VET30050 Applied Anti-pathogen & Anti-inflammatory Therapies

Academic Year 2024/2025

This module is core to the Veterinary Medicine degree programme, and maps to the following European Coordination Committee for Veterinary Training (ECCVT) minimum standards required at the starting point for a variety of roles in the veterinary profession:

The new graduate should be able to:
1.18 Develop appropriate treatment plans and administer treatment in the interests of the patients and with regard to the resources available.
1.25 Access the appropriate sources of data on licensed medicines.
1.26 Prescribe and dispense medicines correctly and responsibly in accordance with legislation and latest guidance.
1.27 Report suspected adverse reactions;

and should have the following underpinning knowledge:

2.8 Medicines legislation and guidelines on responsible use of medicines, including the responsible use of antimicrobials and anthelmintics.
The module will include a major focus on antimicrobial stewardship.

The module is listed as a corequisite for several Stage 3 modules, and as a prerequisite for several Stage 4 modules.

***Please check and be aware if this module is a prerequisite (Academic Regulation 3.27(a)) for any future modules for your programme.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to ;
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the legislation governing the licensing, sale, and use of drugs in animals;
Recognise how medication errors occur, and perform basic calculations relating to medication administration
Demonstrate an understanding of spectrum, pharmacokinetics, chemical and pharmacodynamic properties, formulations, treatment regimens, side effects, toxicity, drug interactions and basic applications of anti-infectives, antiparasitics and anti-inflammatories used in veterinary medicine.
Retrieve and critically review pharmaceutical and scientific information on veterinary medicines and apply this to specific veterinary cases, citing source material appropriately.
Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the veterinarian in antimicrobial stewardship.



Indicative Module Content:

This module combines lectures and other materials to build on those elements and principles of basic pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, as studied in the earlier years. The module maps to the pathobiology modules as it introduces the student to the major groups of therapeutic agents for treating pathogen-induced disease, ie antimicrobials, antiparasitics, antifungals and antivirals. Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory drugs are reviewed, particularly the natural and synthetic corticosteroids and the various categories of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
From the beginning, and integrated throughout, important legislation governing the use of animal remedies in Ireland will be covered, and reference will be made to key legislation in other jurisdictions.

The importance of judicial use of antimicrobials and anti-parasitics will be emphasised and reinforced throughout the module.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Seminar (or Webinar)

2
Specified Learning Activities

25
Autonomous Student Learning

74
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Module delivery is primarily through the use of lectures (which may be electures), with additional blended learning approaches such as in-class discussion and polls, and learning associated with assignments.
As there is a relatively short feedback turn-around window (~10 working days), it will not be possible to permit a long extension for the submission of in-trimester coursework. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

Students are expected to have attempted all aspects of pharmacology taught in earlier years of the MVB course.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
VET20040 - Biological Fluids, VET30500 - Cell metabolism and dynamics

Co-requisite:
VET30560 - Veterinary Pathobiology I, VET30570 - Veterinary Pathobiology II

Incompatibles:
VNUR20330 - Vet Applied Pharmacology

Additional Information:
Students should have completed VET20040 OR VET30500 as prerequisites. VET30060 and VET30060 are prerequisites


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Exam (In-person): Final MCQ assessment n/a Other No

65
Exam (Online): Students should access and complete the formative MCQs. These are gradually released during the trimester and are available for unlimited practice until the final examination. n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

5
Assignment(Including Essay): Two "open book" assignments are presented as Brightspace "quizzes". Each assignment is available for two weeks before the final submission deadline. n/a Other No

30

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Practice computer-graded self-assessment tests with inbuilt feedback on submission will be available at regular intervals during the semester. For assignments 1 and 2, feedback will be available after each assignment is graded, within 15 working days of the submission date. The feedback will be associated with specific questions within the Brightspace "quiz".

Available via UCD Library Onesearch:
1. Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 10th Edition, Jim E. Riviere (Editor), Mark G. Papich (Editor), ISBN: 978-1-118-85588-1
2. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, Small and Large Animal, 4th Edition, Mark Papich Elsevier, eBook ISBN: 9780323244893, eBook ISBN: 9780323244862, Paperback ISBN: 9780323244855

Recommended for longer term, but not available via UCD Library as it is an app.
3. Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Edition, Donald C. Plumb, Wiley Blackwell (student pricing, see: https://www.plumbsveterinarydrugs.com/home2/)

Links to other resources will be provided in Brightspace
Name Role
Professor Alan Baird Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Theo De Waal Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Finola Leonard Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Bryan Markey Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Ms Niamh O'Donoghue Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr Lorcan O'Neill Lecturer / Co-Lecturer