Chapter 2 Flashcards
Pharmacy
the art and science of preparing and dispensing medication
Pharmacology
the study of how drugs work
7 steps for vet tech monitoring medication
- accurately transcribe intention to administer drug
- prescription must be read and accurately interpreted
- accurately calculate mass of drug
- identify appropriate dosage form
- administer the correct amount to the patient
- calculate the total amount of drug forms needed for the entire duration of the dose
- communicate the drug order to the owner
Legend Drugs
caution: federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian
drug order
requested by a vet to dispense or administer within a hospital
prescription
drug order sent from a licensed vet to a pharmacy where it is filled by a licensed pharmacist
information on a perscription
name of vet hospital or veterinarian address and phone number of vet date written owner's name and address species of animal RX symbol drug name, concentration, number of units refills-if so how many Sig-directions for treatment
Extra label meds must have patient ID-name, ear tag #, etc.
controlled substances
narcotics, strong sedatives, analgesics, hallucinogenics-all have the potential for abuse.
DEA
drug enforcement agency
aka -schedule drugs
identified with a C
vet can’t legally prescribe without being registered with the DEA
rated class 1 to V-C1 has the highest potential for abuse
controlled substances log
mandated for inspection for a minimum of 2 years
some states require a hard copy
dosage regimen
information needed to determine the mass of the drug to be given to the animal,
the route by which the drug is to be given,
how often it is to be given,
how long it is to be administered
dosage interval
the time between doses
dosage
the description of the mass of drug needed per unit of weight
Ex: 10mg/Kg
dose
specific number of dosage forms or mass of the drug that has been calculated for administration at one time to a specific patient
ex: 50 mg
dosage form
physical form of the drug to be administered
ex: 1 tablet
dosage range
allows the vet to tailor the dose-find an acceptable dosage within the dosage range that allows the meds to be dispensed as whole tablets
abbreviations
standardized communication, all capitalized, may not use periods
bid
twice a day
cc
cubic centimeter
disp
dispense
g (gm)
gram
gr
grain
h (hr)
hour
IM
intramuscular
IP
intraperitoneal
IV
intravenous
L
liter
lb
pound
mg
milligram
mL
millimeter
OD
right eye
OS
left eye
OU
both eyes
oz
ounce
PO
by mouth
PRN
as needed
q
every
q4h
every 4 hours
q8h
every 8 hours
qd
every day
qh
every hour
qid
four times a day
qod
every other day
sid
once a day
SQ/SC
subcutaneous
stat
immediately
TBL or Tbsp
tablespoon
tid
three times daily
tsp
teaspoon
common medication errors
- avoid zeros after decimal point
- put zero in front of decimal
- use mL instead of cc
- avoid tsp or t
- write out grains (confuse with gram)
- use mcg instead of µ
- clear when write AU or AD or AS
- never use o.d. for once daily (OD right eye)
- use q.d. for once daily not s.i.d
- use q 12 instead of b.i.d. for clients
- take care to differentiate q.d. from q.i.d
- write out the word “units”
apothecary system examples
fluid ounces, grains
kilo
multiply 1000
hecto
multiply 100
deka
multiply 10
deci
multiply 1/10
centi
multiply 1/100
milli
multiply 1/1000
micro
multiply 1/1,000,000
nano
multiply 1/1,000,000,000
household item examples
teaspoon, cup, pint, gallon
calculate drug mass needed
weight of animal
dosage (in mass of drug per unit of weight/mass in animal)
1 liter
1000 mL or 10 dL
1 mL
1 CC or 1000 mcL
1 tablespoon
3 teaspoons or 15 mL
1 teaspoon
5 mL
1 gallon
3.786 L or 4 quarts or 8 pints
1 pint
2 cups or 16 fl oz or 473 mL
pounds and kilogram conversion
2.2 lb/kg or 1 kg/2.2 lbs
variation mg/m2 (squared)
per square meter of body surface area of smaller animals
takes into account patient’s bodyweight and length (height)
same as mg/kg except m2 instead of kg
adjusting the dose
multiply the entire dose by the percentage of decrease then subtract
ex: 100 mg decreased by 25 percent=25 mg to decrease to 75 mg
calculating the amount of dosage form needed
dose x concentration=volume of fluid
ex: 100 mg x 1mL/25mg=volume of fluid mL
dose x tablet strength=number of tablets ex: 2-- mg x 1 tablet/50 mg=number of tablets
percentage solution
commonly used in liquid dosage forms as the number of grams of drugs per 100 mL of liquid
aka weight by volume percentage solution
ex: 10% solution x 1000mg/1 g=?mg/mL
volume by volume
the number of mL of drug per 100 mL of total liquid medium
weight by weight
the number of grams of drug per 100 grams of drug and medium
total number of dosage units
known value x conversion factor=answer
ex: 4 tablets/dose x 3 doses/day x 10 days/dosage regimen=? tablets/dosage regimen
dosage regimen shortcut
weight x weight conversion x dosage x tablet strength=answer ex: 44 lb x 1kg/2.2lb x 2 mg/kg x 1 tablet/50 mg= 0.8 tablets
common mistakes: dosage regimen
round to the nearest whole tablet for individual dose
volume of liquid dosage forms
same as tablet except instead of rounding to nearest tablet, round to nearest small volume unit for liquid dosage (accurately delivered by syringe)
ex 1.376 mL round to 1.4 mL
cost of the dispensed medication
known value x conversion factor-answer
ex: 30 tablets x 0.25/1 tablet=? total
compounding drugs
any manipulation of a drug product to produce a different dosage form that what is approved by the FDA
ex: anesthetic cocktails
1. valid VCPR
2. animal health threatened without use of drug
3. no FDA approved vet drug exists
4. compound drug is made from FDA approved vet or human drugs
5. only licensed vet will determine if drug needs compounding
6. must be safe and effective
8. if animal used for food, withdrawal time between drug use and when animal sent to market
9. labeled with name, address, date, expiration, medically active ingredient, treated animal, directions for use, caution
10. comply with local and state laws
poison prevention packaging act of 1970
enabled FDA require special packaging for drugs that may be dangerous to children
not illegal to use non-childproof containers but theoretically vet could be held liable for negligence
storage of drugs in vet facility
can’t remain on shelf after expiration
should be stored at proper temp
environmental concerns for proper storage
cold: not exceed 8°C/46°F
cool: 8° to 15°C/46 to 59°
room temp: 15° to 30° C/ 59° to 86° F
warm: 30° to 40° C/ 86° to 104° F
excessive heat: greater than 40° C/104° F
cytotoxic drugs
“cell poison” drugs
poisonous to mammalian cells
include antineoplastic agents to treat cancer and antimycotic agents used to treat fungal infections
hazardous and should be stored separately from other drugs
teratogenic or mutagenic
improper handling of cytotoxic and hazardous drugs can result in birth defects
carcinogenic effects
cancer or neoplasia from cytotoxic or hazardous drugs
materials safety data sheet
for every cytotoxic agent or hazardous compound
reduce the risk of accidental exposure to cytotoxic drugs
- drug absorption from skin or spilled syringe
- inhalation aerosolized drug
- ingestion contaminated food
- Ingestion crushed tablets
- opening glass ampules
follow these guidelines to reduce exposure
- mix just before administration
- prepare in low traffic/well ventilated area
- wear PPE
- use syringes and IV lines
- recheck calculated drug dose
- confirm catheter is in vein
- place syringes, IV lines, catheters in sealed plastic bags
- place bagged items in leak proof, puncture proof hazardous waste
- clean and decontaminate treatment area
