Title: Bad Blends: An Introduction to Pharmacology
Authors: Sarah Lerchenfeldt and Rodney Nyland
Affiliations: Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Resources available with this module: Readings, iRAT, application exercise and facilitator guide
Context: Biomedical Sciences Summer Program
The Bad Blends TBL was created for biomedical science high school summer programs. It has been used for three years and was completed in two different settings. In one setting, it was delivered in two ninety-minute sessions over a two-week period. In was also delivered as one two-hour session. The first session included an introduction to basic pharmacology. The second session was the actual TBL activity. In both cases there were 25-30 students split into 5-6 teams. The intent was to introduce students to the TBL instructional strategy, as well encourage their interest and curiosity in health sciences. 

Required Reading
The preparatory material (attached) is a content outline that contains necessary information that the students must know about pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The handout provides all necessary information to answer the RAT questions. The PowerPoint slides that review pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics can also be used as part of the preparatory material. 

Version 1
If the opportunity for two separate sessions is provided, the students will have more time to research concepts and digest the material before taking part in the TBL. It also allows for additional information that students have found interesting (examples of computational modeling for drug design). 

Version 2
If the opportunity for one session is provided, the students will not have time to research concepts, although an introduction to basic pharmacology can still be provided.

Objectives

• Explain how the body affects drugs (pharmacokinetics).
• Explain how drugs affect the body (pharmacodynamics).
• Evaluate potential drug-drug and drug-food interactions and their likely effect on the body.
• Formulate recommendations for patients in which there is a concern for drug-drug or drug-food interactions.
• Participate in the TBL activity in a professional and respect manner.

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