FARM3100 – Pharmacognosy
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The subject includes pharmaceutical natural product chemistry, quality control of herbal drugs and herbal preparations, phytotherapy and nutrition, as well as the legislation related to herbal medicinal products and food supplements. The teaching will give the students basic skills in pharmacognosy, which will give an understanding of the biological effects of natural products, both as medicinal substances, herbal medicines, food supplements and food.
Learning outcome
After completing the course can you:
- Describe the main principles of plant systematics and be able to place medicinal plants in the correct plant families.
- Account for natural substances used as medicines, including their origin, chemical characteristics, and applications.
- Identify the chemical structures of major groups of pharmaceutically important natural substances and describe the main features of their biosynthesis.
- Describe methods for isolation and analyses of natural substances, as well as for production control, quality control, and standardization of herbal drugs, extracts, and herbal medicinal products.
- Explain how pharmacopeial monographs of drugs and herbal preparations are structured and perform microscopic and chemical identification control of these according to the European Pharmacopoeia.
- Provide guidance on the use of herbal medicinal products and food supplements based on scientific documentation of constituents and effects.
- Account for the legislation regulating herbal medicinal products, dietary supplements, and homeopathic medicines.
- Analyse, evaluate, and disseminate results from laboratory exercises orally and written.
- Conduct an independent literature study and obtain and evaluate scientific documentation of herbal drugs and herbal preparations and disseminate this as written reports.
- Critically evaluate sources and judge their credibility within the relevant field of science.
Admission to the course
The course is only available to students enrolled at the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Oslo.
Pregnant and breastfeeding: For safety reasons, pregnant and breastfeeding women cannot follow the course because chemicals used in laboratory exercises may be harmful to the fetus/child. No exemption or facilitation of the laboratory exercises is granted as these must be approved to fulfill the learning outcome of the course.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Passed the exam in:
- FARM1100 – Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- FARM1110 – Pharmacology, Physiology and Cell Biology 1
- FARM1120 – Social Pharmacy
- FARM1130 – Pharmaceutically Based Organic Chemistry
- FARM1140 – Pharmacology, Physiology and Cell Biology 2
- FARM1150 – Pharmaceutical Based Biochemistry
- The compulsory HSE-courses HMS0501 – Safety and Physical Environment, HMS0502 – Positive Learning Environment, HMS0503 – Laboratory Safety, HMS0506 – Patient Clinic Safety and HMS0507 – Fire Safety required for students at the 5-year Master`s Programme in Pharmacy.
The compulsory parts of:
- FARM2100 – Medicinal Chemistry
- FARM2110 – Pharmacotherapy 1
- FARM2120 – Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
- FARM2130 – Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry
- FARM2140 – Pharmaceutical Microbiology
- FARM2150 – Formulation of Drugs and Quality Assurance in Drug Production
Course exemption: Laws and regulations describing the overall learning outcome regulate the Pharmacy Programme. Exemptions are only granted if all learning outcomes in the course are covered.
The information about overlaps is not complete.
Recommended previous knowledge
Passed the exam in:
- FARM2100 – Medicinal Chemistry
- FARM2110 – Pharmacotherapy 1
- FARM2120 – Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
- FARM2130 – Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry
- FARM2140 – Pharmaceutical Microbiology
- FARM2150 – Formulation of Drugs and Quality Assurance in Drug Production
Teaching
- 30 hours lectures
- 21 hours study group/colloquium
- 1 hour excursion and hand-in report (compulsory)
- 19 hours laboratory work and hand-in of 2 laboratory reports (compulsory)
- 5 hours laboratory lectures (compulsory)
- 3 hours student presentation of laboratory report (compulsory)
- 8 hours project work, compulsory introduction lecture and hand in project work (counts 20 % of the finale grade)
Compulsory participation in the course work as well as compulsory submissions must be completed and approved/passed before sitting the exam. Read more about what applies in the event of absence from compulsory activities.
As the teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance. Read about your insurance cover as a student.
Access to teaching: A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Completed and approved compulsory instruction and coursework are valid for 3 years. Passed project assignment is valid for 2 years.
Examination
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Final written exam which counts approximately 80 % towards the final grade.
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Project work which counts approximately 20% towards the final grade.
Both written exam and project work must be passed to pass the course. Passed project assignment is valid for 2 years. The final grade can be assessed subjectively.
Access to the final exam is dependent on
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passed project work
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participation in 5 laboratory lectures and completion of the laboratory exercises
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approved 2 laboratory reports
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approved excursion report
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approved oral presentation of laboratory report
Examination support material
You will have access to a calculator in Inspera during the exam.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in Norwegian. You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.