Alcohol, Drugs and Addictions

Code:

OPT129

Acronym:

ADT

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2017/2018 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	http://www.ricardinis.pt
Responsible unit:	Public Health and Forensic Sciences, and Medical Education Department
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master in Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMED	20	Mestrado Integrado em Medicina- Plano oficial 2013 (Reforma Curricular)	4	-	1,5	14	40,5
			5

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

Main objective: to integrate students in topics related to alcohol and drugs of abuse consumption, and drug addiction. At the end of this course the student should have acquired skills:

1. a) To master the theoretical and practical aspects of forensic toxicology
2. b) To understand the toxicokinetics of ethanol and drugs of abuse in biological systems (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion - ADME) and to recognize the factors that influence ADME
3. c) To identify and understand the mechanisms of action of ethanol and various drugs of abuse, and respective toxic mechanisms
4. d) To distinguish between legal and illegal drug use and understand the law that regulates driving under the influence of ethanol and psychotropic substances

e) To identify the key points of the Law that defines the legal regime applicable to the consumption of psychotropic substances.

Learning outcomes and competences

The program includes issues of forensic and clinical relevance related to ethanol and drugs of abuse that future physicians will face in the exercise of their professional activity. With an in-depth training in these areas, namely exploring forensic issues, students will be able to respond appropriately to situations with medico-legal significance. The quality of this response is critical to the health, well-being and dignity of patients and their families, promoting not only the treatment from the clinical point-of-view but also their rehabilitation and safety.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Not applicable.

Program

1. Introduction to the forensic toxicology

2.Toxicokinetics of alcohol and drugs of abuse

3.Toxicogenomics in forensic toxicology

4. Post mortem redistribution in forensic toxicology

5. Cocaine, amphetamines and derivatives - toxicological expertise, results interpretation and analytical aspects

6. Opioids - toxicological expertise, results interpretation and analytical aspects

7. Cannabinoids - toxicological expertise, results interpretation and analytical aspects

8. The physician’s role in doping related cases

9. Alcohol and forensic evaluation in live and cadaver

10. New drugs of design

11. Selection, collection, preservation and packaging of different types of samples (biological or physical)

12. Portuguese law that regulates the driving under the influence of ethanol and psychotropic substances - technical and ethical procedures of physician’s responsibility

13. Portuguese law that defines the legal regime applicable to consumption of psychotropic substances

Mandatory literature

Dinis-Oliveira RJ, Carvalho F, Bastos ML; Toxicologia Forense. Lisbon: Lidel, Edições Técnicas LDA, 2015. ISBN: 978-989-693-045-5

Teaching methods and learning activities

The classes will be presented in PowerPoint and will be of demonstrative and expository value. It will also integrate teaching methodologies adapted to b-learning such as problem and cases online solving. The link between these teaching methodologies ensure an active and participative behavior of students aiming the acquisition of knowledge and skills and attitudes needed to ensure a useful and effective learning oriented to real situations. The roadside checks under the influence of alcohol and psychotropic drugs will be a prevalent theme with the presentation of the kits authorized by law. It will also be shown, through videos and pictures, the correct procedures related to the collection of physical and biological matrices for the purpose of forensic toxicology. The interpretation and correlation with other forensic reports, including clinical and pathological findings will be explored. Teaching limited to 20 students and will occur during 7 weeks, with a total of 40.5 h and 14 h of contact. B-learning methodologies (computer-mediated activities and classroom-based learning) will be conducted during 14 theoretical-practical classes of 2 hour each.

Continuous assessment without final exam will be performed:

- 30%: classes’ attendance and performance of the student during active discussions.

- 70%: work presentation related to the clinical and forensic aspects of a new drug of abuse.

 

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	70,00
Participação presencial	30,00
Total:	100,00

Calculation formula of final grade

Continuous assessment without final exam will be performed:

- 30%: classes’ attendance and performance of the student during active discussions.

- 70%: work presentation related to the clinical and forensic aspects of a new drug of abuse.

Classification improvement

Only the componente "work presentation related to the clinical and forensic aspects of a new drug of abuse" can be improved.