Introduction To Pharmacology

Question 1

What is meant by therapeutic jungle?

Answer 1

Need to select the appropriate drug or drugs for a patient since there are so many out there

Question 2

What’s the difference between and cardiologist drug selection and a family practitioner drug selection?

Answer 2

Cardiologists use a limited number of drugs and are therefore familiar with problems associated with drug selection, dosage schedules, side effects, etc.
Family practitioners have a more diverse patient population and are therefore challenged by the therapeutic jungle

Question 3

Clinically, the initial molecular action of the drug in a patient cannot be detected. Instead, the molecular process initiates a cascade of events that produce an effect detectable by what?

Answer 3

1) Instruments, e.g. Measure blood pressure
2) Laboratory tests on body fluids or tissue samples
3) Direct observation of the patient by the physician

Question 4

Pt has congestive heart failure. What do you give them?

Answer 4

Digitalis preparation

Question 5

How does digitalis preparation help a patient with congestive heart failure?

Answer 5

1) specific binding of digitalis glycoside to cardiac membrane Na K ATPase
2) inhibition of Na K ATPase or sodium pump
3) increase in intracellular Na concentration
4) increase in intracellular Ca2+ by an effect on Na/Ca exchange
5) interaction of Ca2+ with troponin C and removal of tropomyosin inhibition
6) increase in myosin-actin interaction
7) increase in force of myocardial contraction
8) improve systemic circulation
9) reduction in signs and symptoms of heart failure

Question 6

What are the effects of a drug when a patient’s kidney’s shut down?

Answer 6

The drug sticks with the pt longer, meaning that if you don’t reduce the dosage, you can overdose the patient

Question 7

Large doses needed in some patients while others respond to normal or below normal levels

Answer 7

Patient-to-patient or biological variablity

Question 8

In these certain situations, diseases that can prove difficult to diagnose, drug therapy is often initiated before lab results or physician reports are complete

Answer 8

Life-threatening situations

Question 9

The status of the patient may change. What does this mean for your plan of action?

Answer 9

The drug, its amount, and the frequency of administration may need modification as the patient’s condition improves or worsens

Question 10

What are the issues with using multiple drugs?

Answer 10

Out-patients may be taking 4-8 drugs, and some elderly take up to 12 drugs. The opportunity for drug interactions increases exponentially as the number of drugs taken increases

Question 11

The choice of drug makes drug selection difficult, therefore, what does selection involve?

Answer 11

Experience and an element of experimentation

Question 12

The study of the interaction of chemicals with living systems

Answer 12

Pharmacology

Question 13

Substances that act on living systems at the chemical (molecular) level

Answer 13

Drugs

Question 14

The molecular components of the body with which a drug interacts to bring about its effect

Answer 14

Drug receptors

Question 15

The study of drugs used for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease

Answer 15

Medical pharmacology

Question 16

The study of the undesirable effects of chemical agents on living systems; considered an area of pharmacology; deals with the action of industrial pollutants, natural organic and inorganic poisons, and other chemicals on species and ecosystems

Answer 16

Toxicology

Question 17

Refers to the actions of a drug on the body, including receptor interaction, dose-response phenomena, and mechanisms of therapeutic and toxic action

Answer 17

Pharmacodynamics

Question 18

Refers to the actions of the body on the drug, including absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion; elimination of a drug may be achieved by metabolism or by excretion

Answer 18

Pharmacokinetics

Question 19

The ratio of the dose of drug that produces toxicity in 50% of the population to the dose that produces a clinically desired or effective response in 50% of the population

Answer 19

Therapeutic Index (margin of safety of drug)

Question 20

TD50

1) 10
2) 100
3) 3

ED50

1) 2
2) 10
3) 1

Which is safest?

Answer 20

2 (therapeutic index is 10, which is the highest of all of these)

Question 21

TD50

1) 10
2) 100
3) 3

ED50

1) 2
2) 10
3) 1

Which is most harmful?

Answer 21

3 (therapeutic index is 3, which means that the patient only has to take 3 times the recommended dose of that drug to get toxicity)

Question 22

For most drugs, the magnitude of the pharmacological response _____ as the concentration of the drug at the site of action _____.

Answer 22

• increases

- increases

Question 23

Why does it take a few seconds for the administration of a drug to show effects?

Answer 23

It takes time to distribute and bind

Question 24

Do we want to get to 100% max suppression?

Answer 24

No. It will cause other problems if you completely shut down the target. 90% is pretty good.

Question 25

Name of phase after hitting the highest blockade percent?

Answer 25

Recovery phase

Question 26

Identifies chemical structure

Answer 26

Chemical name (ex: paracetamol)

Question 27

Assigned by the U.S. Adopted Name Council

Answer 27

Generic name (ex: Acetaminophen)

Question 28

Assigned by company that developed the drug

Answer 28

Trade name (ex: Tylenol)

Question 29

What are the new requirements for pregnancy categories?

Answer 29

Narratives on pregnancy, lactation, and females and males reproductive potential