FARM3100 – Pharmacognosy

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 in writing.
• 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.

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 participate in laboratory exercises in this course. This is due to the use of chemicals in the laboratory exercises that may be harmful to the fetus or child. No exemptions or accommodations for the laboratory exercises will be granted, as these must be completed and approved to fulfill the learning outcomes of the course. Students affected by this should contact the Study administration at the Department of Pharmacy for more information.

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.

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

• 30 hours lectures - the introductory lecture is compulsory
• 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 laboratory summary (compulsory)
• 10 hours project work, compulsory introduction lecture and hand in project work (counts 20 % of the finale grade)

Compulsory participation in the course must be completed and approved and compulsory submissions must be approved to sit the exam. Read more about what applies in the event of absence from compulsory activities (only in Norwegian).

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.

• Final written exam which counts approximately 80 % towards the final grade.
• 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:

• passed project work
• participation in 5 laboratory lectures and completion of the laboratory exercises
• approved 2 laboratory reports
• approved excursion report
• approved attendance at all compulsory activities

This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:

• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Withdrawal during an examination / Resitting an examination