intro to pharmacology

Question 1

What are the 3 types of name a drug would have

Answer 1

1. A chemical name
2. A generic name
3. A trade/brand name

Question 2

What is the chemical name of the drug referring to?

Answer 2

It describes the positioning of the atoms or molecular groups in the drug molecule.

Question 3

What is the difference between the generic name and trade name of a drug?

Answer 3

A generic name is its universal name, whilst the trade name differs based on the drug company.

Question 4

What is a tablet with an enteric-coated preparation?

Answer 4

This tablet contains a drug that can’t be exposed to the gastric mucosa. It has enteric coating to protect it from the stomach, so it will be released in the small intestine.

Question 5

What is a tablet with a sustained release preparation?

Answer 5

It is a special tablet design which allows much slower, gradual drug release in the GIT.

Question 6

What is the difference between a cream and an ointment?

Answer 6

A cream is water-based, whilst an ointment is oil-based.

Question 7

What are subligual/buccal drug preparations used for?

Answer 7

This method is used to administer drugs into the bloodstream because it bypasses the liver. This method is used for drugs that would be deactivated by first pass metabolism by the liver.

Question 8

What is a transdermal drug administration?

Answer 8

Drug administration directly through the skin e.g nicotine patches.

Question 9

What is suppository drug administration?

Answer 9

Drug administration via the rectum

Question 10

What is an enema?

Answer 10

A liquid drug preparation for administration via the rectum. Bentuah is the ghana version (colon irrigation).

Question 11

What is parenteral drug administration?

Answer 11

This refers to subcutaneous, intrasmuscular and intravenous administration of a drug, using a syringe or needle.

Question 12

What is pharmacokinetics?

Answer 12

It is a measure of drug movement or drug behaviour in the body.

Question 13

What are the 4 components of pharmacokinetics?

Answer 13

Absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination.

Question 14

What is drug absorption?

Answer 14

It is a measure of how the drug enters the bloodstream. Intravenous administration of a drug would have no absorption.

Question 15

Does the presence of food in the stomach affect drug absorption?

Answer 15

Yes. The presence of food can delay drug absoprtion into the blood.

Question 16

Does the molecular size of the drug affect its absorption?

Answer 16

Yes. Smaller drug molecules will diffuse faster than larger drug molecules.

Question 17

What is drug bioavailability?

Answer 17

This refers to the amount of drug that makes it to the bloodstream and isn’t lost in the absorption process.

Question 18

How does 1st pass metabolism affect drug bioavailability?

Answer 18

The liver can metabolise and deactivate a drug in the blood, before it can reach the target tissue. This reduces the bioavailability of the drug.

Question 19

What is drug distribution?

Answer 19

This refers to how and where the body tissue takes up the drug.

Question 20

Does adipose tissue affect drug distribution?

Answer 20

Yes. Adipose tissue can bind to and thus remove drug from circulation.

Question 21

Does blood protein, like albumin, affect drug distribution?

Answer 21

Yes. Drugs can bind to proteins, removing them from circulation.

Question 22

What is the purpose of 1st pass drug metabolism by the liver?

Answer 22

The liver metabolises these drugs to make them more hydrophilic. Increasing hydrophilicity of a drug makes them easier to excrete via urine.

Question 23

Does liver metabolism always deactivate the drug?

Answer 23

No. Often times, drugs are designed so that the active metabolite elicits the therapeutic effect.

Question 24

What is drug elimination?

Answer 24

The removal of drugs from the body, usually via renal excretion in urine.

Question 25

What is drug affinity?

Answer 25

A measure of how likely a drug molecule is to bind to its receptor.

Question 26

What is drug efficacy?

Answer 26

It is a measure of the strength of the response elicited, once the drug molecule has bound to its receptor.

Question 27

What is the half-life of a drug a measure of?

Answer 27

Drug half-life refers to the time needed to remove hald of the total amount of drug in the body.

Question 28

What is an agonist drug?

Answer 28

A drug that binds to a receptor and elicits a response.

Question 29

What is an antagonist drug?

Answer 29

A drug that binds to a receptor to block/inhibit a response.