COAPE - Centre of Applied Pet Ethology

PD02 ADVANCED PHARMACOLOGY
An Advanced Award in applied behavioural pharmacology and therapeutics for behaviourists, vets, vet nurses and trainers.

Written and tutored by Robert Falconer Taylor.

OCN Accreditation - Advanced Award 12 Credits. Click Here for details of accreditation.

Due to the advanced nature of this course it is only available to those students who have successfully completed the COAPE advanced diploma.

This course is for behaviourists, vets, vet nurses and trainers looking for:

A thorough, no-nonsense, practical grounding of the brain's principle neurotransmitter systems.
An understanding of the mechanisms of drug action, how they work and their side effects.
A guide to the principal psychopharmacological agents, how they work and their use in behavioural practice.

Course notes are provided and deligates will have access to additional educational resources on the internet after the seminar.

Course Outline

Essentials 1:	Principles of drug action in a nutshell: Pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, receptors, enzymes, transport systems and ion channels. Binding of drugs to receptors, agonists, partial agonists, antagonists. Drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.
Essentials 2:	Essential neuroanatomy for pharmacologists: Neurotransmitter systems, neurochemistry of the cholinergic system, dopamine system, adrenaline/noradrenaline, serotonin. The amino acid neurotransmitters & GABA. Peptide neurotransmitters and hormones.
Essentials 3:	Review of the major psychoactive drug classes 1: How an understanding of the pharmacology of opiates, amphetamine and cocaine, nicotine, caffeine and alcohol, LSD, phencyclidine and marijuana gives us an insite into learning, mood and behaviour, motivation and addiction.
Essentials 4:	Review of the major psychoactive drug classes 2: Sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics. Antipsychotics, antidepressants. Psychoactive hormones.
Application:	Putting theory into practice; pharmacology for specific behavioural problems: Including house soiling, reproductive behaviours, fears, anxieties and phobias. Aggression and compulsive behaviours. Problems specifically in older (geriatric) pets.
Your Cases:	A session to review and discuss any problematic cases you may want to bring along with you. Please note: if you want to present a case, it would be most helpful if you could prepare a brief Powerpoint presentation and, if possible, bring some video. If you want some help preparing a Powerpoint, or video to play on a computer, please contact COAPE and we'll be glad to help.
Discussion:	A question-and-answer session for discussion of points raised on the day.

Course Details

Course Type:	One-day intensive course held twice a year in spring and autumn. The next course is on the 15th November 2008 (venue to be announced)
Course Format:	Three Units: Unit 1 is a case study, Unit 2 is the seminar itself, and Unit 3 is an online group case study with a discussion forum. Students also have access to the COAPE Student Resource Centre where additional support and course material are available online.
Course Duration:	One day and includes refreshments (tea, coffee etc.) and lunch.
Course Cost:	OCN registration deposit £45 + Course fee £195.

If you have any questions, then please contact:

Course Coordinator, COAPE, PO Box 6, FORTROSE, Ross-shire. IV10 8WB (UK)
UK Tel/Fax Freefone 0800 783 0817 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)
eMail: mail@coape.org