Intro Pharmacology

Question 1

Pharmacology

Answer 1

Study of substances that interact with biological systems through chemical processes

Question 2

Drugs

Answer 2

Substances (but not food) that affect biologic function through chemical actions

Question 3

Pharmacotherapeutics

Answer 3

Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease through the use of drugs
Purposeful alteration of normal function

Question 4

Pharmacokinetics

Answer 4

• “Body affecting drug”
• qualitative and quantitative description of what happens to a drug in body over time
• absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
• basis for dosing regimens

Question 5

Pharmacodynamics

Answer 5

• “drug affecting body”

- site and mechanism of action

Question 6

Toxicology

Answer 6

adverse effects of drugs and environmental chemicals

Question 7

Pharmacogenomics

Answer 7

study of genetic variations that cause differences in drug response

Question 8

Summation

Answer 8

effects of 2 drugs simply additive

Question 9

Synergism/potentiation

Answer 9

Presence of one drug enhances the effects of another to produce effects greater than simple summation
eg sulfamethoxazole+trimethoprim

Question 10

Antagonism

Answer 10

Presence of one drug blocks or reverses the effects of another

Question 11

Latency

Answer 11

Delayed onset of therapeutic effects

Question 12

Tolerance

Answer 12

• Acquired insensitivity; requires at least one exposure
• tachyphylaxis-rapid
• tolerance due to chronic drug treatment-slow

Question 13

Drug resistance

Answer 13

• lack of responsiveness to drug
• bacterial, cancer cells
• genetic factors

Question 14

Drug Sensitivity

Answer 14

exaggerated response to drug

genetic

Question 15

Properties of an ideal drug

Answer 15

efficacy
safety
selectivity
reversibility
predictability
ease of administration
freedom from interactions with other drugs
low cost
chemical stability

Question 16

efficacy

Answer 16

• ability to produce a specified response

- most important property a drug can have

Question 17

Safety

Answer 17

• want a drug to have minimal potential to cause injury even at high doses or when taken for extended periods
• no drug is completely safe

Question 18

Selectivity

Answer 18

• receptors are responsible for selectivity of drug action
• ideally, a selective drug produces only the responses for which it is given
• no drug is completely selective-all drugs produce side effects

Question 19

Development Stages

Answer 19

1. In vitro studies
2. Animal testing (2 species req’d)
3. Clinical Testing (safety assessment, drug metabolism-are metabolites toxic, active?)
4. Marketing

Question 20

Phase 1 Human testing

Answer 20

• Agent given to healthy volunteers
• Is drug safe at these doses?
• Pharmacokinetics

Question 21

Phase 2 human testing

Answer 21

• given to patients (100-200)

- is drug efficacious for what we want it for

Question 22

Phase 3 human testing

Answer 22

• multi center studies (1000-6000 pts)

- double blind studies

Question 23

Phase 4

Answer 23

• Post marketing surveillance
• Monitor for rare toxicity
• new indications for drug-off label use

Question 24

1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

Answer 24

Required that new drugs be “safe”- did not require proof of efficacy

Question 25

Category D drugs

Answer 25

Positive evidence of human fetal risk, but potential benefits may warrant use in pregnant woman

Question 26

Category X drugs

Answer 26

Studies have demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or positive evidence of human fetal risk and risks involve outweigh benefits to mom