ADVANCES IN PHARMACEUTICS - 2028/9

Module Overview

This module builds on Pharmaceutics by exploring how drugs, including small molecules and biologics, are delivered and formulated across a range of routes and advanced delivery systems. It covers non-oral routes, as well as emerging technologies like nanocarriers, smart, and targeted delivery systems. You will also consider specific challenges in paediatric and geriatric oral delivery.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2028/9 academic year.

Module provider

Chemistry

Module Leader

ZARMPI Panagiota (Chst Chm Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Oral drug delivery: paediatric, gaeriatric formulation and considerations

Parenteral Drug Delivery: IV, IM, SC administration, formulation considerations

Topical and Transdermal Drug Delivery: Drug properties suitable for topical or transdermal absorption, patch technologies, strategies to enhance skin permeation

Pulmonary Drug Delivery: Particle size and deposition mechanisms, formulation types, Case: inhaled insulin and dry powder antibiotics

Nasal Drug Delivery: Systemic vs. local delivery, mucoadhesive and absorption-enhancing strategies

Buccal, Sublingual, and Rectal Drug Delivery: Formulation strategies, bypass of first-pass metabolism, Case: Fentanyl buccal tablets

Advanced and Novel Drug Delivery Systems and Biopharmaceutics in Biologicals

Introduction to Quality by Design

Supersaturable drug delivery systems: development, manufacturing, advantages

Topical and Transdermal drug delivery systems: semisolids, patch design and enhancement techniques 

Pulmonary drug delivery systems: inhalers, particle engineering for lung deposition

Parenteral drug delivery systems: Injectables, implants, biodegradable polymers, sterilisation 

Nanotechnology and nanocarriers, 3D printing in pharmaceuticals

Bioresponsive and smart drug delivery systems: stimuli responsive systems

Introduction to targeted and personalised drug delivery systems

Regulatory and quality consideration in advanced drug delivery systems

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

For the group coursework, an alternative assessment may be set where appropriate. This may comprise an individual or group presentation or a written assessment, designed to assess the same learning outcomes, including the decision-making process and collaborative elements where applicable.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to evaluate both individual understanding of core pharmaceutics principles and the ability to apply this knowledge in realistic, multidisciplinary contexts.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Coursework: addresses learning outcomes: 4 and 5

• Examination: addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, and 3

Formative assessment is designed to support your learning and development by providing ongoing feedback and opportunities to consolidate knowledge, develop practical skills, and link theory to practice. It includes activities such as in-class quizzes, problem-solving exercises, workshops, and group discussions. In laboratory sessions, formative assessment is provided through guided worksheets, and informal feedback from instructors, enabling you to prepare for experiments, interpret results, and refine practical techniques before submitting summative lab reports. These activities are intended to help you identify areas for improvement, enhance critical thinking, and develop transferable skills such as teamwork, scientific communication, and data analysis, ensuring you are well-prepared for the summative assessments and for progression to more advanced pharmaceutics content in later years.

Feedback will be provided throughout the module during lectures, through interactions in laboratory and workshop sessions, and on individual laboratory reports. This will include general guidance to the whole group as well as specific feedback on work to support learning and development. In addition, one-to-one feedback can be requested by appointment with the module leader or relevant lecturer, providing opportunities for further discussion and clarification of concepts.

Module aims

• Develop advanced understanding of pharmaceutical drug delivery systems and formulation strategies
• Evaluate how drug properties, biological barriers and patient factors influence delivery route selection
• Critically assess conventional and emerging drug delivery technologies for small molecules and biologics
• Develop skills in analysing formulation challenges and selecting appropriate delivery strategies
• Enhance professional communication, teamwork and scientific reasoning through collaborative formulation activities

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to provide you with an integrated understanding of biopharmaceutics and pharmaceutical technology, focusing on drug delivery systems and formulation design. Through a combination of theoretical and practical learning, you will develop the ability to critically evaluate drug properties, biological barriers, formulation strategies, and delivery routes. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, problem-solving, and evidence-based decision-making, preparing you to assess, design, and optimise pharmaceutical formulations for future professional practice and pharmaceutical development.

The learning and teaching methods include:

Lectures: delivered primarily through PowerPoint and led by experienced members of academic staff with subject-specific expertise. The lectures will focus on developing a broad understanding of the subject matter. Sessions will be interactive, with regular opportunities for students to ask questions, engage in guided problem-solving and reflective thinking, and receive timely feedback from staff and peers.

Laboratory sessions: delivered by experienced academic staff, supported by trained demonstrators who will be available throughout each session to provide guidance and assistance at every stage of the practical work. The laboratory activities are closely aligned with the lecture content and are designed to help students develop essential practical skills while reinforcing and conceptualising the fundamental principles introduced in lectures. Students will collect, process, and present experimental data for reporting purposes, thereby enhancing their analytical skills and developing their digital capabilities.

Workshops: delivered by experienced academic staff with subject-specific expertise and will adopt a problem-based learning approach centred on relevant, real-world scenarios. Students will be provided with structured exercises that encourage application of core concepts, critical thinking, and professional judgement. Dedicated time will be allocated for students to work through tasks individually and collaboratively, with ongoing opportunities to interact with the lecturer, ask questions, and engage in discussion. Each session will conclude with lecturer-led feedback, including worked solutions and guided reflection, to consolidate learning and support the development of transferable skills relevant to future academic study and professional practice.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CHE3081

Other information

The school of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience.

Your digital capabilities will be strengthened through the preparation and online submission of coursework, report writing, and engagement with digital learning resources. Global and cultural capabilities will be developed through multidisciplinary group work, where you will collaborate with peers from different disciplinary backgrounds, reflecting the diverse and international nature of pharmaceutical development teams. You will build resourcefulness and resilience by engaging with laboratory and problem-based activities that require you to interpret unexpected results, adapt your approach, and support your decisions using scientific literature. Together, these experiences enhance your employability by developing your ability to work collaboratively, think critically, communicate effectively, and make informed decisions in realistic pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical contexts.