Ch. 21 Pharmacology Flashcards
What are drugs?
substances used to prevent or treat a condition or disease
Where are drugs obtained from?
plants, animals, they can be synthesized in a lab
Where do vitamins come from?
plant or animal sources and they are contained in foods
Pharmacist
an individual who is responsible preparing and dispensing drugs
Pharmacy
a storefront where drugs are prepared and dispensed
Via what way is a pharmacist allowed to dispense a prescription medication?
a written order from a physician
What is the written order referred to as written from a physician?
prescription
How long does it take to become a pharmacist?
most colleges offer a pharmacy degree and it takes about 6 to 7 years
What else are pharmacists responsible for?
consulting with and advising licensed practitioners about drugs; answering questions from the patient about their prescription
Pharmacy technician
can help licensed pharmacists by providing medication and other products to the patient
Pharmacology
the study of the discovery, properties, uses, and actions of drugs
What 2 things can a pharmacologist be?
a MD, who is a doctor of medicine, who actually went to medical school and completed an internship and residency
or
a PhD, a doctor of philosophy meaning the person has obtained a bachelor’s, masters, and doctoral degree, more of an academic doctorate
Chemotherapy
study of drugs that destroy microorganisms, parasites, or malignant cells within the body
treatment of choice for infectious diseases and cancer
Toxicology
study of harmful effects of drugs and chemicals on the body
Toxicologists
interested in finding antidotes that are appropriate for specific harmful effects of drugs
What is the purpose of an antidote?
to neutralize the effects of a drug
What are the 3 names a drug can have?
chemical name
generic name
brand name
What is the chemical name?
what specifies the exact chemical formula of the drug; often a very long and complicated name
What is the generic name?
shorter and less complicated and it identifies the drug legally and scientifically
only 1 generic name for each drug
What is a brand name or trade name?
the trademark, the private property if the individual drug manufacturer and no competitor may use it
What does a brand name have on it to show it’s been registered?
a superscript “R” with a circle around it
What is capitalized in the brand name?
first letter of the brand name, whereas generic names are not
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
entity in the United States that has the legal responsibility for deciding whether a drug may be sold
United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
an independent committee of physicians, pharmacologists, pharmacists, and manufactures that reviews the available commercial drugs and continually reappraises their effectiveness
What are the 3 important standards of the USP?
Drug must be safe
Drug must be clinically useful (effective for patients)
Drug must be available in pure form (made by good manufacturing methods)
Hospital Formulary
most complete and up-to date listing which gives information about characteristics of drugs and their clinical usage (application to patient care ) as approved by that particular hospital
Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR)
published by a private firm, and drug manufacturers pay to have their products listed
What does the PDR provide?
useful reference with several different indices to identify drugs
with a complete description of the drug properties and approved indications
gives precautions, warnings about side effects
information about the recommended dosage and administration of each drug
Oral Administration
the most common and indicates the drug can be given by mouth; slowly absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach or intestinal wall
Sublingual Administration
pertaining to below the tongue
drugs are placed under the tongue and dissolve in the saliva so absorption is rapid
What are nitroglycerin tablets administered for?
under the tongue to treat attacks of angina (chest pain)
Rectal Administration
administering drugs through a suppository, a cone-shaped object containing drugs
What type of solutions are inserted into the rectum?
aqueous
Why would one administer drugs via the rectum?
when oral administration presents difficulties like the patient is nauseated and vomiting
Parenteral Administration
process of injection of a drug using a syringe (tube) through a hollow needle placed under the skin into a muscle, vein, or body cavity
Intracavitary instillation
injection made into a body cavity, such as the peritoneal or pleural cavity
Intradermal injection
shallow injection that is made into the upper layers of the skin, used in skin testing for allergic reactions
Subcutaneous (hypodermic) injection (subQ)
when a small hypodermic (pertaining to below the skin) needle is introduced into the subcutaneous tissue under the skin
What are the typical areas for a subcutaneous injection?
upper arm, thigh, or abdomen
Intramuscular injection (IM)
when the buttocks or upper arm is the usual site for injection into muscle
when drugs are irritating to the skin or large volume of solution must be administered
Intrathecal instillation
when instillation occurs in the space under the membranes (meninges) surrounding the spinal cord and brain
way to introduce treatment for leukemia
Intravenous injection (IV)
injection is given directly into the vein
used for immediate effect from the drug is desired or when drug cannot be safely introduced into other tissues
Which type of injection requires some technical skill to make sure the drug gets into the vein and it doesn’t leak into the surrounding tissues which may result in irritation and inflammation?
Intravenous injection (IV)
Pumps
battery-powered, can be used for continuous administration of drugs by the subcutaneous or intravenous route; automated
Inhalation
vapors or gases are taken into the nose or mouth and are absorbed into the bloodstream via thin walls or air sacs in the lungs
What are particles of drug suspended in the air and are administered by inhalation like many anesthetics?
aresols
Topical Application
when drugs are applied locally on the skin or mucous membranes of the body
What are some examples of topical application?
antiseptics
antipruritics
transdermal patches
Antispetics
fight infection
Antipruritics
fight against itching, commonly ointments, creams, and lotions applied to the skin
Transdermal Patches
used to deliver drugs continuously through the skin like estrogen for hormone therapy, pain medications, and nicotine for smoking
What are administered orally?
caplets
capsules
tablets
What are administered sublingual?
tablets
What are administered rectal?
suppositories
What are administered parenteral?
injections and instillations
intracavitary
intradermal
intramuscular (IM)
intrathecal
intravenous (IV)
subcutaneous (subQ)
What are administered inhalation?
aerosols
What are administered topical?
lotions
creams
ointments
transdermal patches
Receptor
target substance with which the drug interacts to produce its effects
Dose of a drug
the amount of a drug administered, usually in milligrams or grams
Schedule
the exact timing and frequency of drug administration
Additive Action
2 similar drugs that are combined to equal the sum of the effects of each
If 2 drugs give less than an additive effect they are called….
antagonistic
If 2 drugs produce greater than additive effects
synergistic
Synergism
when combination of 2 drugs sometimes can cause an effect that is greater than the sum of the individual effects of the drug given alone
1+1=3
Response
desired and beneficial effect of a drug
Ex: lowering BP by antihypertensive drugs
Tolerance
effects of a given dose diminish as treatment continues and increasing amounts are needed to produce the same effect
Addiction
the physical and psychological dependence on and craving for a drug and the presence of clearly unpleasant effects when that drug or other agents is withdrawn
Controlled substances
drugs that produce dependence and have potential for abuse or addiction
Idiosyncrasy
example of an unpredictable type of drug toxicity
What is an example of an idiosyncrasy?
Penicillin will cause an idiosyncratic reaction like anaphylaxis
What does anaphylaxis occur as a result of?
exposure to a previously encountered drug or foreign substance (antigen)
Iatrogenic
produced by treatment, so these disorders can occur as a result of mistakes on drug use to b/c of individual sensitivity to a a given treatment
Side Effects
toxic effects that routinely result from the use of a drug
When do side effects usually occur?
with the usual therapeutic dosage of a drug, generally tolerable and reversible when the drug is discontinued
What are some common side effects?
nausea, vomiting, and alopecia for chemotherapy
Contraindications
factors in a patient’s condition that make the use of a drug dangerous and ill-advised
don’t give kidney drugs to kidney failure patient
Resistance
lack of beneficial response and it is seen when drugs that used to be effective are unable to control the disease process in a particular patient
often seen in bacterial infection or cancer
Analgesics
drugs that lessens pain (pain killer)
Ansthetics
agents that reduce or eliminate sensation
General Anesthetics
affect the entire body and put the patient to sleep and are used for surgical procedures to block the perception of pain
Local Anesthetics
may be limited to a particular region that inhibit the conduction of pain impulses in sensory serves in the region
Antibiotics
a chemical substance produced by a microorganism (bacterium, yeast, or mold) that inhibits (bacteriostatic) or kills (bactericidal) bacteria, fungi, or parasites
Anticoagulants
prevent clotting (coagulation) of bloof
prevent formation of clots or break up clots in blood vessels like thrombosis and embolism
Heparin
a natural anticoagulant
Anticonvulsants
drugs that prevent or reduce the frequency of convulsions in various types of seizure disorders or epilepsy
Antidepressants
treat symptoms of depression by elevating mood, increasing physical activity, mental alertness, appetite, and sleep patterns
Anti-Alzheimer drugs
used to treat symptoms of Alzheimer disease, by aiding brain neurotransmitters or shielding the brain cells from glutamate
Antidiabetics
used to treat diabetes mellitus
Antihistamines
drugs that block the action of histamine (usually released in the body in allergic reactions
Osteoporosis
a disorder marked by abnormal loss of bone density
What drugs are prescribed to increase calcium deposition in bone?
calcium, vitamin D, and estrogen
Cardiovascular Drugs
act on the heart or blood vessels to treat hypertension, angina (pain due to decreased oxygen delivery to heart muscle), myocardial infarction (heart attack), congestive heart failure, and arrhythmias
Endocrine preparations
act in much the same manner as the naturally occuring (endogenous) hormones (hormone replacement therapy)
Gastrointestinal drugs
used to relieve uncomfortable and potentially dangerous symptoms
What are antinauseants (antiemetics) used for?
nausea and vomiting
Respiratory Drugs
prescribed for the treatment of asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and bronchospasm
Sedative-hypnotics
medication that depress the CNS and promote drowsiness (sedatives) and sleep (hypnotics)
Stimulants
drugs that act on the brain (and do the opposite of a sedative and hypnotics) to speed up vital processes (heart and respiration) for cases like shock and collapse
Tranquilizers
useful for controlling anxiety
aer/o
air
aerosol
pertaining to air
alges/o
sensitivity to pain
analgesic
pertaining to no sensitivity to pain
bronch/o
bronchial tube
chem/o
drug
cras/o
mixture
cutane/o
skin
derm/o
skin
erg/o
work
esthes/o
feeling, sensation
anesthesia
no feeling, no sensation
hist/o
tissue
hypn/o
sleep
iatr/o
treatmentl
lingu/o
tongue
myc/o
mold, fungus
narc/o
stupor
or/o
mouth
pharmac/o
drug
prurit/o
itching
pyret/o
fever
thec/o
sheath (of brain and spinal cord)
tox/o
posion
toxic/o
poison
vax/o
vessel
ven/o
vein
vit/o
life
ana-
upward, excessive, again
anti-
against
contra-
against, opposite
par-
other than, apart from
syn-
together, with
a.c., ac
before meals
ad lib
as desired, freely, whenever you want
b.i.d, bid
2 times a day
c (with a line above it)
with
Caps
capsules
FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
gm, g
gram
gtt
drops
h
hour
h.s., hs
at bedtime
IM
intramuscular
IV
intravenous
NPO
nothing by mouth
NSAID
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
p (with a line above it)
after (post)
p.c., pc
after meals
PCA
patient controlled analgesia
PDR
Physician’s Desk Reference
PO, p.o., po
by mouth
P.R.N., prn
as needed; as necessary
Pt
patient
q
every
q.h., qh
every hour
q2h
every 2 hours
q.i.d., qid
4 times a day
q.s., qs
sufficient quantity
qAM
every morning
qPM
every evening
Rx
prescription
s (with a line above it)
without
Sig.
directions
SL
sublingual
s.o.s
if it is necessary
subQ
subcutaneous
tab
tablet
t.i.d., tid
3 times daily
