Total Contact Hours Per Trimester: 45
Trimester Credit Hours   3 Hours    

Course Description:
Pharmacology / Toxicology is the study of drugs, with special emphasis on drug usage, clinical effects, toxic reactions, and  poisoning. This course has been specifically designed and organized so as to introduce students of Parker College of Chiropractic to the foundational concepts of Pharmacology and Toxicology.  Although chiropractors in Texas do not currently prescribe drugs, the frequency with which their clients may also use prescription and/or on-prescription drugs makes it imperative for the chiropractic clinician to have a sound working knowledge of the more commonly used medicinals. 
 
Topics to be discussed will include major classifications of drugs as they relate to organ systems or major pathophysiological disease entities.  It is of paramount importance for the chiropractic clinician to be well-versed in the basic mechanisms of action of drug classifications, their side effects, as well as their effects on various laboratory indices. As a primary health care clinician, the chiropractor may also be called upon to render aid and/or to provide directives in cases of poisoning and exposure to toxic substances by their patients.  The Toxicology section of the course will review the more common toxins, their 
effects, and appropriate treatments. 
  
 Prerequisites:
 Enrollment in Parker College