EMS 162 - Introduction to Pharmacology for EMS Professionals

1. Regulation, legislation, and historic trends in pharmacology
2. Physiologic principles of pharmacology
3. Pharmacologic agents in the EMS professionals' scope of practice; drug names, classifications, mechanism of action, indications, and contraindications, side effects and adverse effects, adult and pediatric dosages, additional components of a drug profile, and storage, security and accountability
4. Types of drugs; therapeutic drugs, environmental substances, toxic substances, and drugs of abuse and misuse
5. Pharmacologic reference sources
6. Drug administration; preparation of drugs, principles of pharmacokinetics, routes of drug administration, basic modes of drug transport, stages of drug activity, factors affecting response to drugs, and special considerations in drug delivery

1. Describe regulation, drug legislation, and historic trends in pharmacology. (1)
2. Describe the physiologic principles of pharmacology. (2)
3. Describe common pharmacologic agents utilized by Emergency Medical Service professionals. (3, 4)
4. Identify pharmacologic reference sources for drug information. (5)
5. Interpret pharmacologic reference sources for drug information. (5)
6. Describe safe operation of equipment and technology used in the administration of drugs. (6)
7. Explain safe and effective techniques for the administration of drugs. (6)
8. Calculate drug dosages and infusions. (6)