The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry was established at the inception of the College of Pharmacy at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University and is considered one of the College’s main academic departments. Since its establishment, the faculty members of the department have been committed to developing and updating its courses by adopting modern teaching methods and improving educational practices in line with the requirements for graduating highly competent pharmacists. The department also strives to meet the needs of the labor market and contribute to the achievement of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The department is responsible for teaching a number of courses throughout the academic year, covering the fields of medicinal chemistry, organic chemistry, and analytical pharmaceutical chemistry. The main goal of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the College of Pharmacy, is to prepare highly qualified pharmacists capable of providing pharmaceutical and healthcare services to citizens across both the public and private sectors.
The department offers courses in the following areas:
- Medicinal Chemistry: This area covers several topics, including the study of the physicochemical properties of drug molecules and their effects on drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME). It also examines drug–receptor interactions and their relationship to the desired pharmacological effects and potential side effects. In addition, students are introduced to drug discovery, drug design using molecular modeling programs, and the effects of drugs on different body systems. The course also addresses the development and synthesis of new and more effective drug derivatives.
- Analytical Pharmaceutical Chemistry: This area includes several topics, such as the development and validation of analytical methods for drugs, the analysis of pharmaceutical preparations, and the study of drug metabolism.
- Organic Chemistry: This area focuses on the composition, properties, and identification of organic molecules; stereochemistry; and the mechanisms of various chemical reactions. It also covers different classes and mechanisms of heterocyclic organic compounds and their applications as core structures in drug synthesis.
