intro to pharm

Question 1

what are the 3 different names for drugs?

Answer 1

1. chemical (what the drug is made up of)
2. generic name (always lower case, cheaper than brand names, a pharmaceutical company names these drugs)
3. trade/ brand name (begin w/ capital letter, commercial or property name, could have more than 1 name)

Question 2

what is pharmacokinetics?

Answer 2

describes the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs

Question 3

what are the 4 processes of pharmacokinetics? (ADME)

Answer 3

1. absorption: how will it get in, movement of the drug from site of administration to various tissues of the body
2. distribution: where will it go, movement of a drug by circulatory system to intended site of action
3. metabolism (biotransformation): how is it broken down, the change that occurs in a drug into a more of less potent form
4. excretion: how does it leave, the elimination of a drug or metabolites through varies part of the body

Question 4

where does metabolism primarily take place?

Answer 4

the liver

Question 5

what is first pass effect?

Answer 5

when drug metabolism occurs before the drug enters the bloodstream (Having it’s therapeutic effect)

Question 6

what is drug toxicity?

Answer 6

occurs when drug level exceeds the therapeutic range and may be from drug overdose (intentional, non-intentional)

Question 7

what is the difference between potency and efficacy of a drug?

Answer 7

potency: amount of drug needed to elicit a certain response (a drug that is more potent will deliver a therapeutic affect at a lower dosage)
efficacy: the maximal response that can be elicited by the drug (maximal response to symptoms)

Question 8

what is agonist and antagonist drugs?

Answer 8

agonist: drugs that occupy receptors and activate them
antagonists: drugs that occupy receptors but do not activate them. these block receptor activation by agonists

Question 9

what is a synergistic effect of 2 drugs?

Answer 9

when 2 drugs work together and the combined effect is greater than the effect of the 1 drug alone

Question 10

what is the benefit of transdermal medications?

Answer 10

delivers constant, controlled amount of medication into the skin and into the bloodstream which then achieve a prolonged systemic affect

Question 11

what are the 6 rights of medication administration?

Answer 11

1. right patient
2. right medication
3. right dose
4. right time
5. right route
6. right documentation

Question 12

what are the routes for administration and time until meds are effective?

Answer 12

1. intravenous (IV): 30-60 sec
2. intramuscular (IM) 10-20 mins
3. subcutaneous (SQ) 15-30 mins
4. oral: 30-90 mins
5. transdermal: variable, minutes to hours

Question 13

what is the highest abuse drug category?

Answer 13

schedule 1

Question 14

what is the lowest abuse drug category?

Answer 14

schedule 5

Question 15

what is drug half life?

Answer 15

the amount of time it takes for amount of drug in body to be reduced by 1/2

Question 16

where do oral medications get absorbed?

Answer 16

small intestine

Question 17

what should you do to ensure the patient took the medication?

Answer 17

assess the patient by staying in the room until pt took the medication, making sure pt swallowed the medication, and have pt cough if needed so pt doesn’t try to spit it back out

Question 18

what does sublingual mean?

Answer 18

under the tongue

Question 19

T or F? liquid forms are more rapid and completely absorbed and will produce higher blood levels which may require a dosage change?

Answer 19

TRUE

Question 20

enteric tablets, capsules, or sustained release capsules should NOT be crushed, why?

Answer 20

b/c all of the drug will be released at once and have a quicker effect. these drugs are meant to be absorbed in the small intestine

Question 21

what is the max amount of mLs you can administer SUB Q?

Answer 21

1 mL

Question 22

what is the max amount of IM volume in one injection that can be given in one site?

Answer 22

0.5-3.0 mL

Question 23

what is the term used for orders that must be delivered right then and now?

Answer 23

STAT

Question 24

what is the best way to teach a patient?

Answer 24

visual props (give them something to look at, it will increase their adherence and understanding)

Question 25

what are the 2 best patient identifiers?

Answer 25

pt full name and DOB

Question 26

when should the label be read for administering medication?

Answer 26

3x
1. at the time you come in contact w/ the medication
2. before pouring the medication
3. after pouring the medication

Question 27

what should you do if you are unclear on a order?

Answer 27

call the provider and clarify then ALWAYS document the conversation

Question 28

what do you do if you realize you gave the incorrect meds/dosage to your patient?

Answer 28

asses the pt then report to your provider

Question 29

what is steady state?

Answer 29

the rate of medication administered equals the amount of medication excreted

Question 30

drug peak

Answer 30

reached the highest level of concentration in the blood and the patient will be subject to the most affect (highest benefit)

Question 31

trough level

Answer 31

lowest plasma of the blood, usually drawn close to the next dose

Question 32

duration

Answer 32

length of time therapeutic lasts without additional dosages

Question 33

is loading dose and maintenance dose the same thing?

Answer 33

NO, loading dose has a higher concentration than maintenance dose. maintenance dose is the routine medication that we will e giving the patient

Question 34

why are the african american population at higher risk for strokes?

Answer 34

b/c they are at higher risk for hypertension due to the fact that not all hypertensives work for them