MedChem Basics

Question 1

What is a medicine?

Answer 1

Medicines are chemicals or compounds used to cure, halt, or prevent disease; ease symptoms; or help in the diagnosis of illnesses.

Question 2

What is the difference between pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics?

Answer 2

Pharmacokinetics is the study of what the body does to the drug, and Pharmacodynamics is the study of what the drug does to the body.

Question 3

What formulations are available to reduce 1stpass metabolism?

Answer 3

Parenteral, IV, IM, SC, Nasal spray, MDI

Question 4

How does Ibuprofen work? Any contraindications?

Answer 4

Ibuprofen works on one of the body’s chemical pathways for pain. The drug enters the bloodstream, circulates through the body, and blocks cyclooxygenase. This reduces your body’s ability to make prostaglandins — these are the natural chemicals that trigger pain, inflammation and fever. With fewer prostaglandins in your body, pain and inflammation are reduced, and your fever goes down.

Contraindications - known hypersensitivity or idiosyncratic reaction to ibuprofen (or any of the other ingredients in the product). Known hypersensitivity to aspirin and other NSAIDs. asthma that is aspirin or NSAID sensitive. Active gastrointestinal bleeding or peptic ulceration.

Question 5

What is the “Therapeutic Window”

Answer 5

The therapeutic window describes the dosage range between a minimum effective therapeutic concentration, and the minimum toxic concentration.

Question 6

What classification and what is the mode of action of Paracetamol.

Answer 6

Paracetamol is an analgesic and acts by blocking the chemical messengers in the brain that tell your body that you have pain. It also reduces a high temperature by affecting the chemical messengers in an area of the brain that regulates body temperature.

Question 7

What do you understand by the word potency as it relates to drug action?

Answer 7

Potency (strength) refers to the amount of drug (usually expressed in milligrams) needed to produce an effect, such as relief of pain or reduction of blood pressure.

Question 8

What is drug distribution dependent on?

Answer 8

Drug distribution is impacted by several factors related to the drug and the body. The drug-related factors include blood and tissue binding proteins, pH, and perfusion. The body-related factors include body water composition, fat composition, diseases
Talk to me about absorption rates of drugs?

Question 9

What are the main therapeutic groups of medicines? Where would be a typical source of this information?

Answer 9

Cardivascular, Diabetes, analgesics, antibiotics, anti-depressant, anti-cancer, inhalation products. Pharmacopeias, websites (electronic medicines compendium, WHO, EMA), chemists, doctors

Question 10

What products do your company make?

Answer 10

Zoladex copolymer implant and Nolvadex tablets

Question 11

Where would this (pharmacological action) information be included in a marketing authorisation?

Answer 11

Module 3 Quality

Question 12

If you wanted to find out about a drug where would you go to look for the information?

Answer 12

Electronic medicines compendium or EMA website

Question 13

What are the 3 most critical factors for drug absorption from a solid dosage form?

Answer 13

Tablet hardness, tablet coating, granule size. pH at site of dissolution

Question 14

What does Warfarin do?

Answer 14

Warfarin is an anticoagulant, while the drug is described as a “blood thinner”, it does not reduce viscosity but rather inhibits coagulation

Question 15

Can you explain 1stpass metabolism and its implications?

Answer 15

The first-pass effect is a pharmacological phenomenon in which a medication undergoes metabolism at a specific location in the body. The first-pass effect occurs whenever the drug is administered orally, the drug enters the bloodtream where it is transported via the portal vein to the liver, in the liver the drug is hydrolysed to such an extent that the bioavailability is drastically reduced, decreasing the active drug’s concentration upon reaching systemic circulation or its site of action

Question 16

What is the effect of pH on product

Answer 16

GI pH is an important factor that can markedly affect oral drug absorption and bioavailability as it may have significant influence on drug dissolution & solubility, drug release, drug stability, and intestinal permeability. Different regions of the GI tract have different drug absorptive properties

Question 17

What is pH of blood?

Answer 17

Blood is normally slightly basic, with a normal pH range of about 7.35 to 7.45.

Question 18

What is process capability – how do you measure it? (Led to CpK and the differences between the two)

Answer 18

Process capability is defined as a statistical measure of the inherent process variability of a given characteristic. CpK is a measure used for short term variation and PpK for long term

Question 19

What affects the bioavailability of a drug?

Answer 19

physicochemical properties of the drug, physiological aspects, the type of dosage form, food intake

Question 20

What is a diuretic/ how do they work/ what parts of kidney do they act on?/ name some examples/ what were the problems with earlier diuretics?

Answer 20

Diuretics are medicines that help reduce fluid buildup in the body. Diuretics act on the kidneys and encourage them to release water in the form of urine. As urine contains salt as well as water, diuretics also increase the body’s salt excretion – consisting of sodium, potassium and magnesium. Older adult individuals tend to experience insufficient blood volume after taking diuretics, resulting in hypotension, dizziness, fainting, and falls.

Question 21

What affects drug metabolism?

Answer 21

Many factors affect the rate and pathway of metabolism of drugs, and the major influences can be sub-divided into internal (physiological and pathological) and external (exogenous) factors as indicated below: Internal: species, genetic (strain), sex, age, hormones, pregnancy, disease. External: diet, environment.

Question 22

What is the action of Temgesic?

Answer 22

TEMGESIC is a “pain killer”. It is used for the short term relief of severe pain. TEMGESIC belongs to a group of medicines called opioid (narcotic) analgesics. Opioid analgesics act directly on the brain and spinal cord to block the sensation of pain.

Question 23

What is a partial agonist?

Answer 23

partial agonists are drugs that bind to and activate a given receptor, but have only partial efficacy at the receptor relative to a full agonist.