General Pharmacology Flashcards
What is one important task that vet techs carry out?
administration of drugs to animals on the order of a veterinarian
What knowledge should techs have on the drugs they use?
reasons for using the drugs (indications), situations the drug should not be used (contradictions), routes (drug administration), what happens when the drug enters the body (pharmokinetics), how drugs exert their effects (pharmodynamics), side effects
What is the legal aspect of pharmacology?
veterinarian-client-patient relationship
What is Pharmacotherapeutics?
the study of the therapeutic uses and effects of drugs
What is a drug regimen?
the plan for administering a drug (i.e. - 20# Clavamox (62.5mg) 1 tab PO BID x 10 days)
What does a regimen include?
route of administration, total amount given (dose), frequency of administration, duration of use
What are prescription drugs?
when a drug has potential toxic effects or must be administered in a way that requires trained personnel, that drug cannot be approved for animal use except under veterinarian supervision
What are controlled drugs?
drugs with potential for abuse or dependency need careful records of inventory use
What is extra-label use?
use of a drug in a way not specified on the label
What are over the counter medications?
drugs without potential to be toxic and do not require special administration
What is Pharmakinetics?
the study of the bodily absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs
What is steady state/distribution equilibrium?
when drug accumulation = drug elimination
What is therapeutic drug monitoring?
monitoring drug levels in the body (i.e. - Phenobarb levels)
What factors influence blood concentrations?
rate and route of administration, amount absorbed, drug distribution throughout the body, drug metabolism/biotransformation, rate and route of excretion
Where does drug metabolism/biotransformation occur?
in the liver
Where does drug excretion occur?
liver and kidney (kidney most common)
What are the routes of administration?
oral, paraenteral, topical, inhalation
What are some way of parenteral administration?
IV, IM, SQ, ID, IP, IA, IC, intraarticular, intramedullary, epidural
What is ID?
intradermal - injecting into the skin
What is IP?
intraperitoneal - delivers drugs into abdominal cavity, can be used administer fluids and some medications if other routes not available