basic principles of pharmacology

Question 1

Pharmacology

Answer 1

the study of the harmful effects of chemicals

Question 2

Pharmacotherapeutics

Answer 2

the use of specific drugs to prevent, treat, or diagnose a disease

Question 3

toxicology

Answer 3

the study of harmful effects of chemicals

Question 4

pharmacodynamics

Answer 4

analysis of what drug does to the body, inc the mechanism by which the drug exerts its effects
* absorption
* distribution
* elimination

Question 5

pharmacokinetics

Answer 5

study of how the body absorbs, distributes, and eliminates the drug
* systemic effects
* cellular effects

Question 6

What is trade name for accetaminophen?

Answer 6

• tylenol
• paradol

Question 7

What is trade name for levodopa?

Answer 7

larodopa

Question 8

What is trade name for phenobarbital?

Answer 8

• luminal
• eskabarb

Question 9

What is trade name for diazepam?

Answer 9

valium

Question 10

Why is a generic drug prescribed?

Answer 10

• generic form should be safe and effective as original; should undergo testing for bioequivalence
• less expensive; help reduce healthcare costs
• people may respond differently; healthcare cost may increase b/c of decreased effects and higher incidence of adverse effects

Question 11

What is an orphan drug?

Answer 11

for relatively small population <200K people with rare disease

Question 12

What is off label prescribing?

Answer 12

• use of a drug to treat conditions other than those that the drug was originally approved to treat
• insurance companies might refuse to reimburse cost of drug

Question 13

Prescription vs OTC

Answer 13

OTC:
* minor problems: chances of toxic effects usually small
* less expensive
* actual cost might be greater b/c of directly out of pocket
* PT does not prescribe or administer OTC
* PT can provide into about use and benefits

Question 14

Drug Schedule

Answer 14

from highest potential for abuse to lowest
1. schedule 1
2. schedule 2
3. schedule 3
4. schedule 4
5. schedule 5 (lowest relative abuse potential)

Question 15

Why do we need drugs to modify one or more functions in a living organisms?

Answer 15

• restore normal physiological function
• to prevent a disease process from occurring

Question 16

Threshold dose

Answer 16

response begins to occur and continues to increase in magnitude before reaching plateau

Question 17

ceiling effect or maximal effect

Answer 17

point at which there is no further increse in response no matter increase in dosage

Question 18

purpose of dose response curve?

Answer 18

provides info about the dosage range over which the drug is effective as well as the peak response that can be expected from the drug

Question 19

Potency

Answer 19

related to the dose that produces a given response in a specific amplitude
* more potent drug requires lower dose (less of the compound) to produce same effect

Question 20

Maximal efficacy

Answer 20

max effect expected from drug

Question 21

Quantal dose response curves

Answer 21

the % of people that exhibits a specific response (either present or absent) as the dosage is increased

Question 22

Median effective dose (ED50)

Answer 22

dose at which 50% of people responds to the drug (absence of their headaches)

Question 23

Median toxic dose (TD50)

Answer 23

• as dosage continues to increase, adverse or toxic effect may become apparent
• TD50: dose at which 50% of people exhibit adverse effect
• LD50: medial lethal dose: seen in animal studies

Question 24

Therapeutic Index (TI)

Answer 24

an indicator of drug safety
TI=TD50 divided by ED50
the greater the safer.
large TI= takes larger dose to evoke toxic response than it does to cause beneficial effect

Question 25

what is acetaminophen good for and need to know?

Answer 25

• headache
• fevers
• not for swelling; no anti inflammatory effects
  Combination to other drug products
  avoid with alcohol

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