Fundamentals of Pharmacology (Non-Drug Related) (LO1) Flashcards
The word pharmacology comes from the Greek words
Pharmakon meaning drug or poison
logos meaning word or discourse
The goal of emergency pharmacology in the prehospital setting is
to use medication’s to reverse, prevent or control various diseases and illnesses, chronic and acute
Ancient Health Care
Ancient Egyptian healthcare was heavily influenced by spiritual beliefs however it incorporated Basic first aid and chemical compounds to treat certain ailments
The Pre-Renaissance and Post- Renaissance Periods
Doctors had no concept of viruses or bacteria it was believed that sickness represents punishment for one sins
Attempts to treat ailments centered on approaches intended to counteract the presenting symptoms
Presenting symptoms were categorized based on their moisture and temperature blood was hot and wet, phlegm was cold and wet, black bile was cold and dry, and yellow bile was hot and dry
Modern Health Care
The modern pharmaceutical industry began in the 19 century with the discovery of highly active medicinal compounds that could be manufactured on a large scale
Although not every condition has a cure virtually all diseases can be treated to some degree with medications
Pharmacology is defined as
the study of drugs and their effects on the body
Common Pharmacology Abbreviations
- IV
- IM
- SQ
- ET
IV (intravenous)
IM (intramuscular)
SQ or SC (subcutaneously)
ET (endotracheal)
Common Pharmacology Abbreviations
- IO
- PO
- PRN
- NEB
IO (intraosseous)
PO (per os or by mouth)
PRN (pro re nata or as needed)
NEB (nebulized)
Common Pharmacology Abbreviations
- o.d
- b.i.d
- t.i.d
- q.i.d
o. d (once a day)
b. i.d (twice a day)
t. i.d (three times a day)
q. i.d (four times a day)
Common Pharmacology Abbreviations
- q
- IN
- p.r.
q (every)
IN (Intra Nasal)
p.r. (Per Rectum)
Pharmaceutical preparations
are preparations that make a drug suited to certain method(s) of administration.
characteristics or properties that dictate in what form drugs will be manufactured
Some drugs deteriorate when dissolved in solution and are, therefore, manufactured in powder form and dissolved just prior to administration.
—This is usually the case with injectable antibiotics.
Some drugs are destroyed when taken by mouth.
—For example, insulin can only be injected and is manufactured in a sterile liquid form that can be injected.
Today, drug companies try to prepare drugs in forms that:
Can be easily administered.
Contain the exact dose that a physician prescribes.
Extract
Concentrated preparation of a drug made by putting the drug into a solution and evaporating the excess solvent
Powder
A drug that has been ground into a pulverized form
Capsule
A gelatin container that encloses a dose of medication
Pulvule
Similar to a capsule except that it is not made of gelatin
Tablet
A powdered drug that has been pressed into a small disk
Suppository
A drug in a firm base that is designed to melt at body temperature
Ointment
A semisolid preparation that is designed for external application
Patch
Contains medication on the surface of an adhesive patch
Solution
A liquid containing one or more chemicals dissolved in water
Suspension
Supplied as a powder and requiring the addition of water
Fluid extract
Concentrated form of the drug prepared by dissolving the drug in the fluid
Tincture
Dilute alcoholic extract of a drug
Spirits
Preparation of a volatile substance dissolved in alcohol
Elixir
Solution with alcohol and flavoring added
Milk
Aqueous suspension of an insoluble drug
Emulsion
One liquid (usually oil) distributed in small globules in another liquid (usually water)
Liniments
A lotion that is designed for external use
Vapour
Liquid form that when placed in a device that allows vaporization, allows the patient to inhale the medication
drug use:
- define
- examples
Prevention
A drug used to prevent the occurrence of a disease.
Heptavax B®
Tetanus toxoid
drug use:
- define
- examples
Diagnosis
A drug used to determine the nature of an illness or disease.
Radiopaque dyes
drug use:
- define
- examples
Treatment
A drug used in the management of a disease or disorder.
Lidocaine
Atropine
drug use:
- define
- examples
Cure
A drug used to eliminate the disease process.
Ampicillin
Cloxacillin
drug use:
- define
- examples
Contraception
A drug used to prevent pregnancy.
Ortho® 7/7/7 28 days
Norinyl® 1/50
drug use:
- define
- examples
Health Maintenance
A drug taken to maintain homeostasis and supplement deficient body chemistry.
Vitamins B12
Vitamin C
Humulin N
Novolin® ge Toronto
Sources of Medications
plant
animal
mineral
synthetic
plant meds
can come from a root, leaf, flower or seed of a plant
Morphine is generally accepted to be the first active ingredient isolated from a plant for pharmacological purposes; it was first isolated from the opium poppy in the early 1800s
Digitalis for heart failure is prepared from the dried leaves of a flower called Purple Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
animal meds
Common medications that are derived from animal source are select types of insulin and a thyroid medication called
Armour®
Both of these medications are derived from pigs (porcine).
- —Insulin is derived from the pig’s pancreas
- – Armour® from the pig’s thyroid.
mineral meds
Minerals can be used to treat many medical problems
Common minerals that are used as part of a treatment for patients are calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium
synthetic meds
derived from a synthetic source are created in a laboratory
may provide an alternative source to those found in nature or be an entirely new medication
A common medication that is derived from a synthetic source is Demerol
Health Canada’s Therapeutic Products Directorate (TPD)
ensures the safe and efficacious medication’s are available in Canada
aims to balance potential health benefits with risk to patient safety post by drugs
Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS)
complies data on most medication’s available in Canada uses; includes info on indications, dosages, contraindications and adverse reactions
Hospital formulary
a list of medication’s, dosage forms, package sizes and medication strength stocked by particular hospitals and it’s pharmacies
Drug inserts
printed document included in the packaging provided by medication to manufacture often referred to as product monograph
American Hospital Formulary Service Drug Info
provides another source of useful in miscellaneous drug info for pharmacist and medical practitioners includes generic and trade names
Epocrates, Lexi-Comp, Micromedex
reliable and popular resources online easy to use great source of drug info
Every medication is assigned 4 names
Chemical name
Trade name
Generic name
Official Name
define medication
is a drug that has been approved by the government agency that regulates pharmaceuticals
Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB)
is the Canadian agency that regulate pharmaceuticals
The Food and Drugs Act is the applicable legislation that ensures public safety with regard to medication
A drug as defined by health Canada
is any substance or mixture of substances manufactured, sold or represented for use in:
The diagnosis, treatment, mitigation, or prevention of a disease, disorder, or abnormal physical state or its symptoms in human beings are animals
Restoring, corrected or modifying organic functions in human beings or animals
Disinfection in premises in which food is manufactured, prepared or kept
Pharmaceutical companies protect their investments by obtaining patents on their new drugs
A patent gives its holder exclusive rights to produce and sell the drug until the patent expires
After it loses its patent the medication may then be available as generic drug (nonpatented) from multiple sources
The chemical name
describes the drugs chemical makeup, it’s composition and molecular structure
The generic name
is a general name for a drug and is usually created by the company that first manufactures the chemical
International Nonproprietary Name Program
1950s the world health organization initiated to standardize generic names
The trade name or brand name
is the unique name under which the original manufacture registers the new drug with the HPFB
Drug legislation
responsible for ensuring that standards are maintained
Every health worker must have a working knowledge of the legal implications associated with giving drugs so that he/she will be able to
Interpret drug data
Evaluate therapeutic (desired) response
Recognize his/her responsibilities when administering narcotics and controlled drugs
Remain within the necessary restrictions imposed by the laws
Recognize their responsibilities when involved with clinical tests of experimental drugs
Canadian Regulation of Pharmaceuticals
They prohibit manufactures from making false claims about their medication benefits or advising patients to administer the medication’s incorrectly
They seek to protect patients from medication’s that might cause harm and require drug manufacturers to publish information about side effects unknown potential harmful effects of their products
Outline standards for drug manufacturers to ensure the medication is produced by different manufacturers are of uniform strength and purity
Manufacturing Related Regulations
Guarantee standardization of doses
Standardization assures patients that when they take a medication with a stated amount of the active ingredient they will receive that amount of the medication
The amount of active ingredient must be within 95% to 105% of that stated on the label
Assay
Bioassay
Assay
Bioassay
Assay: an Analysis of the drug itself to evaluate its potency
Bioassay: it’s a procedure for determining the concentration, purity and/or biological activity of a substance by measuring its effect on an organism, tissue, cell or enzyme
The HPFB
is Canada’s federal authority responsible for regulation of health products and food through enforcement of the food and drug act
Within HPFP there are three directorates:
The Therapeutic Products Directorate reviews the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals and medical devices and authorizes their use in Canada
The National Health Products Directorate regulates natural health products such as vitamins or herbal supplements
The Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate regulates biological and radiopharmaceutical drugs
The Office of Controlled Substances
ensures that controlled substances and drugs are not diverted for illegal use
it developed legislation, regulations, policies and operations to support the control of illicit drug use
The Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board and Advertising Standards Canada
independently review pharmaceutical advertisements to determine compliance with the Food and Drug Act
The Marketed Health Products Directorate is responsible for post marketing surveillance of adverse events secondary to market and drugs
In the event that a product quality or safety comes into question it can work with other health Canada directorates to remove the product from the market or provide safety information
The Drug Approval Process
the average time for a drug to be developed, tested and approved is approximately nine years
All new drugs must go through animal studies and clinical trials in humans before they are approved for distribution
Clinical trials proceed in four phases
Phase 1: the new drug is tested in healthy volunteers to compare human data with those in animals to determine safe doses of drug and to assess its safety
Phase 2: these trials are performed in homogeneous population of patients one group receives the drug in the other group receives the placebo
Phase 3: in these clinical trials the drug is made available to a large group of patients
Phase 4: after successful completion of phase 3 the drug company can submit a New Drug Submission to the HPFB for approval to market the drug
The Canadian Health Protection Branch of the Department of National Health and Welfare
is responsible for administration and enforcement of federal legislation for the Food and Drugs Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
Canadian Drug Legislation
the Food and Drugs Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act together with provincial acts and regulations that govern the sale of poisons and drugs and those that govern the health professions, are designed to protect the Canadian consumer from health hazards, deceptive advertising of drugs, cosmetics, and devices, and adulteration of food and drugs
The Canadian Food and Drugs Act
First passed in 1920 and most recently revised in 1985
Aims to protect the public from mislabeled, poisonous or otherwise harmful foods and medications
divide drugs into various categories.
There are three major classifications of drugs under the Food and Drugs Act:
Non-prescription drugs
Prescription drugs, and
Restricted drugs.
The Canadian Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
governs the possession, sale, manufacture, production, and distribution of narcotics in Canada
Only authorized persons can be in possession of a narcotic and must keep a record of the name and quantity of all narcotics dispensed and they must ensure the safekeeping of narcotics
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act organizes drugs into eight schedules, depending on
their dependence and abuse potential and their usefulness in medical therapy:
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
Schedule i
Includes narcotics such as opium, heroin, morphine, and cocaine
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
Schedule ii
Includes cannabis and cannabis resin
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
Schedule iii
Includes stimulants and hallucinogens
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
Schedule iv
Includes anabolic steroids, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
Schedule v
Includes phenylpropanolamine
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
Schedule vi
Includes precursors that can be converted or used to produce “designer drugs” or other controlled substances
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
Schedule vii
Defines limits associated with application of cannabis — related penalties, cannabis (3 kg), and cannabis resin (3 kg)
The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
Schedule viii
Defines limits associated with application of cannabis — related penalties, cannabis (30 kg), and cannabis resin (1 g)
MedSask
provides health care professionals and consumers with objective, concise and unbiased information on drug therapy
Canada Vigilance Regional Office (Saskatchewan)
Report adverse drug reactions to the Canadian Vigilance Program
RxFiles Academic Detailing Program
The RxFiles provides objective comparative drug information to promote optimal drug therapy
The Saskatchewan Formulary
is a list of the drugs of proven high quality that have been approved for coverage under the Drug Plan
