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Pharmaceutical chemistry practical work may involve: • Recrystallization A purification technique that involves dissolving a compound and impurities in a solvent, then allowing the compound to crystallize out as the solution cools. • Limit tests For example, a limit test to determine the chloride content of a water sample. • Decolorizing potassium permanganate Heating potassium permanganate with ethanol to reduce it and remove the precipitate formed. Pharmaceutical chemistry is concerned with the design, synthesis, and development of drugs. Topics covered in pharmaceutical chemistry include: Drug discovery and development, Organic functional groups in drug molecules, Drug-target interactions, Physicochemical properties of drugs, and Ethical issues in pharmaceutical development Pharmaceutics is the study of how to develop a new chemical into a safe and effective medication. Pharmaceutics practical courses involve learning about the preparation, quality control, logistics, dispensing, and use of medicines. Here are some resources for learning about pharmaceutics practical: • Practical Pharmaceutics This book covers the preparation, control, logistics, dispensing, and use of medicines. It includes practical examples, information on current guidelines, and EU-legislation. Pharmacognosy is the study of natural products, including their chemical, physical, and biological properties, and their potential for medicinal use. Practical pharmacognosy involves a number of activities, including: • Extraction, isolation, and characterization: Isolating and characterizing natural compounds from plants and other organisms • Plant tissue culture: Growing plant tissue in a lab setting • Biochemical transformations: Studying biochemical transformations in natural products • Biosynthetic pathways: Studying biosynthetic pathways in natural products • Phyto-pharmaceutics and Phytotherapy: Studying phyto-pharmaceutics and Phytotherapy • Analysis of biological, chemical, biochemical, and physical properties: Analyzing the biological, chemical, biochemical, and physical properties of natural products • Magnification: Using magnification to make small objects appear larger, such as microscopic organisms. Social pharmacy practical courses teach students about the role of pharmacists in public health and social pharmacy activities. These courses cover a range of topics, including: • National health programs: The role of pharmacists in national immunization programs and reproductive and child health programs • Health education: Health education and promotion • First aid: First aid for emergency conditions, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and basic life support • Public health awareness: Public health awareness and health hazards • Preventive measures: Preventive measures for communicable diseases and tobacco cessation • Oral health: Oral health and hygiene • Hand washing: Hand washing technique • Cough and sneeze etiquette: Cough and sneeze etiquette • PPE kit: Standard operating procedure for wearing a PPE kit • Masks: How to wear and dispose of masks • Disinfectants: Different types of disinfectants and marketed preparations • Antiseptics: Antiseptics and marketed products • Fumigating agents: Fumigating agents and marketed products • Antiviral agents: Antiviral agents and marketed products Social pharmacy is a multidisciplinary field of education and research that focuses on the use, regulation, provision, and role of medicines in society. It covers the social, psycho-social, economic, and organizational aspects of medicines. Pharmacology is the study of how drugs interact with living organisms, and practical pharmacology involves hands-on activities to learn about drug effects and administration: • Laboratory techniques Students learn how to perform experiments and analyze data. They may also learn how to use laboratory animals, such as mice and rats, to study drug effects. • Drug administration Students learn how to administer drugs intravenously, intramuscularly, intraosseously, and subcutaneously. They also learn how to use drug delivery devices, such as inhalers, nebulizers, and insulin pens. • Drug development Students learn about the basics of clinical trials and drug development. • Adverse drug reactions Students learn how to report adverse drug reactions and fill out an ADR reporting form. • Therapeutic drug monitoring Students learn about therapeutic drug monitoring and how to use it in clinical settings. A biochemistry practical typically involves performing laboratory experiments to analyze and quantify various biological molecules like carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids within living organisms, using techniques like spectrophotometry, electrophoresis, and enzyme assays to understand their structure, function, and metabolic pathways, often with a focus on clinical applications to diagnose diseases by examining bodily fluids like blood and urine. Key aspects of a biochemistry practical: • Qualitative analysis: Identifying the presence of specific biomolecules through simple chemical tests, like testing for reducing sugars with Benedict's reagent or proteins with the Biuret reaction. • Quantitative analysis: Accurately measuring the concentration of a specific biomolecule using standardized methods, like estimating blood glucose levels with the glucose oxidase method or protein concentration with the Bradford assay. • Enzyme kinetics: Studying the rate of enzyme-catalyzed reactions by varying substrate concentrations and measuring the reaction product formation over time. • Electrophoresis: Separating and analyzing biological molecules based on their size and charge using agarose or polyacrylamide gels, including protein electrophoresis to identify different protein bands • Chromatography: Separating and isolating biomolecules based on their affinity for a stationary phase, such as thin-layer chromatography for lipid analysis Pharmacotherapeutics is the use of drugs to prevent, treat, diagnose, or modify normal functions of the body. Pharmacotherapeutics practical courses teach students how to apply pharmacological knowledge and disease knowledge to prevent, mitigate, or cure diseases. Here are some topics covered in pharmacotherapeutics practical courses: • Accessing patients' drug therapy needs • Selecting suitable therapies • Managing diseases and ailments • The role of a pharmacy practitioner • Checking doctor prescriptions • Evaluating drugs for their generic name, dose, route, and more • Counseling patients and their relatives • Monitoring drug therapy Community pharmacy practical’s may include: • Prescription filling: Handling and filling prescriptions professionally • Patient counseling: Providing advice to patients on diseases, minor ailments, and prescription and non-prescription medicines • Counseling materials: Preparing materials such as patient information leaflets • Basic health screening: Performing basic health screening tests, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol monitoring • Role play: Interacting with patients and giving them counseling tips on the proper use, storage, and administration of dosage forms Community pharmacies are healthcare facilities that provide pharmaceutical and cognitive services to the public. They are also known as retail pharmacies or chemists. Community pharmacists are considered to be the most accessible health professional to the public, as they are available to provide personalized advice about health and medicine on a walk-in basis