General Pharmacology Flashcards
Adverse drug event
Harm to a patient caused by a therapeutic or preventive intervention. Could be due to medication error or adverse drug reaction.
Adverse drug reaction
An undesirable response to a drug by a patient. May vary in severity from mild to fatal.
Agonist
A drug that brings about a specific action by binding with the appropriate receptor.
Antagonist
A drug that inhibits a specific action by binding with a particular receptor.
Bioavailability
Measure of the degree to which a drug is absorbed and reaches systemic circulation.
Compounding
Any manipulation (e.g.: diluting, combining) performed to produce a dosage-form drug, other than the manipulations described in the directions for use on the labeling of an approved drug product.
Drug
A substance used to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease.
Efficacy
The extent to which a drug causes the intended effects in a patient.
Extralabel use
The use of a drug that is not specifically listed on the FDA-approved label.
First-pass effect
Some orally administered drugs are rapidly metabolized in the liver; the concentration of the drug is greatly reduced before it reaches systemic circulation.
Half-life
The amount of time (usually expressed in hours) that it takes for the quantity of a drug in the body to be reduced by 50%.
Legend
Legend drugs are required by law to be dispensed on or by the order or a licensed veterinarian or physician.
Loading dose
It is an initial higher dose of a drug given at the beginning of a treatment to rapidly achieve a therapeutic concentration in the body.
Manufacturing
The bulk production of drugs for resale outside of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
Metabolism (biotransformation)
The biochemical process that alters a drug from an active form to a form that is inactive or that can be eliminated from the body.
Over-the-counter drugs
A drug that can be purchased without a prescription; these drugs contain ingredients that are safe or have low concentrations of an active ingredient.
Parenteral
The route of administration of injectable drugs.
Partition coefficient
The ratio of the solubility of substances (e.g.: gas anesthetics) between two states in which they may be found (e.g.: blood and gas, gas and rubber goods).
Prescription (legend) drug
A drug that is limited to use under the supervision of a veterinarian because of potential danger, difficulty of administration, or other considerations. A legend that designated a prescription drug states the following: “Caution: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.”
Regimen
A program for administration of a drug that includes the route, the dose, the frequency, and the duration of administration.
Residue
The amount of a drug still present in animal tissue or products (e.g.: meat, milk, eggs) at a particular point (slaughter or collection).
Therapeutic index
Relationship between a drug’s ability to achieve the desired effect and its tendency to produce toxic effects.
Veterinarian-client-patient relationship
The set of circumstances that must exist between the veterinarian, the client, and the patient before the dispensing of prescription drugs is appropriate.
Withdrawal time
The period of time from when the last dose of medication is administered to when the animal can be slaughtered for food or milk and eggs can be consumed safely.
