Definitions from Pharmacology for Nurses (Adams) Flashcards
Pharmacology
Chapter 1.2
the study of medicines; the discipline pertaining to how drugs improve or maintain health
(Greek: pharmakon = “medicine” / logos = “study”)
Therapeutics
Chapter 1.3
the branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of disease and suffering
Pharmacotherapy
Chapter 1.3
the application of drugs for the purpose of treating diseases and alleviating human suffering; also called pharmacotherapeutics
Drug
Chapter 1.4
general term for any substance capable of producing biologic responses in the body
Medication
Chapter 1.4
drug after it has been administered
Biologics
Chapter 1.4
substances that produce biologic responses within the body; they are synthesized by cells of the human body, animal cells, or microorganisms
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies
Chapter 1.4
treatments that involve natural plant extracts, herbs, vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, and additional techniques outside the realm of conventional therapeutics
Therapeutic Classification
Chapter 1.5
method for organizing drugs on the basis of their clinical usefulness in treating particular diseases or disorders
Pharmacologic Classification
Chapter 1.5
method for organizing drugs on the basis of their mechanism of action
Mechanism of Action
Chapter 1.5
the way in which a drug exerts its effects
Prototype drug
Chapter 1.5
well-understood model drug with which other drugs in a pharmacologic class may be compared
Chemical name
Chapter 1.6
strict chemical nomenclature used for naming drugs established by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
Generic name
Chapter 1.6
non-proprietary name of a drug assigned by the government
Trade name
Chapter 1.6
proprietary name of a drug assigned by the manufacturer; also called the brand name or product name
Combination drug
Chapter 1.6
drug product with more than one active generic ingredient
Bioavailability
Chapter 1.8
ability of a drug to reach the bloodstream and its target tissues
Pharmacoeconomics
Chapter 1.9
issues dealing with the cost of medications
Fomulary
Chapter 2.1
list of drugs and drug recipes commonly used by pharmacists
Pharmacopoeia
Chapter 2.1
medical reference indicating standards of drug purity and strength, and directions for synthesis
Excipients
Chapter 2.1
inactive ingredients in drugs
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Chapter 2.2
agency that regulates prescription and over-the-counter drugs
Black box warnings
Chapter 2.2
notifications within a prescription drug’s package inserts provided by the FDA to call attention to an extreme adverse drug effects
FDA’s Critical Path Initiative
Chapter 2.3
effort by the FDA to modernize the sciences to enhance the use of bioinformation to improve the safety, effectiveness, and manufacturability of candidate medical products
Clinical investigation
Chapter 2.3
second stage of drug testing that involves clinical phase trials
Clinical phase trials
Chapter 2.3
testing of a new drug in selected patients
Investigational New Drug (IND)
Chapter 2.3
application to the FDA that contains all animal and cell testing data
New Drug Application (NDA) review
Chapter 2.3
the third phase of the drug approval process during which the drug’s trade name is finalized.
Postmarketing surveillance
Chapter 2.3
evaluation of a new drug after it has been approved and used in large numbers of patients
Dependence
Chapter 2.6
strong physiological or psychological need for a substance
Withdrawal
Chapter 2.6
physical signs of discomfort associated with the discontinuation of an abused substance
Scheduled drugs
Chapter 2.6
a term describing a drug placed into one of five categories based on its potential for misuse or abuse
Teratogenic risk
Chapter 2.6
potential risk of birth defects due to drug therapy
Adverse event (AE)
Chapter 3.1
any undesirable experience associated with the use of a medical product in a patient
Adverse effect
Chapter 3.1
unfavorable reaction to a drug
Side effect
Chapter 3.1
non-therapeutic reaction to a drug
Allergic reaction
Chapter 3.1
acquired hyperresponse of body defenses to a foreign substance (allergen)
Anaphylaxis
Chapter 3.1
acute allergic response to an antigen that results in severe hypotension and may lead to life-threatening shock if untreated
What are the 10 Rights of Medication Administration?
Chapter 3.2
Amount (aka Dose) Drug (aka Medication) Route Documentation Refusal Patient (aka Client) Assessment Time Education Evaluation
What are the 3 Checks of Drug Administration?
Chapter 3.2
Gathering
Preparing
Administering
Compliance
Chapter 3.3
taking a medication in the manner prescribed by the health care provider or, in the case of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, following the instructions on the label
STAT order
Chapter 3.4
any medication that is needed immediately and is to be given only once
ASAP order
Chapter 3.4
(as soon as possible) order that should be available for administration to the patient within 30 minutes of the written order
Single order
Chapter 3.4
medication that is to be given only once and at a specific time such as a preoperative order
PRN order
Chapter 3.4
medication is administered as required by the patient’s condition
(Latin: pro re nata)
Routine orders
Chapter 3.4
orders not written as STAT, ASAP, NOW, or prn
Standing order
Chapter 3.4
order written in advance of a situation that is to be carried out under specific circumstances
Enteral route
Chapter 3.6
administration of drugs orally and through nasogastric or gastrostomy tubes
Enteric coated
Chapter 3.6
referring to tablets that have a hard, waxy coating designed to dissolve in the alkaline environment of the small intestine
Sustained-release (SR)
Chapter 3.6
tablets or capsules designed to dissolve slowly over an extended time
Sublingual route
Chapter 3.6
administration of medication by placing it under the tongue and allowing it to dissolve slowly
Buccal route
Chapter 3.6
administration of a tablet or capsule by placing it in the oral cavity between the gum and the cheek
Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs)
Chapter 3.6
drug form that rapidly dissolves in the oral cavity
Astringent effect
Chapter 3.7
drops or spray used to shrink swollen mucous membranes or to loosen secretions and facilitate drainage
Parenteral route
Chapter 3.8
dispensation of medications via a needle into the skin layers
Intradermal (ID)
Chapter 3.8
medication administered into the dermis layer of the skin
Subcutaneous (sub cut)
Chapter 3.8
medication delivered beneath the skin
Intramuscular (IM)
Chapter 3.8
delivery of medication into specific muscles
What are the four common sites for intramuscular injections?
Chapter 3.8
Ventrogluteal site.
*The preferred site for IM injections.
Deltoid site.
Dorsogluteal site.
* The site is rarely used due to the potential for damage to the sciatic nerve.
Vastus lateralis site.
Intravenous (IV)
Chapter 3.8
administration of medications and fluids directly into the bloodstream
Pharmacokinetics
Chapter 4.1
study of how drugs are handled by the body
Greek: pharmaco = “medicine” / kinetic = “movement or motion”
Active transport
Chapter 4.2
This is movement of a chemical against a concentration or electrochemical gradient; cotransport involves the movement of two or more chemicals across the membrane.
Active transport requires expenditure of energy on the part of the cell.
Diffusion or passive transport
Chapter 4.2
This is movement of a chemical from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.
This type of movement occurs without any energy expenditure on the part of the cell.
Absorption
Chapter 4.3
the process of moving a drug across body membranes
Dissolution
Chapter 4.3
dissolving of a tablet or capsule form of a drug
What factors can influence the absorption of medications?
Chapter 4.3
Drug formulation and dose. Liquid formulations of an oral drug are absorbed faster than tablets or capsules of the same drug.
Dose. A drug administered at a high dose is generally absorbed more quickly and has a more rapid onset of action than when given in a low concentration.
Route of administration. Drugs administered intravenously (IV) directly enter the bloodstream; thus, absorption to the tissues after the infusion is very rapid. Drugs administered by the oral, topical, intramuscular, and subcutaneous routes take longer to absorb.
Size of the drug molecule. Larger drug molecules take longer to be absorbed than small molecules.
Surface area of the absorptive site. The larger the surface area, the faster the drug will be absorbed.
Digestive motility. Changes in GI motility may either speed up or slow down absorption, depending on the drug and where it is absorbed.
Blood flow. Greater blood flow to the site of drug administration results in faster drug absorption.
Lipid solubility of the drug. Lipid soluble drugs are absorbed more quickly than water soluble drugs.
Distribution
Chapter 4.4
the process of transporting drugs through the body
Affinity
Chapter 4.4
chemical attraction that impels certain molecules to unite with others to form complexes
Drug-Protein complexes
Chapter 4.4
drug that has bound reversibly to a plasma protein, particularly albumin, that makes the drug unavailable for distribution to body tissues
Name the drug-drug interactions.
Chapter 4.4
Addition. The action of drugs taken together as a total
Synergism. The action of drugs resulting in a potentiated (more than total) effect
Antagonism. Drugs taken together with blocked or opposite effects
Displacement. When drugs are taken together, one drug may shift another drug at a nonspecific protein-binding site (e.g., plasma albumin), thereby altering the desired effect.
Blood-brain barrier
Chapter 4.4
anatomical structure that prevents certain substances from gaining access to the brain
Fetal-Placental barrier
Chapter 4.4
special anatomical structure that inhibits entry of many chemicals and drugs to the fetus
Metabolism
Chapter 4.5
total of all biochemical reactions in the body
Metabolism can also be called?
Chapter 4.5
Biotransformation
Conjugates
Chapter 4.5
side chains that, during metabolism, make drugs more water soluble and more easily excreted by the kidney
Hepatic microsomal enzyme system
Chapter 4.5
as it relates to pharmacotherapy, liver enzymes that inactivate drugs and accelerate their excretion; sometimes called the P-450 system
Prodrugs
Chapter 4.5
drugs that become more active after they are metabolized
Enzyme induction
Chapter 4.5
process in which a drug changes the function of the hepatic microsomal enzymes and increases metabolic activity in the liver
Pharmacogenomics
Chapter 4.5
study of genetic variations that influence an individual’s response to drug therapy
First-pass effect
Chapter 4.5
mechanism whereby drugs are absorbed across the intestinal wall and enter into the hepatic portal circulation
Excretion
Chapter 4.6
the process of removing substances from the body
What factors can affect excretion?
Chapter 4.6
Liver or kidney impairment Blood flow Degree of ionization of the drug Lipid solubility of the drug Drug–protein complexes Metabolic activity Acidity or alkalinity (pH) Respiratory, glandular, or biliary activity.
Enterohepatic recirculation
Chapter 4.6
recycling of drugs and other substances by the circulation of bile through the intestine and liver
Minimum effective concentration
Chapter 4.7
amount of drug required to produce a therapeutic effect
Toxic concentration
Chapter 4.7
level of drug that will result in serious adverse effects
Therapeutic range
Chapter 4.7
the dosage range or serum concentration that achieves the desired drug effects
Onset of drug action
Chapter 4.8
time it takes for a therapeutic effect of a drug to appear
Peak plasma level
Chapter 4.8
highest amount of drug in the bloodstream
Duration of drug action
Chapter 4.8
length of time that therapeutic drug actions last
