BPS2012 Pharmacology 2: Drug action
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
BPS2012 Pharmacology 2: Drug action is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Malaysia and Parkville. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Malaysia, Parkville
- Assessment
- Exam 50%
- and 2 other tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Overview
This unit will introduce you to theoretical concepts related to drug action. It includes descriptions of partial and inverse agonists, allosteric modulators and biased ligands. This unit extends beyond drug-receptor interactions to show how signal transduction processes regulate cellular activities. You will engage in problem solving related to pharmacological research questions and communicate the outcomes of such investigations to peers and teaching staff.
Topics to be covered include:
- Characteristics of ligand interaction with receptors;
- How G-protein-coupled and tyrosine kinase receptor interactions with signal transduction systems regulate cell activity;
- Ion channel activation and regulation;
- Transporter function.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Malaysia | On campus |
| Second semester | Parkville | Flexible |
Assessment
- Workshop submissions and online quizzesWritten35%
- Laboratory tasksProject15%
- Final assessmentExamination50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Predict how pharmacologically active chemicals might affect living systems through interactions with receptors;
- 2
Speculate upon the nature of drug action at receptors and likely intracellular signalling mechanisms;
- 3
Explain how receptor-mediated changes in cellular activity might regulate specific bodily functions;
- 4
Use our understanding of drug action at a cellular level to predict drug effects upon human health;
- 5
Record, analyse and critically interpret experimental data and report it in written and visual formats.
Workload and teaching
- Applied sessions24 hours
- Workshops14 hours
- Laboratories4 hours
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachEnquiry-based learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachOnline learning
- Twenty-four hours of discovery material (online modules)
- Twelve two-hour applied sessions (Q&A)
- One four-hour laboratory
- Seven 2-hour workshops
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Rang and Dale's Pharmacology 8th or 9th edition
Technology resources
For more information on Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) specifications and the technology systems and services available to students, review the Student Technology Essentials Handbook https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1041220/student-it-brochure.pdf
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Jasmine Chia
- Alex Parker
- Chief Examiners
- Alex Parker
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for BPS2012?
BPS2012 has no prerequisites.
When is BPS2012 offered?
In 2026, BPS2012 runs in Semester 2 at Malaysia and Parkville.
Does BPS2012 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 2 other tasks.