General Pharmacology

By Prof. Vinod Tiwari | IIT (BHU) Varanasi

Learners enrolled: 8547 | Exam registration: 2721

ABOUT THE COURSE:

This course “General Pharmacology” offers a well-structured and comprehensive study of pharmacology, helping students build a strong foundation in core concepts such as drug action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug interactions, and adverse drug reactions. It helps students through important topics like drug discovery, clinical trials, and therapeutic drug monitoring, enhancing their understanding of how new medicines are developed and evaluated. The course systematically covers the pharmacology of drugs acting on major systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and autonomic nervous system with a focus on their clinical relevance. Students will also gain knowledge of autacoids, NSAIDs, immunopharmacology, vaccines, antiseptics, and vitamins. This course is designed to strengthen both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, this course will benefit those aiming for career in pharmacy, medicine, and biomedical research.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Pharmacy professionals, Pharmacologists, Biologists, Biotechnologists

PREREQUISITES: The participants should have a basic knowledge of biology. A keen interest in the domains of biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology is desirable.

INDUSTRY SUPPORT: Pharmaceutical & Biotech industries:

Sun Pharma Ltd, Glen Mark Pharmaceuticals, Mylan Laboratories, Bharat Biotech, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Piramal Life Sciences Ltd, Glaxo Smithkiline, Johnson & Johnsson etc

Summary

Course Status :	Ongoing
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Chemical Engineering
Credit Points :	3
Level :	Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date :	19 Jan 2026
End Date :	10 Apr 2026
Enrollment Ends :	02 Feb 2026
Exam Registration Ends :	20 Feb 2026
Exam Date :	25 Apr 2026 IST
NCrF Level	4.5 — 8.0

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1: Introduction to Pharmacology
1. Basics of Pharmacology: Part A
2. Basics of Pharmacology: Part B
3. Routes of drug administration
4. Drug interactions and its types
5. Adverse drug reactions and its types

Week 2: Pharmacokinetics
1. Basics of Pharmacokinetics
2. Membrane transport
3. Absorption and distribution
4. Metabolism
5. Excretion, Enzyme induction, enzyme inhibition, kinetics of elimination

Week 3: Pharmacodynamics
1. Principles and mechanisms of drug action
2. Receptor Pharmacology
3. Enzymes and ion channels
4. Signal transduction mechanism
5. Dose-response relationship

Week 4: Drug discovery, clinical evaluation, and network pharmacology
1. Drug dosage and factors modifying drug action
2. Approaches to drug discovery and network pharmacology: Concept and applications
3. Clinical trials
4. Informed consent
5. Therapeutic drug monitoring

Week 5: Autocoids and related drugs
1. Introduction to autacoids, Histamine and antihistaminic
2. 5-Hydroxytryptamine, its Antagonists and Drug Therapy of Migraine
3. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes (eicosanoids) and Platelet Activating Factor
4. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Antipyretic-Analgesics
5. Antirheumatic and Antigout Drugs

Week 6: Pharmacology of drugs acting on cardiovascular system
1. Introduction to hemodynamics and electrophysiology of the heart
2. Drugs used in congestive heart failure and Antihypertensive drugs.
3. Anti-anginal, Anti-arrhythmic drugs, and Antihyperlipidemic drugs
4. Hematinics, coagulants, and anticoagulants.
5. Fibrinolytics, anti-platelet drugs and Plasma volume expanders

Week 7: Pharmacology of drugs acting on the Respiratory system
1. Asthma and Anti-asthmatic Drugs
2. Drugs used in the management of COPD
3. Expectorants and antitussives
4. Nasal decongestants
5. Respiratory stimulants

Week 8: Pharmacology of drugs acting on the Gastrointestinal Tract
1. Antiulcer agents
2. Drugs for constipation and diarrhea
3. Appetite stimulants and suppressants
4. Digestants and carminatives
5. Emetics and anti-emetics

Week 9: Pharmacology of drugs acting on the endocrine system
1. Introduction to endocrine pharmacology
2. Anterior Pituitary hormones- analogues and their inhibitors
3. Thyroid hormones and Hormones regulating plasma calcium level
4. Insulin, Oral Hypoglycemic agents and glucagon.
5. ACTH and corticosteroids.

Week 10: Pharmacology of drugs acting on the endocrine system
1. Androgens and Anabolic Steroids
2. Estrogens, Progestins, and Contraceptives
3. Oxytocin and Other Drugs Acting on the Uterus
4. Physiology of Urine Formation
5. Diuretics and Antidiuretics

Week 11: Pharmacology of drugs acting on the Central Nervous System
1. General anesthetics
2. Sedatives, hypnotics, and anxiolytics
3. Antipsychotics and antimanic drugs
4. Antidepressant and Antianxiety drugs
5. CNS stimulants & Cognition enhancers

Week 12: Pharmacology of the Autonomic Nervous System and Therapeutic-Preventive Agents
1. Organization and function of ANS
2. Cholinergic and anticholinergic drugs
3. Adrenergic and antiadrenergic drugs
4. Immunopharmacology
5. Vaccines, antisera, vitamins

Books and references

1. Rang H. P., Dale M. M., Ritter J. M., Flower R. J., Rang and Dale’s Pharmacology, .Churchil Livingstone Elsevier

2. Barrett, J.E., Page, C.P. and Michel, M.C. eds., 2019. Concepts and principles of pharmacology: 100 years of the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology.

3. Goodman and Gilman’s, The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics

4. Marry Anne K. K., Lloyd Yee Y., Brian K. A., Robbin L.C., Joseph G. B., Wayne A. K., Bradley R.W., Applied Therapeutics, The Clinical use of Drugs, The Point Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Instructor bio

Prof. Vinod Tiwari

IIT (BHU) Varanasi

Dr. Vinod Tiwari earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, in 2012, followed by postdoctoral research at the esteemed Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He is currently serving as an Associate Professor of Pharmacology in the Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, where he leads a multidisciplinary research program focused on the neurobiology of chronic pain and the development of novel therapeutic strategies for neuropathic pain and related neurological disorders.
Dr. Tiwari’s work spans across pain and inflammation, diabetic neuropathy, cognitive impairment, learning and memory, and neurodegenerative diseases, with a strong emphasis on translational relevance. His impactful research has been published in over 100 peer-reviewed research and review articles in high-impact journals including Nature Neuroscience, PNAS, Neuron, Journal of Clinical Investigation, ACS Chemical Neuroscience and more.
He has received prestigious research grants and fellowships from national and international funding agencies including the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), and international bodies such as the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). In addition to government funding, Dr. Tiwari has actively collaborated with industry partners on consultancy and translational research projects.
In recognition of his scientific contributions, Dr. Tiwari has been the recipient of several awards and honors throughout his career. He has also played a pivotal role in mentoring numerous Ph.D. and M.Pharm students, many of whom have gone on to pursue advanced research and academic careers at globally renowned institutions such as The Johns Hopkins University, University of California San Francisco, University of Washington St. Louis, and the University of Melbourne, among others.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.

The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).

Date and Time of Exams: April 25, 2026 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.

Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.

The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.

Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT BHU Varanasi. It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team

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