Chapter 2: Drugs and the Body

Question 1

Adverse effects

Answer 1

drug effects that are not the desired therapeutic effects; may be unpleasant or even dangerous.

Question 2

Brand name

Answer 2

The name given to the drug by the pharmaceutical company, also called a trade name.

Question 3

Chemical name

Answer 3

Name that reflects the chemical structure of a drug

Question 4

Generic name

Answer 4

the original designation given to a drug when the company that developed it applies for the approval process.

Question 5

Orphan drugs

Answer 5

drugs that have been discovered but would not be profitable for a drug company to develop; usually drugs that would treat only a small number of people; these orphans can be adopted by other drug companies to be developed.

Question 6

Over- the- counter (OTC) drugs

Answer 6

drugs that are available without a prescription for self-treatment of a variety of complaints; deemed to be safe when used as directed.

Question 7

Pharmacotherapeutics

Answer 7

clinical pharmacology- the branch of pharmacology that deals with drugs, chemicals that are used in medicinal treatment, prevention, and treatment of a disease in humans.

Question 8

Phase I study

Answer 8

A pilot study of a potential drug, done with a small number of selected, healthy human volunteers.

Question 9

Phase II study

Answer 9

A clinical study of a proposed drug by selected physicians using actual patients who have the disorder the drug is designed to treat; the patients must provide informed consent.

Question 10

Phase III study

Answer 10

use of a proposed drug on a wide scale in the clinical setting with patients who have the disease the drug is designed to treat.

Question 11

Phase IV study

Answer 11

continual evaluation of a drug after it is released for marketing.

Question 12

preclinical trials

Answer 12

Initial trial of a chemical thought to have therapeutic potential; uses laboratory animals, not human subjects.

Question 13

teratogenic

Answer 13

Having adverse effects on a fetus.

Question 14

Pharmacokinetic phase

Answer 14

The process of drug movement to achieve drug action.

• Absorbtion
• Distribution (passive/active transport)
• Metabolism
• Excretion/elimination

Question 15

Factors affecting absorption

Answer 15

• lipid or water soluble (ie. blood brain barrier)
• Blood flow
• Temperature
• Food, hunger, fasting
• Stress (vasoconstriction)
• Pain
• pH
• Route of administration
• First pass effect (hepatic first pass)
• Bioavailability (how much of the drug actually reaches systemic circulation)

Question 16

Bioavailability

Answer 16

percentage of administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation. The rate at which the drug is absorbed affects the bioavailability.

• Rapid absorption = more bioavailability
• Slow absorption = less bioavailability
• IV administration = 100% bioavailability

Question 17

Distribution

Answer 17

Process by which the drug becomes available to body fluids and tissues.

Question 18

Free drugs

Answer 18

Drugs circulating in the bloodstream

Question 19

Factors affecting distribution

Answer 19

• Protein binding percentage
• Plasma protein and albumin levels
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease (toxins stay in the body longer)
• Malnourished
• Elderly (hypoalbuminemia)

Question 20

Half life (t1/2)

Answer 20

The time it takes for one-half of the drug concentration to be eliminated. Example: if the half life of a drug is 4 hours, you give the drug every 4 hours.

Question 21

Creatinine Clearance

Answer 21

lab test to determine kidney function: Normal = 85-135 ml/min.

Question 22

Pharmacodynamic phase

Answer 22

Study of drug concentration and its effect on the body. Dose-response and maximal efficacy.

• On-set: beginning
• Peak: maximum therapeutic concentration
• Duration: the drug begins to wear off

Question 23

Agonists

Answer 23

They are drugs that act through receptors by binding to the receptor to produce a response.

Question 24

Antagonists

Answer 24

They are drugs that act through receptors by binding to the receptor to block or prevent a response. Example: anti-histamine

Question 25

Categories of drug action

Answer 25

• Stimulant or depressant
• Inhibition or killing of organisms (chemotherapeutics: antibiotics, antivirals, etc.)
• Irritation (example: constipation)

Question 26

Tachyphylaxis

Answer 26

lots of different drugs; tolerance.

Question 27

Placebo effect

Answer 27

Mind over matter (unethical)

Question 28

Therapeutic index

Answer 28

The window of how much of a drug causes a therapeutic effect and how much causes toxicity

Question 29

Loading dose

Answer 29

An initial higher dose of a medication may be given to overcome a pain threshold, followed by a lower dose for maintenance.

Question 30

First-pass effect

Answer 30

A phenomenon in which drugs given orally are carried directly to liver after absorption, where they may be largely inactivated by enzymes before they can enter the general circulation. Oral drugs frequently are given in higher doses than drugs given by other routes because of this early breakdown.

Question 31

Selective toxicity

Answer 31

Property of a chemotherapeutic agent that affects only systems found in foreign cells without affecting healthy human cells. (example: antibiotics)

Question 32

Competitive vs. non-competitive antagonists

Answer 32

Competitive antagonists occupy the specific receptor site on a cell, blocking it. Non-competitive antagonists prevent the reaction of another chemical with a different receptor site on that cell.