Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to discuss the immune response with respect to cellular interactions in both humoral and cell-mediated responses; discuss disorders related to the immune system, including the disease process and methods of treatment; and relate the pharmacology relevant to immune system disorders to the total concept of the immune system physiology.
Who Should Take This Course
Sales representatives and managers who interact with healthcare professionals, including primary care physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians and gynecologists, internists, hematologists, allergists, and oncologists, who treat disorders of the immune system, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), leukemias, and transplant rejection.
Career Applications/Benefits
Disorders of the immune system appear in virtually every healthcare provider’s practice. The study of immunology is one of the most heavily researched and rapidly advancing medical disciplines, due in part to the current epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Developing an understanding of immune system disorders and the role pharmacology plays in their treatment will help healthcare representatives and others to appreciate the challenges faced by professionals who treat patients with these disorders. Information provided in this course will allow representatives to discuss key features and benefits of pharmaceutical therapies with physicians, pharmacists, and others who treat patients with disorders of the immune system.
Chapter Content
Chapter One: Anatomy and Physiology of the Immune System
- Purpose and Basic Components of the Immune System
- Foundation of Immunity: White Blood Cells, Mast Cells, and Platelets
- Acquired Immunity: The Role of Lymphocytes
- The B Lymphocyte System: Antibody-Mediated Immunity
- The T Lymphocyte System: Cell-Mediated Immunity
- Review of the Immune Response
Chapter Two: Pharmacology Related to the Immune System
- Overview of Immune System Disorders
- Pharmacology Relevant to the Immune System
- Inflammation and Anti-inflammatory Drugs
- Antihistamines
- Miscellaneous Classes and Agents: Vaccines
- Miscellaneous Classes and Agents: Allergen Testing and Immunotherapy
- Miscellaneous Classes and Agents: Immunosuppressants and Immunomodulators
- Miscellaneous Classes and Agents: Immunoenhancers
Chapter Three: Selected Disorders of the Immune System
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection
- Leukemias
- Hypersensitivity
- Transplant Rejection
- Decline in Immune Response with Aging