FINAL EXAM - pharmacology Flashcards
pharmacokinetics
how does the drug get somewhere, how does it move; pharmacokinetics includes the study of the mechanisms of absorption and distribution of an administered drug, the rate at which a drug action begins and the duration of the effect, the chemical changes of the substance in the body and the effects and routes of excretion of the metabolites of the drug
Pharmacokinetics is the study of the time course of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.
pharmacodynamics
relationship between drug concentration at the active pharmacologic site and the response.
toxicology
measurement and analysis of potential toxins, intoxicating or banned substances, and prescription medications present in a person’s body
pharmacogenetics
branch of pharmacology concerned with the effect of genetic factors on reactions to drugs
drug approval process
FDA Drug-Approval Process. A pharmaceutical company seeking FDA approval to sell a new prescription drug must complete a five-step process: discovery/concept, preclinical research, clinical research, FDA review and FDA post-market safety monitoring.
maximal efficacy
dose at which the drug has bound to the maximum number of receptors; an indication of the affinity between the drug and the receptors; ceiling effect
median effective dose
The dose at which 50% of the population responds to the drug in a specified manner.
Variations in the response to a drug can differ between an individual and the general population.
Pt may need less or more doses; this is just the average for what someone in the population responds to
half life
the time it takes to eliminate 50% of the drug
The time it takes to get one half of the drug distributed in this initial compartment is referred to as the alpha half-life (It takes five half lives to reach steady state when you initiate a drug)
The time it takes to get one half of the drug eliminated from the body is referred to as the beta half life (It takes five half lives to eliminate all of the drug when you stop it)
Individuals with liver or kidney disease/dysfunction have to be dosed differently than those with normal organs
dose response curve
This is used to examine the dosage range over which a drug is effective and at what dose the peak response occurs
The ceiling effect in the curve is as good as the drug is going to get
The strongest effect it will ever have
This could mean that the drug has the potential to not be safe depending on how it acts
Potency: the drug that requires the lowest dose to produce a determined response
how a drug is evaluated to go on the market
- small number without the disease are exposed for side effects
- tested on small patient population with the disease (open label with no control group, single arm study with no placebo)
- multicenter, randomized controlled trials
- post marketing surveillance
bioavailability
the percent or fraction of the administered dose that reaches the systemic circulation
Once absorbed from the GI tract, the drug goes into the portal circulation where it may be metabolized from the liver
distribution of a drug in the body
For oral medications, absorption in the intestine, Transportation of the drug once it reaches systemic circulation, Tissue permeability, Binding to plasma proteins and only a free drug can leave circulation to reach target cells
Volume of distribution: the volume required to account for all the drug in the body if it was present in the same concentration as the plasma
side effects of NSAIDS
Central nervous system: Headaches, tinnitus, and dizziness.
Cardiovascular: Fluid retention, hypertension, edema, and rarely myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure.
Gastrointestinal: Abdominal pain, dysplasia, nausea, vomiting, and ulcers or bleeding.
Hematologic: Rare thrombocytopenia (platelets), neutropenia, or even aplastic anemia.
Hepatic: Abnormal liver function tests and liver failure.
Pulmonary: Asthma.
Skin: Rashes, pruritus.
Renal: Renal insufficiency, renal failure, hyperkalemia, and proteinuria.
side effects of steroids (prednisone)
Adrenocortical suppression, patients must wean off the drug
Cushing’s syndrome, round puffy face, redistribution of fat, hypertension, osteoporosis, hirsutism (excessive hair growth), glucose intolerance
Breakdown of bone, ligaments, muscle, and skin
Increased susceptibility for infections, peptic ulcer, mood swings, glaucoma
Anxiety, sleeplessness
