Chapter 8: Pharmacology

Question 1

What is pharmacology?

Answer 1

The study of drugs, their actions on the body, and how the body processes them.

Question 2

What is pharmacokinetics?

Answer 2

The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs.

Question 3

What is pharmacodynamics?

Answer 3

The study of how drugs affect the body, including mechanisms of action and therapeutic effects.

Question 4

What is the difference between an agonist and an antagonist?

Answer 4

An agonist activates receptors to produce a biological response, while an antagonist blocks receptors to inhibit a response.

Question 5

What is the therapeutic index of a drug?

Answer 5

The ratio between a drug’s effective dose and its toxic dose, indicating its safety margin.

Question 6

What is first-pass metabolism?

Answer 6

The process where a drug is metabolized in the liver before reaching systemic circulation, reducing its bioavailability.

Question 7

How does the cytochrome P450 system affect drug metabolism?

Answer 7

It consists of liver enzymes that metabolize drugs, influencing their effectiveness and risk of interactions.

Question 8

What is the half-life of a drug?

Answer 8

The time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the bloodstream to decrease by half.

Question 9

What is bioavailabilitty?

Answer 9

The proportion of a drug that enters systemic circulation and is available to produce effects.

Question 10

What are the four main routes of drug administration?

Answer 10

Oral, intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC).

Question 11

What is a prodrug?

Answer 11

A medication that is inactive until metabolized into an active form in the body.

Question 12

What is a graded dose-response curve?

Answer 12

A graph showing the relationship between drug dose and the magnitude of its effect.

Question 13

What is a quantal dose-response curve?

Answer 13

A graph showing the percentage of a population that responds to a drug at various doses.

Question 14

What is the role of receptors in pharmacology?

Answer 14

Receptors are protein molecules that drugs bind to in order to elicit a biological response.

Question 15

How do selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work?

Answer 15

They block the reabsorption of serotonin, increasing its availability in the brain to improve mood.

Question 16

What are Type A adverse drug reactions?

Answer 16

Predictable and dose-dependent reactions, such as side effects or toxicity.

Question 17

What are Type B adverse drug reactions?

Answer 17

Unpredictable and not dose-dependent, often caused by allergic reactions or genetic differences.

Question 18

What is enterohepatic circulation?

Answer 18

The recycling of drugs and metabolites between the liver and the intestines, prolonging their presence in the body.

Question 19

What are common CYP450 inhibitors, and how do they affect drugs?

Answer 19

Substances like grapefruit juice can inhibit CYP450 enzymes, increasing drug levels and risk of toxicity.

Question 20

What are common CYP450 inducers, and how do they affect drugs?

Answer 20

Substances like rifampin increase CYP450 activity, reducing drug levels and effectiveness.

Question 21

What is drug tolerance?

Answer 21

A reduced response to a drug over time, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect.

Question 22

What is drug dependence?

Answer 22

A condition where the body adapts to a drug, leading to withdrawal symptoms if the drug is stopped abruptly.

Question 23

What is the DEA’s role in regulating drugs?

Answer 23

The DEA classifies drugs into schedules based on their potential for abuse and medical use.

Question 24

What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule II drugs?

Answer 24

Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use and high abuse potential, while Schedule II drugs have medical uses but also high abuse potential.

Question 25

What is the importance of the MEDWATCH program?

Answer 25

It allows healthcare professionals and patients to report adverse drug events to the FDA for monitoring safety.