B1 3 Medicine and Drugs Flashcards

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0
Q

What do doctors make sure before the drug can be sold?

A

It has to be:
• Effective - does its purpose
• Safe - contains no toxicity/ no unacceptable side effects.
• Stable - can be used under appropriate conditions
• Successfully taken in and out of the body.

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1
Q

What is a drug?

A

A drug is a substance that alters the body’s chemistry.

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2
Q

What are the steps followed in the development of drugs?

A
  • In the laboratory using cells, tissues and live animals
  • The first stage of clinical trials involves healthy volunteers - testing for safety.
  • Very low doses of the drug are given at the start of the clinical trial.
  • If the drug is found to be safe, a second stage of clinical trials, which involves patients, are carried out to see if it treats the condition effectively.
  • The third stage of clinical trials is carried out to find the optimum dose for the drug.
  • The drug’s safety is monitored as long as the drug is in use.
  • In some double blind trials, some patients are given a placebo - neither the doctors nor the patients know who has received the drug until the trial is complete.
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3
Q

Why are double blind trials carried out?

A

To prevent psychological thoughts; not being biased.

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4
Q

What is a placebo?

A

A look alike of a certain drug but doesn’t actually contain the drug.

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5
Q

What would doctors use instead of a placebo?

A

A drug which is already in use so that the patient’s illness can still be treated.

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6
Q

What are statins used for?

A

To help lower the risk of heart and circulatory diseases.

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7
Q

What was thalidomide originally developed as?

A

A sleeping pill

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8
Q

What was thalidomide found effective in?

A

Relieving morning sickness in pregnant women.

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9
Q

When testing thalidomide what wasn’t it tested on?

A

Pregnant women

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10
Q

What was the result of using thalidomide for morning sickness on pregnant women?

A

Babies were born with severe limb abnormalities and the drug was banned. Therefore, drug testing has become more rigorous.

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11
Q

Recently, what has thalidomide been successful at treating?

A

Leprosy and other diseases

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12
Q

What are recreational drugs?

A

Drugs used for pleasure.

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13
Q

Give 2 examples of legal recreational drugs.

A

Alcohol and nicotine

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14
Q

Give 2 examples of illegal recreational drugs?

A

Ecstasy and heroin.

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15
Q

What kind of drug is cannabis; what does cannabis smoke contain and what is its effect?

A

Cannabis is an illegal drug; it contains chemicals which may cause mental illness in some people.

16
Q

Is the overall impact of legal drugs (prescribed and non-prescribed) on health greater or small than the the impact of illegal drugs? Why?

A

It is much grater as far more people use them.

17
Q

By changing the chemical processes in peoples’ bodies, what do drugs do?

A

The bodies are made to become dependent or addicted to the drug.

18
Q

What are withdrawal symptoms?

A

Symptoms that take place when people get addicted to a drug and stop taking that drug.

19
Q

Give 2 examples of withdrawal symptoms.

A

Vomiting and severe headaches

20
Q

Name to drugs which are very addictive.

A

Cocaine and heroin

21
Q

What are done to drugs when developing new ones?

A

They have to be extensively tested and trialled.

22
Q

What is addiction?

A

When you become physically or mentally dependent on a drug.

23
Q

What kind of drugs are usually very addictive?

A

Hard drugs

24
Q

What are “gateway drugs”?

A

Drugs that can lead to addiction to hard drugs; they are illegal and therefore have to be obtained from a drug dealer.

25
Q

What do athletes use?

A

Performance enhancing drugs; banned by law and prescribed however all are prohibited by sporting regulations.

26
Q

Why would an athlete want to take a performance enhancing drug?

A
  • Pressure to succeed, either from themselves or coaches/family
  • Belief that their competitors are taking drugs
  • Financial rewards for outstanding performance
  • Lack of access to, or finding for training facilities and additional support
  • Community and media attitudes and expectations of success
27
Q

Give 2 examples of performance enhancing drugs.

A

Anabolic steroids and stimulants

28
Q

What is the effect on performance and the dangerous side-effects of anabolic steroids?

A

Effect on performance:
Build muscle and help athletes to train harder
Dangerous side-effects:
Increased aggression and kidney damage

29
Q

What is the effect on performance and the dangerous side-effects of stimulants?

A

Effect on performance:
Make athletes more alert and mask tiredness
Dangerous side-effects:
Can cause heart failure, addictive