Fundementals of pharmacology Flashcards
What is pharmacology?
Pharmacology is the study of drugs, including their structure, targets, mechanisms of action, distribution in the body, and effects on the body.
What is pharmacokinetics?
Pharmacokinetics refers to “what the body does to the drug.” It is the study of the time course of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion in the body.
What are the main phases of pharmacokinetics?
Administration: The drug is introduced into the body through various routes, such as oral, injection, inhalation, sublingual/buccal, rectal, or via epithelial surfaces.
Absorption: The process of transferring the drug from the site of administration into the general circulation, influencing its access to the systemic circulation.
“First pass” metabolism: When a drug is metabolized in the liver before reaching systemic circulation after oral administration.
Distribution: The transfer of a drug from the general circulation to various tissues and body compartments.
Metabolism: The chemical alteration of a drug in the body, which can facilitate its action or enhance its elimination.
Inhibition and induction: Processes where certain substances can inhibit or enhance drug metabolism, respectively.
Excretion: The removal of drugs or their metabolites from the body through various routes, including renal (via urine), biliary (via bile), respiratory (via breath), dermal (via sweat), or fecal (via feces) excretion.
What is pharmacodynamics?
Pharmacodynamics refers to “what the drug does to the body.” It is the study of the biological effects and mechanisms of action of drugs.
How can side-effects be defined?
Side-effects are undesirable secondary effects that occur in addition to the intended therapeutic effect of a drug. They can occur when the drug interacts with the same type of receptor at different sites around the body or when it interacts with more than one type of receptor. Most side-effects can be predicted by understanding the pharmacology of the drug.
What are therapeutic side-effects?
Therapeutic side-effects refer to the intended biological effects of a drug. These effects are the desired outcomes that contribute to the drug’s therapeutic benefit.
What are adverse reactions?
Adverse reactions are harmful reactions that occur as a result of the administration of a drug or combination of drugs under normal conditions of use. They are considered undesired effects and can vary in severity.
What are toxic effects?
Toxic effects are deleterious and undesired effects that occur following the administration of a higher dose of a drug or medicine. They can result in drug poisoning and are typically associated with excessive drug exposure.
