Chapter 4 - Introduction to Clinical Pharmacology Flashcards
The study of the structures of the body.
Anatomy
The study of how body structures function.
Physiology
Study of the effects and movement of drugs in the human body.
Clinical Pharmacology
Study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action, i.e., the study of what a drug does to the body.
Pharmacodynamics
Study of how a drug is processed by the body, with emphasis on the time required for absorption, duration of action, distribution, and method of excretion, i.e., the study of how the body affects drugs.
Pharmacokinetics
Any substance (other than a food or device intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, relief, treatment, or prevention of disease) intended to affect the structure or function of the body.
Definition of a Drug
By law, drugs are divided into what two categories?
Prescription and non-prescription.
Alternative medicines, such as nutraceuticals and medicinal herbs, are not covered under the FDA laws. True or false?
True.
What are the three types of names most drugs are given?
Chemical name (the atomic or molecular structure of the drug), generic name (less complex and cumbersome than chemical name), and trade name (chosen by pharmaceutical company).
Generic versions of a drug can be sold under their generic name or under their own trade name. True or false?
True.
What name are patented drugs usually sold under?
Their trade name.
How are drugs typically classified?
First by therapeutic group and then by class.
Do all cells have a nucleus?
No.
Specialized cells and tissues grouped together to perform a specific body function for a common purpose.
Organs
What are the three types of muscle tissues?
Skeletal, smooth, and cardiac.
Involuntary movements are mostly associated with which type(s) of tissue?
Cardiac and smooth muscle.
What is the name for the liquid portion of blood that carries proteins and other substances?
Plasma.
Do vitamins have to be administered from outside the body?
Yes.
Is water a nutrient?
No.
Which process is most associated with pharmacokinetics?
ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion)
Do all drugs have side effects?
Yes.
What is toxicity?
The adverse affects a drug has on the body.
When is a drug with serious adverse side effects considered to be a viable therapy?
When other treatments cause yet-even more serious problems and are less effective for the intended use.
What is the therapeutic window?
The dosage range of a drug that is safe and produces a beneficial result.
Do peoples’ bodies respond to drugs differently?
Yes.
What factors affect drug responses?
Age, weight, genetic make-up, and comorbid disorders.
Can people have withdrawal symptoms after taking a placebo?
Yes.
What percentage of study participants taking a placebo improve in a clinical study?
50%.
How long does it take a drug to be approved by the FDA? (Through the whole process of pre-clinical and clinical testing to being available to patients.)
10 years.
Only about 5 of 4,000 drugs studied in the laboratory are studied in people, and only 1 of 5 drugs studied in people is approved. True or false?
True.
Can the FDA withdraw their approval?
Yes. If new evidence arises.
Define ‘margin of safety’.
The difference between the usual effective dose and the dose that induces severe or life-threatening side effects.
Why is intravenous injection the most common form of distribution?
The drug is immediately delivered to the bloodstream and tends to take effect more quickly than when given by any other route.
What is ‘subcutaneous injection’?
A needle is inserted into fatty tissue just beneath the skin.
What are the 7 rights of drug administration?
Right patient, drug, dose, route, time, technique, and documentation.
What is the most common medication error?
Dosage.
How quickly and how much of a drug reaches its intended target site of action.
Bioavailability
When are drugs considered bioequivalent?
When they contain the same active ingredients, and also produce virtually the same blood levels over time.
What is ‘therapeutic equivalence’?
Producing the same medicinal effect.
How long does it typically take blood to circulate?
1 minute.
What type of drugs typically cross cell membranes more quickly?
Fat-soluble.
Is the protein part of a drug usually inactive or active?
Inactive.
Pro-drugs are administered in an active form, which is metabolized into an inactive form. True or false?
False.
Which organ is involved in the metabolism of most drugs?
The liver.
Which organ(s) are involved in the excretion of drugs?
The kidneys.
How efficient is the kidney of an 85-year old when compared to that of a 35-year old?
Only half.
The science of formulating drugs into different kinds of preparations such as tablets, ointments, injectable solutions, and eye drops.
Pharmaceutics
What is the name of the coating that prevents drugs from dissolving in the stomach?
Enteric.
Describe a ‘caplet’.
It’s shaped like a capsule, but has the form of a tablet. The shape and film coating makes it easier to swallow.
A molecule with a specific three-dimensional structure to which only very specific substances can fit and attach.
Cell Receptor
Can agonist and antagonist drugs be used together?
Yes. They are used together on patients with asthma.
What are drugs that target enzymes called?
Inhibitors or activators (inducers).
Can drugs change the basic nature of biologic functions or create new functions?
No. They can only affect the rate at which existing biologic functions proceed.
What must drugs that activate receptors (agonists) have?
Affinity (attraction) and intrinsic activity (ability to produce an effect).
In what terms can a drug’s effects be evaluated?
It’s strength (potency) or effectiveness (efficacy).
What are the types of different drug to drug interactions?
Duplication, opposition (antagonism), and alteration.
Where are drug interactions listed?
In the prescribing information, in the patient information insert, or on the container.
Can dietary supplements interact with prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
Yes.
What is difference between drug tolerance and resistance?
Tolerance refers to a person’s diminished response to a drug, where resistance refers to the ability of a microorganisms or cancel cells ability to withstand a drugs effects.
What percentage of hospital admissions in the U.S. are attributed to adverse drug reactions?
3% to 7%.