What is the difference between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics?

Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to a drug—absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion—while pharmacodynamics describes what the drug does to the body.

Which Parkinson disease medications inhibit COMT?

Entacapone, tolcapone, and opicapone inhibit COMT, helping prolong the effect of levodopa.

Which antifungal drug inhibits squalene epoxidase?

Terbinafine inhibits squalene epoxidase, reducing ergosterol synthesis in fungal cell membranes.

Free online course Pharmacology

Duration of the online course: 5 hours and 57 minutes

4.8

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Build real pharmacology confidence fast with this free online course—master drug mechanisms, side effects, and high-yield clinical questions, plus a certificate.

In this free course, learn about

ANS physiology, autonomic receptors, and key autonomic drugs; overactive bladder mechanisms
Parkinson’s pharmacology: drug classes, MOAs, and COMT inhibitors
Mood stabilizers: lithium/valproate/carbamazepine/lamotrigine uses and choosing for acute mania
Major depressive disorder: SIG E CAPS symptoms; SSRI/SNRI mechanisms and adverse effects
Antiviral pharmacology: major classes; HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors and HIV regimens overview
Antifungal agents: ergosterol pathway targets (e.g., squalene epoxidase inhibitors) and toxicities
Cephalosporin generations, spectrum (incl. Pseudomonas coverage), and common clinical uses
Cancer pharmacology focus: doxorubicin MOA and cardiotoxicity/adverse-effect management
Antiarrhythmic classes and hallmark effects/mnemonics (e.g., “salty cabdriver”)
Antiepileptic drugs: mechanisms (Na+ channels, glutamate), indications, and key side effects
CYP450 enzyme system: major inducers/inhibitors and clinically important drug interactions
High-yield toxicities: ototoxic + nephrotoxic drugs and other USMLE-style associations
Alcohol pharmacology/path: neurotransmitter effects and related clinical associations
Core PK vs PD concepts and interpreting blood pressure tracings for vasoactive agents

About the free online course

Pharmacology can feel overwhelming because it asks you to connect receptor biology, physiology, and clinical decision-making under time pressure. This course is designed to help you turn scattered memorization into a workable mental framework, so you can recognize drug classes, predict effects, and avoid common pitfalls. You will practice how medications influence organ systems, how to reason from mechanism to outcome, and how to spot high-yield patterns that appear in exams and real-world scenarios.

Across major therapeutic areas, the course strengthens your ability to compare similar drugs and choose the best option for a given presentation. You will develop intuition for the autonomic nervous system and receptor actions, then apply that thinking to neurology topics such as Parkinson disease management, antiepileptic strategies, and psychiatric pharmacology including mood stabilizers and antidepressants. As you work through infections, you will refine how to distinguish antivirals and antifungals by what they target and why that matters for efficacy and resistance.

To keep your learning practical, the course emphasizes clinically relevant associations: antibiotic coverage logic, key adverse effects like cardiotoxicity with certain cancer agents, and the reasoning behind antiarrhythmic classifications. You will also connect core principles such as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to real medication behavior, including how cytochrome P450 induction and inhibition can change drug levels, effectiveness, and safety. The goal is not just to recall facts, but to anticipate interactions and consequences before they show up on a question stem or in patient care.

Integrated practice questions reinforce each concept immediately, helping you identify weak spots and correct misconceptions while the material is still fresh. By the end, you should feel more confident reading medication lists, interpreting what a drug is likely doing, and choosing answers with logic rather than guesswork. As a free online course in health, it is a flexible way to build a strong foundation for exams such as the USMLE or for anyone who needs a reliable pharmacology refresher.

Course content

Video class: Autonomic Nervous System (Pharmacology, Receptors, and Physiology) 33m
Exercise: Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of action for drugs used to treat overactive bladder symptoms?
Video class: Parkinson's Pharmacology 14m
Exercise: Which Parkinson's disease drug is an inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)?
Video class: Mood Stabilizers/Pharmacology 13m
Exercise: Which mood stabilizer is most appropriate for a patient primarily experiencing the manic phase of bipolar disorder?

Video class: Antiviral Pharmacology 20m
Exercise: Which of the following drugs is a protease inhibitor that specifically interferes with hepatitis C virus replication at the NS3/4A location?
Video class: Major Depression and SSRI's/SNRI's 11m
Exercise: Which of the following is NOT one of the SIG E CAPS symptoms associated with Major Depressive Disorder?
Video class: Antifungals 11m
Exercise: Which of the following antifungal agents inhibits the enzyme squalene epoxidase, consequently preventing the synthesis of ergosterol required for fungal cell membrane integrity?
Video class: Cephalosporin Pharmacology 13m
Exercise: Which of the following cephalosporins is known for providing coverage against Pseudomonas, which is indicated by its correspondence with the numeral having the same count of syllables as the word 'Pseudomonas'?

Video class: Cancer Drugs/Pharmacology 26m
Exercise: What is the effect of doxorubicin on the heart?
Video class: Antiarrhythmic Pharmacology 21m
Exercise: Which class of antiarrhythmic medications is associated with the mnemonic 'salty cabdriver'?
Video class: Antiepileptics/Seizure Pharmacology 14m
Exercise: Which of the following antiepileptic drugs inhibits voltage-gated sodium channels and additionally has activity at glutamate receptors?

Video class: P450 Enzyme System (Inducers, Inhibitors) 13m
Exercise: Which of the following drugs is NOT an inducer of the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme system?
Video class: Highest Yield Drugs for USMLE 12m
Exercise: Which medication is both ototoxic and nephrotoxic?
Video class: High Yield Alcohol (Associations, Pharm, Path) 30m
Exercise: Which of the following is NOT an effect of alcohol on neurotransmitter systems?
Video class: Blood Pressure Tracings MADE EASY 08m
Exercise: When drawing the blood pressure tracing for norepinephrine based on the mnemonic described in the video, what direction does the tracing initially go?

Video class: Diabetes Drugs (Oral Antihyperglycemics) 32m
Exercise: Which of the following type 2 diabetes medications increases insulin sensitivity by binding to the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma)?
Video class: Lipid Lowering Agents (Cholesterol Drugs) 23m
Exercise: Which medication for hyperlipidemia is associated with an increased risk of developing neurocognitive effects such as delirium and dementia?

Video class: HIV Medications/Drugs 28m
Video class: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics 24m
Exercise: What is the primary difference between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics?