General Pharmacology Knowledge Flashcards
Define a drug?
any substance or product that is used or intended to be used to modify or explore physiological systems or pathological states for the benefit of the recipient
Define an adverse drug reaction?
An unintended and undesirable response to a drug
Define clinical pharmacology?
Pharmacology applied to the treatment of human patients; the study of drugs ‘at the bedside’
Define pharmaceutics?
The science of the preparation and dispensing of drugs
Define pharmacodynamics?
What drugs do to the body and how they do it; refers to the interaction of drug molecules with their target receptors or cells, and their biochemical, physiological and possibly adverse effects
Define pharmacokinetics?
How the body affects a specific drug after administration; that is, how a drug is altered as it travels through the body (by absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion)
What does a pharmacologist do?
A person who studies drugs: their source, nature, actions and mechanisms, uses, fate in the body, medical uses and toxicity
What is pharmacology?
The study of drugs, including their actions and effects in living systems
What is a receptor?
Protein structure on or within a cell or membrane that is capable of binding to a specific substance (such as a transmitter, hormone or drug), initiating chemical signalling and causing altered function in the cell
What is a route?
The pathway by which a drug is administered to the body; for example, in the oral route, the drug is taken by mouth and swallowed
What is a side effect?
A drug’s effect that is not necessarily the primary purpose for giving the drug in the particular condition; side effects may be desirable or undesirable.
What is toxicology?
The study of the nature, properties, identification, effects and treatment of poisons, including the study of adverse drug reactions
To administer a drug safely, one must know what?
usual dose, frequency and route of administration, indications and contraindications, significant adverse reactions, major drug interactions, dietary implications (if applicable), and appropriate monitoring techniques and interventions, and apply this knowledge to the particular patient and situation.
The terms ‘medication’, ‘medicine’ and ‘pharmaceutical’ usually refer to drugs that do what?
are mixed in a formulation with other ingredients to improve the stability, taste or physical form, in order to allow appropriate administration of the active drug.
What is potency?
the amount of chemical required to produce an effect
