drugs

Question 1

Pharmacology: Understand how drugs interact with the body (pharmacodynamics) and how the body processes drugs (pharmacokinetics).

Answer 1

Drug Design: Role of medicinal chemistry in creating molecules to target specific biological pathways.

Question 2

How Drugs Work: Be familiar with examples of drugs and their mechanisms (e.g., paracetamol as an …………, ……………for lowering cholesterol).
Example: Beta-blockers block ………..receptors to reduce heart rate.

Answer 2

analgesic

statins

adrenalin receptors

Question 3

Antibiotics target bacterial infections by inhibiting cell wall synthesis or protein synthesis.

Question 4

Tablets for slow release, injections for ………….action, patches for ………. absorption.

Answer 4

rapid

long term

Question 5

Pharmacokinetics (PK) is the study of

Answer 5

concerned with the movement of drugs within the body.

Question 6

Pharmacokinetics (PK) adme principles

Answer 6

Absorption:

Distribution

Metabolism:

Excretion

Question 7

Absorption is

Answer 7

How drugs enter the bloodstream (e.g., oral vs. IV administering fluids into veins).

Question 8

Distribution

Answer 8

How drugs travel to their target tissues

Question 9

Metabolism

Answer 9

How drugs are broken down (e.g., liver enzymes like cytochrome P450).

Question 10

Excretion

Answer 10

How drugs are removed from the body (e.g., kidneys).

Question 11

Tailoring treatments based on genetics (e.g., pharmacogenomics

Question 12

Drug Safety and Regulation

Clinical Trials: Phases of testing before approval (preclinical, Phase I-IV).

Regulatory Bodies: Role of agencies like MHRA (UK), FDA (USA) in approving medicines.

Patient Safety: Importance of correct dosing, contraindications, and drug interactions

Question 13

All clinical trials of new medicines go through a series of phases to test whether they’re safe and whether they work.

The medicines will usually be tested against another treatment called a control.

This will either be a dummy treatment (a placebo) or a standard treatment already in use.

Question 14

Phase 1 trials:

Answer 14

A small number of people, who may be healthy volunteers, are given the medicine.

The drug is being trialled in human volunteers for the first time.
Researchers test for side effects and calculate what the right dose might be to use in treatment.

Researchers start with small doses and only increase the dose if the volunteers do not experience any side effects, or if they only experience minor side effects

Question 15

Phase 2 trials:

Answer 15

The new medicine is tested on a larger group of people who are ill. This is to get a better idea of its effects in the short term.

Question 16

Phase 3 trials:

Answer 16

Carried out on medicines that have passed phases 1 and 2.

The medicine is tested in larger groups of people who are ill, and compared against an existing treatment or a placebo to see if it’s better in practice and if it has important side effects.

Trials often last a year or more and involve several thousand patients.

Question 17

Phase 4 trials:

Answer 17

The safety, side effects and effectiveness of the medicine continue to be studied while it’s being used in practice.

Not required for every medicine.

Only carried out on medicines that have passed all the previous stages and have been given marketing licences – a licence means the medicine is available on prescription.

Question 18

treatment group – where you’ll be given the treatment being assessed, or

control group – where you’ll be given an existing standard treatment, or a placebo if no proven standard treatment exists