Pharmaceutical Microbiology

Duration

16h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Marie-Pierre Hayette

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This course presents the main concepts of microbiology applied to pharmaceutical sciences. It covers the microbiological aspects of anti-infective therapy, the microbiological quality of medicines, vaccinology, and sterilisation and disinfection procedures.

The course is divided into 5 topics:

1. Antibiotics (4 h) - Marie-Pierre Hayette

Antibiotics and resistance: introduction to the issue

Antibiotics:

• Classification
• Mechanisms of action
• Different classes of antibiotics

• Emergence of resistance
• Mechanisms of resistance
• Multidrug resistance
  
  

• Rules for the appropriate use of antibiotics
• Role of antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals
• Role of the community pharmacist
  
  

• Polyenes
• Azoles
• Echinocandins
• Pyrimidine antimetabolites
• Allylamines
• Griseofulvin

• Risks related to microbial contamination
• Quality assurance: general principles and history
• Implementation of a quality system
• GMP and the European Pharmacopoeia

• Air
• Personnel
• Raw materials
  
  

• Production environment (air and surfaces)
• Sterile products
• Non-sterile products

• Vaccination strategies
• Adjuvants and glycoconjugation
• Vaccine design in the genomic era
• Clinical development of vaccines
• Vaccinology in practice and vaccines in Belgium

• physical methods (dry heat, moist heat, filtration of liquids and air, UV and ionising radiation);
• gaseous methods (ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide plasma);
• chemical methods (peracetic acid).

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of this course, students will understand the main concepts of microbiology applied to pharmaceutical sciences and will be able to:

• describe the main classes of antibiotics and antifungal drugs used in community and hospital practice, including their main characteristics, indications and limitations;
  
  
• explain the principles of appropriate antimicrobial use and provide recommendations on their use (dosage, duration of treatment, administration and adherence);
  
  
• distinguish clinical situations that require antibiotic treatment from those in which antibiotics are not indicated;
  
  
• explain how the selective pressure of antibiotics contributes to the emergence and spread of bacterial resistance;
  
  
• explain the main mechanisms of antifungal resistance and propose an appropriate treatment based on the clinical situation;
  
  
• describe the effects of microbial contamination on the quality and stability of a medicine and on patient safety;
  
  
• identify the main contaminating microorganisms and their sources;
  
  
• summarise the principles of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the methods used to assess the microbiological quality of medicines;
  
  
• propose and justify the main elements of a microbiological control plan for a pharmaceutical manufacturing process;
  
  
• explain the principles, applications and limitations of sterility testing;
  
  
• apply the principles required to ensure the microbiological quality of compounded preparations in community pharmacies;
  
  
• compare the different sterilisation methods used in community pharmacies, hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry;
  
  
• select an appropriate antiseptic or disinfectant for a given situation and justify its use;
  
  
• describe the different types of vaccines, their indications, advantages and limitations;
  
  
• explain the role of glycoconjugation and adjuvants in vaccine design;
  
  
• describe the main vaccination recommendations in Belgium and identify the vaccinations that are legally required.
  
  

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

The prerequisite or corequisite courses are General Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is taught through face-to-face lectures and/or video podcasts available on the institutional platform.

The course follows a logical structure, allowing students to gradually acquire the knowledge needed to understand the different topics.

Slides and other course materials are available on eCampus.

Students are encouraged to ask questions at the end of the lectures or by email to the teachers, specifying their study programme.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Further information:

The course is mainly taught face-to-face.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus


Further information:

Course materials (slides and additional documents) are available on eCampus.

The following books are useful references for further reading. Their consultation is recommended but not mandatory.

Reference books

• Baird R., Bloomfield S.F. Microbial Quality Assurance in Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, and Toiletries. Taylor & Francis, 1996.
  
  
• Denis F., Ploy M.-C., Martin C., Bingen E., Quentin R., et al. Bactériologie médicale. 2nd ed. Masson, 2011.
  
  
• Denyer S., Hodges N., Gorman S., Gilmore B. Hugo & Russell's Pharmaceutical Microbiology. 8th ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.
  
  
• Gaudelus J. Vaccinologie. Doin Éditeurs, 2008.
  
  
• Mims C. et al. Medical Microbiology. 5th ed. Elsevier, 2012.
  
  
• Rappuoli R., Bagnoli F. Vaccine Design: Innovative Approaches and Novel Strategies. Caister Academic Press, 2011.
  
  

• the European Pharmacopoeia;
  
  
• the European guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP);
  
  
• EUCAST recommendations on antimicrobial susceptibility;
  
  
• the vaccination recommendations of the Belgian Superior Health Council;
  
  
• ECDC recommendations on infection prevention and antimicrobial resistance.
  
  

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam


Further information:

Assessment is based on a face-to-face written exam.

The exam consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) using the "for guessing" correction method.

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Contacts

Clinical Microbiology Department
CHU Liège - Sart Tilman
4000 Liège - Belgium

Secretariat

For any information or appointment:

Stéphanie Wauquier

• Phone: +32 (0)4 323 22 90
  
  
• Email: stephanie.wauquier@chuliege.be
  
  

• Sébastien Bontems - sbontems@chuliege.be
  
  
• Marie-Pierre Hayette - mphayette@uliege.be
  
  
• Aurore Napp - aurore.napp@chuliege.be
  
  
• Rosalie Sacheli - r.sacheli@chuliege.be
  
  
• Gaëtan Vanharen - gvanharen@chuliege.be
  
  

Association of one or more MOOCs

There is no MOOC associated with this course.