Drug Therapy and Disorders of Cell Growth Flashcards
What are the main stages of a drug life cycle in the body?
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretion
What is meant by absorption?
The movement of a drug from the area of administration to the circulation
What is the definition of CMax?
Maximum concentration a drug can reach in the circulation
What is the definition of TMax?
The time it takes for a drug to reach CMax (maximum concentration in circulation)
What are some of the common sites of administration of a drug?
Oral sublingual topical IV IM pessary suppository inhalation
What is the therapeutic range of a drug?
The optimal dose at which a drug is effective without being toxic
Which is a constant and which is variable, TMax or CMax, and why?
TMax is constant - increasing dose doesn’t speed up the absorption process
CMax variable - increasing dose increases concentration in circulation
What are the main factors affecting absorption of a drug?
physiological/membrane barriers
GI activity
food/alcohol
disease
What is bioavailability?
The amount of blood in circulation available for use
What is first pass metabolism?
Metabolism of a drug before it reaches its target
What are the biochemical properties that affect drug absorption?
- lipid solubility
- ionisation
- particle size
What determines the lipid solubility of a drug?
The lipid-water partition coefficient
What determines the degree of ionisation of a drug?
The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation
What causes different rates of drug absorption in children?
Different pH levels
Gastric emptying
Metabolic rate
What are some advantages of IV drug administration?
bypass first pass metabolism
100% bioavailability
quick
What are some advantages of inhalation drug administration?
bypasses first pass metabolism
can be metabolised in lungs
avoid oral administration side effects
What are some advantages of rectal drug administration?
slow absorption
avoid stomach irritation
bypass first pass metabolism
What are some advantages of subcut/IM drug administation?
bypass first pass metabolism
only need small dose
effect can be modulated with formulation
What are some advantages of transdermal drug administation?
bypass first pass metabolism
can be used for slow release
What are some advantages of sublingual drug administation?
bypass first pass metabolism
What are the differences between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics?
pharmacodynamics - drug mechanism of action
pharmacokinetics - drug movement in the body
What is the definition of drug distribution?
The ability of a drug to reach the target tissue from the circulation
What is the definition of volume of distribution?
It is the theoretical volume of plasma required to detect the total concentration of drug in the body
What is the definition of drug clearance?
The time it takes for a drug to be eliminated from the circulation
What are the main organs involved in drug clearance?
Kidneys
Liver
What are the mechanisms of drug clearance from the kidneys?
Glomerular filtration rate
Active secretion
Distal reabsorption
What is the biliary system?
It’s a mechanism used by the liver to expel drug into the intestine through bile
What happens to a drug when it goes through the biliary system?
It is bound to a conjugate which renders it inactive
What is the importance of plasma proteins in drug administration?
They bind drug molecules, only unbound drug is active
What half-life of drug is best used in acute situations and why?
Short half life.
Long half life takes longer to take effect
What properties of a drug are associated with higher volume of distribution?
Drugs which are lipophilic and non ionised, crossing barriers quicker
What factors can affect how much drug is bound in the circulation?
OTHER DRUGS
pregnancy
kidney failure
hypoalbuminaemia
What is the definition of half life?
The length of time after which the concentration of a drug in the circulation has halved
What factors affect half life of a drug?
Volume of distribution
Clerance rate
What are the mechanisms of excretion of drugs from the kidneys, and what types of drugs do they excrete?
GFR - most unbound drugs
active secretion - ionised drugs (acids/bases)
passive reabsorption - small non-ionised drugs
What properties of a drug affect its volume of distribution?
Ionisation
Lipid solubility
What happens to drugs metabolised in the liver?
Rendered polar and water soluble, then excreted in bile
In which organs do drugs have to be actively transported across membranes?
BBB
ovaries
testes
In which organs do drugs tend to build up during distribution?
Eyes bone kidneys lung spleen fat
Why can drug metabolism cause toxicity?
Because drug breakdown products can be toxic metabolites
What are the main changes that occur to a drug during metabolism, and why are they important?
drug made polar
drug mate water soluble
polar and watersoluble compunds can be excreted, whereas nonpolar and lipid soluble compounds are reabsorbed by circulation
What are the main steps involved in drug metabolism in the liver?
Phase 1 - oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis = make compound polar
Phase 2 - glucouronidation = make compound water soluble
What is the class of enzymes responsible for drug metabolism in the liver?
Cytochrome P450
What are the effects of enzyme inhibition on drug metabolism?
Drug metabolism slowed = higher level of drug in bloodstream
What is the effect of enzyme induction on drug metabolism?
Drug metabolised faster - lower levels of drug in bloodstream
Which genetic modification of Cytochrome P450 causes a lack of response to codeine?
CYP2D6
Which types of Cytochrome P450 are the most important in drug metabolism?
CYP3A4
CYP2D6
CYP1A2
Which class of Cytochrome P450 is important in smokers and why?
CYP1A2 - metabolises theophylline, smoking induces enzyme so higher level of theophylline required
Which classes of Cytochrome P450 present genetic polymorphisms?
CYP2D6
CYP2C9
CYP2C19
What factors can affect drug metabolism?
Age Pregnancy Gender Other drugs Liver disease Ethnicity Genetics
In which phase of drug metabolism is a conjugate added to the drug, and what is this called?
Phase 2 - glucouridation
What are the different phenotypic types of metabolises?
Poor metabolisers (PM Intermediate metabolisers (IM) Extensive metabolisers (EM) Ultra rapid metabolisers (UM)
List some factors which induce drug metabolism
Alcohol
Smoking
Other drugs
Pregnancy
What are the main three considerations when deciding on a treatment regime?
Dosage of drug
Timing of administration
Frequency of administration
What are the functions of enteric coating on tablets?
protect GI tract from drug
protect drug from GI acids
What are advantages of solutions and suspensions?
quick absorption
palatable (especially children)
easy for people with swallowing problems
can be given NG
What are advantages of tables/pills?
easy to mass produce
easy to take
reproducible effect
reliable pharmacological effect
What are advantages to sustained release formulations?
Better compliance
less frequency of administration
maintains drug at therapeutic level
What are some advantages of rectal formulations?
good for patients who can’t swallow
bypasses first pass metabolism
What are some of the advances in drug delivery methods?
nanoparticles
monoclonal antibodies
viral carriers
What are the common factors considered for adverse drug reactions?
Onset and severity
What are the classifications of adverse drug reaction onset?
Acute (<60mins)
subacute (1-24 hours)
latent (>24hrs)