sections of the activity.
• No prior therapeutics courses are necessary to complete this activity.
• This activity is modifiable to be appropriate for students with different backgrounds.

Student Learning Objectives

1. Identify reactions and physiochemical properties based on molecular structures, 

2. Predict or identify drug metabolism pathways, 

3. Interpret scientific data, graphs, and tables, 

4. Predict or identify effects of modulation of the autonomic nervous system, 

5. Apply principles of enzymatic pharmacodynamics, 

6. Apply principles of population toxicology, 

7. Recognize socio-economic factors impacting agricultural poisonings.

About the Instructor

A. Buhler, Ph.D Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Pacific University Oregon

• I have taught pharmacology for 17 years, specializing in neuropharmacology and psychopharmacology. As an undergraduate at CSUF, I was inspired by my organic chemistry professor Dr. Bobbie Mayer, and my cell biology professor Dr. Fred Schreiber, who gave an impassioned lecture on the social inequities linked to pesticide toxicities in the Central Valley California. I thank them for their inspiration and the ability to continue to share these ideas.
• About me: contact information, publication list, random hobbies
• Dr. Buhler's Pharmacology YouTube Channel

Accessibility, Affordability, and Diversity Considerations

Accessibility

• Practical Connections in Pharmacy activities are designed to be openly accessible. Students can participate in-person, via ZOOM, or via closed-captioned ZOOM for the hearing impaired. Illustrations can be enlarged for those with low vision. The authors are available for questions about the materials. A reference list is included for additional resources.
• The authors encourage instructors to modify these materials based on their curricular needs. Certain questions may require background not yet acquired by students and can be removed or modified. Similarly, new questions may be added to fit individual curricula.

Affordability

• All resources used in this activity are available for free. The authors have provided all necessary reading and classroom materials, along with a link to a You-Tube accessible news video.

Diversity

• The nature of this activity requires integration of multiple concepts. Groups of students with different levels of knowledge in each concept can therefore utilize their personal strengths to teach each other.  The socio-economic and geographical population dynamics involved in pesticide toxicity allow students from many backgrounds to share their perceptions of and experiences with related issues.

Instructor Reflection

• After this activity students appeared to have more appreciation for how individual disciplines (pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, enzyme kinetics, A&P) contribute to a broader understanding of the effect of drugs and toxins on the human body.
• Student groups needed clear instructions at the beginning of the activity on what was expected of them and that group problem-solving was of high value.
• The role of the faculty member as a facilitator is important. Facilitators should be sure to prompt student groups with relevant questions when group discussion goes down the wrong path.
• Depending on the course goals students/groups could be graded based on correct answers or for active participation. However, when graded on correct answers students may be less likely to engage in thoughtful discussion of the larger topic.