KULLIYYAH OF PHARMACY

Goals and objectives

Pharmaceutical Chemistry is an area of chemistry focused on the development, production, and delivery of drugs. The world is at the dawn of the era of molecular medicine. A rational approach to disease therapy entails the understanding of normal and patho - biological process at the level of molecules involved e.g. proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, DNA and RNA. With this knowledge we can select a molecule as the disease target and figure out how to make that molecule pharmacologically effective that will stop the patho-biological process with minimal side effects on health.

The need to demonstrate safety, bioavailability and efficacy of all drugs, places unique quality control requirements on all aspects of drug manufacturing and distribution processes. To meet these requirements, for conventional/ new drugs, it is needed to develop new analytical techniques for monitoring the levels of drugs in the body and to ascertain the safety and potency of the drugs at the pharmacy shelf.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry is to impart in-depth knowledge about all the chemical aspects of drugs and natural products, such as the structure, synthesis, isolation and structural activity relationship with the pharmacological activity. The Department is comprised of all major branches of pharmaceutical chemistry starting from basic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, radiopharmaceuticals, analytical and phytochemistry. These areas are sufficiently covered during the four years of the Pharmacy curriculum alongwith the latest, advanced, computerized and sophisticated instrumental methods for the quality control of drugs at different stages of development and bioavailability levels.

The Department also offers research programmes leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. The facilities are available at the Department to carry out research in the following areas;

1. Synthesis, isolation, structure determination and development of drugs.
2. Chemical and instrumental analysis of pharmaceuticals/drugs.
3. Radiopharmaceuticals.
4. Herbal medicines and phytopharmaceuticals.

Inspiration

The mission of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry is to offer quality Pharmacy education and basic research of International standards through excellent courses conducted within a creative environment. The Department consists of professionals who are fully committed to guide the students in the acquisition of knowledge and research.

Learning expectation

1. Describe the knowledge of organic chemistry for natural and synthetic medicinal products based upon their chemical structure.
2. Apply the knowledge in purification and testing of pure and adultrated pharmaceutical / chemical and medicinal products.
3. Explain the knowledge in analyzing the pharmacological and toxic activity of a medicinal product in relation to the chemical change brought in the basic structure of compounds.
4. Describe the chemical structure, formation of degradation, epimerized, oxidized and reduced products, affecting the properties of a medicinal product
5. Apply the knowledge in computerized developments by modulation of a chemical structure of a synthesized medicinal compound.
6. Describe the principles of radioactivity and the methods of radionuclide production, safe handling, processing, quality control and factors affecting biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals.
7. Describe the concept and principles of herbal medicinal plants based upon the pharmacological effects of their active compounds, clinical efficacy, safety, toxicity and potential drug interactions.
8. Demonstrate the knowledge of various quality control parameters of different analytical techniques using modern and sophisticated instruments as well as their calibration techniques.
9. Describe the guidelines of pharmaceuticals / chemicals storage and their waste disposal.
10. Demonstrate the knowledge, new techniques and processes for research and development in the different research areas.