Chapter 1 - Veterinary Pharmacology Flashcards
Pharmacology
The study of how drugs behave in the body
Clinical Pharmacology / Therapeutics
Applying pharmacology to specific treatments
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs)
A broader term that includes any adverse reaction either within the therapeutic range (i.e side effect) or as the result of toxic accumulation of the drug.
What are the 4 rules to live by for safe drug usage?
- All drugs are poisons
- No drug is a silver bullet
- All doses are guesses
- Complacency kills
Chemical name
The chemical composition or molecular structure of a drug (mostly used by chemists and pharmacologists)
Nonproprietary / Generic Name
A more concise name given to the specific chemical compound (aspirin, acetaminophen, amoxicillin)
Proprietary / Trade / Brand Name
A unique name a manufacturer gives its particular brand of drug
Generic Equivalents
Drugs produced or marketed by companies other than the original “brand” developer
When a company develops a new drug and has FDA approval, that company has exclusive rights to manufacture this drug for how many years?
In the USA it is 20 years
After the length of time it takes to get a new drug on the market (waiting for a patent), approximately how long will the company have exclusive rights to manufacture their drug?
About 7-12 years
United States Adopted Names Council (USAN)
The body that selects generic drug names
World Health Organization (WHO)
Checks any USAN council names to make sure the selected name isn’t too similar to another drug name used in another country.
FDAs Office of Postmarketing Drug Risk Assessment
Makes sure that the trade name doesn’t sound like any other trade name and that the trade name doesn’t try to convey what the drug claims to do
Extract
A therapeutic agent composed of specially prepared plant or animal parts rather than synthesized chemicals in a laboratory
Bioequivalence
Defined by the FDA as meaning that an equivalent amount of generic drug is absorbed and delivered to the target site within the body compared with the original brant or parent drug (80-125%)
Nutraceuticals (nutritional supplements)
Extracts that are not required to be registered with the FDA - potency of different batches of drug extract may vary. Less expensive, but may not provide a consistent clinical response
OTC drugs
Drugs available for anyone to purchase without a prescription from a doctor
List 3 Veterinary OTC drugs
- Vitamins
- Flea products for use on the surface of the skin
- Dietary supplements
Legend Drugs
Contain ingredients that require greater control of dispensing either because of their toxic effects, potential to be abused or diverted as an illegal substance, or the potential to do harm to the patient or person handling the drug. Limited to dispensing by or upon the order of a licensed prescriber (Vet or Physician)
Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR)
Legally meaning that the Veterinarian has examined or has adequate medical knowledge of the patient and has agreed to resume responsibility for Veterinary care of the patient
Dosage Form
The description of its physical appearance (typically included in the description and label of the drug)
Name the 3 dosage forms
Solid, Liquid, Semisolid
Name 2 solid dosage form examples
Tablets, capsules
Name 2 liquid dosage forms
Syrups, suspensions, liniments
Name 2 semisolid dosage forms
Gels, ointments, creams, pastes
Tablets
Created by compressing powdered active ingredients and other inert ingredients together to form disc-shaped dosage forms
Excipients
Inert ingredients added to active ingredients that help the tablet perform as it is intended (binders, disintegrants, diluents, flavors, colors)
True or False: Tablets are the same as pills
FALSE.
Caplet
Solid tablets pressed into an oblong/elongated dosage form roughly similar in shape to a capsule (the elongated form is to facilitate swallowing)
Molded Tablets
Active ingredient drug in a powdered for mixed with lactulose, sucrose, or dextrose and a flavoring agent to encourage the patient to chew the soft tablet
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Has responsibility for pesticides as part of its charge to protect the environment
Enteric Coating
Designed to protect the active ingredient from the harsh acidic environment of the stomach by not allowing the tablet to dissolve until it reaches the more alkaline environment of the small intestine
Controlled Release Coatings/Sustained Release Drugs
Slow the rate at which the tablet dissolves as the tablet moves along the intestinal tract
A medium-sized dogs GI tract is around _______ feet
13 feet long
A cats GI tract is typically between ___ to ___ feet long
5 to 6 feet long
The average human GI tract is ______ feet long
22 feet long
Capsules/Gel Caps
Powdered drug surrounded by a capsule made of gelatin, modified starch, or cellulose
Lozenge/Troche
Incorporates the drug into a hard, candy-like tablet like those found in human cough drops
Suppositories
Dosage forms designed to be placed in the rectum where they dissolve and release drug, which is then absorbed across the intestinal wall of the rectum
Solution
A drug completely dissolved in a clear liquid medium
Liquid medium (in a solution)
Water, alcohol, or other liquid into which the drug is capable of dissolving (equivalent in chemistry to the solvent)
Suspensions
Cloudy, opaque liquids in which the drug has been suspended in the liquid medium but has not been completely dissolved
Aqueous Solution
Has a water medium in which the drug has been dissolved
Soluble
Able to be dissolved
Syrups
Drugs dissolved in a liquid sugar solution (designed to mask the unpleasant taste of the active ingredient and to act as a preservative)
Xylitol
An artificial sweetener, if ingested by dogs, causes a massive release of insulin, which causes a hypoglycemic crisis or damages the liver, possibly resulting in death.
Tinctures/Elixirs
Alcohol-based solutions used for oral or topical application
Insoluble
Unable to be dissolved in water (many drugs are insoluble)
Emulsion
A liquid suspension composed of two liquids that do not readily mix together (one liquid is suspended in a second liquid)
Lotions
Emulsions of oil and water plus additional ingredients that help keep the two liquid layers from separating
Liniments
Always applied topically to the skin - can be liquid dosage forms that may be an emulsion, a solution, or a suspension
Ointments/Creams
Can be either suspensions or solutions that liquefy at body temperatures when applied topically to the skin, eye, ear, or mucous membranes
Gels
Drugs suspended in a semisolid or jelly-like form
Repository/depot forms
Injectables formulated to allow slow absorption of the drug from the administration site, providing more sustained drug concentrations in the body over time
Drug insert/ package insert
Most accurate manufacturers drug information for a particular product, including the most recent changes in the drug formulation, dosages, or warnings/precautions
Extra Label drug use (ELDU) / Off-label
Using the drug in a manner other than the FDA approved dose, route of administration, disease/condition, or species listed on the drug label
Withdrawal period/ time
The time between the last dose and when the animal can be slaughtered for meat or food products such as eggs or milk can be used
What does AMDUCA stand for?
Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994
United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
A nongovernmental organization that sets the standards for drug manufacturing quality, purity, and consistency for any drugs sold in the US
Controlled Substance / Schedule Drug
Classification of the abuse potential for these drugs.
Active ingredient
The part of the drug that produces the intended beneficial effect
Inert Ingredients
Preservatives, stabilizers, liquid media, or other additives that make up the dosage form, should also be listed in the composition statement
Indication
The approved reason for which the drug can be used
Side effect
Any effect of the drug other than its intended beneficial effect that occurs when the drug concentrations are within the normal therapeutic range
ADR (Adverse Reaction)
Any unwanted patient response to the chemical or physical properties of the drug
Boxed warning
A drug that has a history of a particularly risky side effect, the drug may also have a separate section surrounded by a black box on the specific adverse reactions
Precautions
Describes mild adverse reactions, some predictable change in clinical state or the patient’s condition, or some other effect that typically doesn’t require medical intervention
Warnings
More serious or frequent side effects than those found in the precautions section and constitute adverse drug effects that could potentially do significant harm to the patient
Black Box Warning
Strongest warning the FDA caN require a drug manufacturer to include in their drug information
Contraindications
Circumstances or conditions in which the drug should not be used