Chapter 1 - Orientation to Pharmacology Flashcards
Drug
Any chemical that can affect living processes
Pharmacology
The study of drugs and their interactions with living systems
Clinical Pharmacology
The study of drugs in humans
Therapeutics (pharmacotherapeutics)
The use of drugs to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease or to prevent pregnancy.
The medical use of drugs.
Maximum benefit with minimal harm
The most important properties of an ideal drug
Effectiveness, Safety, Selectivity
Ideal medication exists in theory only
Drug Effectiveness
One that elicits the responses for which it is given
Drug Safety
One that cannot produce harmful effects—even if administered in very high doses and for a very long time. (There is no such thing as a safe drug)
Drug Selectivity
One that elicits only the response for which it is given. A selective drug would not produce side effects. (There is no such thing as a selective drug)
Reversible Action
Actions that subside within an appropriate time
Predictability
Knowing how a given patient will respond to a drug (not possible)
Objective of drug therapy
To provide maximum benefit with minimum harm
Administration
Path by which a drug is taken into the body.
Pharmacokinetic Process
Determines how much of a drug gets to a site. The impact of the body on drugs: (Ad Me) (1) Absorption (2) Distribution (3) Metabolism (4) Excretion
Pharmacodynamic processes
The impact of drugs on the body.
Beneficial properties of drugs
Reversibility Predictability Ease of administration Freedom from interactions Low cost Chemical stability
