L1 - fundamentals

Question 1

what is pharmacy

Answer 1

how drugs are formulated and dispensed for use as medicines

Question 2

define therapeutics

Answer 2

use of drugs to treat disease

Question 3

define toxicology

Answer 3

branch of pharma that focusses on harmful effects of drugs

Question 4

what is a drug

Answer 4

chemical substance of known structure that produces physiological effect

Question 5

what is a cyclooxygenase inhibitor? and give an example of one

Answer 5

pain killer

eg ibuprofen

Question 6

what are target proteins for drugs

Answer 6

NT/H receptors
enzymes
ion channels
carriers/transporters

Question 7

what are steric factors?

Answer 7

size & flexibility of a drug that determine how well it ‘fits’ into target

Question 8

what type of bonds are
reversible
irreversible

Answer 8

VDW
H bonds
Hphilic and Hphobic

covalent

Question 9

define selectivity

Answer 9

the aim that the drug will have only one function

eg a drug that aims to lower blood pressure but is also a diuretic wouldn’t have high selectivity

Question 10

how can high selectivity be achieved?

Answer 10

designing drugs with high specificity

Question 11

define specificity

Answer 11

how well the drug binds ONLY to the intended target protein

Question 12

define pharmacodynamics

Answer 12

what the drug does to the body

Question 13

define pharmacokinetics

Answer 13

what the body does to the drug

Question 14

what 4 things are involved in pharmacokinetics?

Answer 14

1. absorption
2. distribution
3. metabolism
4. excretion

Question 15

why is a drugs absorption important to study?

Answer 15

determines how much and how quickly drug enters blood

Question 16

what can effect absorption

Answer 16

drug size
drugs lipid solubility
drugs chemical stability (eg in stomach acid)

Question 17

what is important for a drug to be able to distribute around the body

Answer 17

its water solubility (to dissolve in plasma /ECF)

Question 18

what can interfere with a drugs distribution around the body

Answer 18

1. patients circulation
2. drug sticking to plasma proteins (albumin)
3. drug may partition into fat stores if highly lipid soluble
4. whether it can access target (eg BBB)
   5.

Question 19

why is studying a drugs metabolism and excretion important?

Answer 19

determines

• how long drug effects last
• how long drug stays in system
• if any toxic/active metabolites are produced

Question 20

what can influence a drugs metabolism and excretion

Answer 20

1. does patient have healthy liver and kidneys

2. effectiveness of liver enzymes (genetics)

Question 21

what ways are drugs excreted

Answer 21

1. urine
   2 faeces
2. breathing
3. sweat

Question 22

define clearance

Answer 22

volume of blood plasma cleared of the drug per unit time

Question 23

define volume distribution (Vd)

Answer 23

the volume a drug would occupy IF the amount administered was dissolved in solution at the same conc that its found in blood plasma

Question 24

why do we use Vd?

Answer 24

to quantify the factors effecting a drugs distribution