Medications Flashcards
Pharmacology
how drugs work in the body
what is an indication
the indication of a drug is what the drug is licensed to treat
what is the indication of ampicillin
bacterial infections
indication of metformin?
type 2 diabetes
indication of Viagra (sildenafil)?
erectile dysfunction
can meds have more than one indication?
yes
what is a mechanism of action of a drug?
how a drug works to achieve its therapeutic effect
what is the mechanism of action also called?
mode of action
what are the indication of statins?
high blood pressure
what is the medical term for high blood pressure?
hypercholesterolemia
how do statins work?
by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase –an essential enzyme in the production of cholesterol in the body
side effect
expected reactions that occur while taking the drug
some side effects of metformin
taste disturbance
diarrhea
weight loss
lactic acidosis
vitamin B12 deficiency
adverse effects
unintended, potentially life threatening effects
side effects can be positive or negative (true or false)
true
adverse effects are only negative (true or false)
true
pharmacokinetics
discipline of pharmacology that studies how an organism affects a drug
what is the acronym for pharmacokinetics?
ADME
absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
what are the two ways to metabolize drugs
via the liver and via gastrointestinal tract
pharmacodynamics (PD)
talks about what the drug does to the body – the biochemical and physiological effects of drug on the body
what helps learn the optimum dose
pharmacodynamics
optimum dose-response relationship
limits side effects whilst maximizing the clinical effects of the drug
what are receptors?
proteins-chemical structures in the body
what happens when a receptor is activated?
a physiological response takes place
what binds to receptors?
neurotransmitters
what are the 4 main neurotransmitters?
histamine, serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine
what is agonism?
the receptor has been activated
what is antagonism?
when you have deactivated the receptor – when you block the reaction
where are beta 1 receptors?
heart
where are beta 2 receptors?
lungs
what is a common receptor?
histamine (most important are H1 and H2)
antihistamines work by blocking the _____ ?
H1 receptor
H1 receptor antagonists include:
loratadine
levocetirizine
fexofenadine
azelastine
chlorpheniramine
where is the H2 receptor located
in the stomach
what happens when neurotransmitter binds to the H2 receptor?
acid production occurs
H2 antagonists prevent histamine from binding to the H2 receptor in the stomach and prevent what?
gastric acid production
what do H2 antagonists treat?
indigestion, dyspepsia, gastro-esophageal reflux disease
example of H2 antagonists?
ranitidine
what are agonists?
drugs that bind to receptors and promote its natural physiological outcome
what are antagonists?
drugs that block receptors
what does albuterol target?
beta-2 receptors
CYP 450 enzyme system
a superfamily of enzymes elaborate bodily system involved in metabolizing drugs
where are CYP enzymes located
in the liver
what is known as the great factory of drug metabolism
liver
where can CYP enzymes also be found in
the intestine
what enzyme is known as metabolizing over half of all the prescribed drugs?
CYP 3A4
what are CYP inducers?
drugs that enhance the effects of CYP 3A4
an example of CYP inducer?
carbamazepine
if a person is taking ketoconazole and carbamazepine at the same time, what happens?
carbamazepine induces the activity of CYP 3A4, meaning that ketoconazole is metabolized faster than expected, also eliminated from the body faster
what three things can drugs interact with?
other drugs
with food
with disease
can drug-drug interactions be positive and negative?
yes
what is a synergistic effect?
when two drugs complement the effects of each other
diuretics also cause potassium loss, known as
hypokalemia
what is given when hypokalemia is caused by a water pill
“potassium-sparing diuretic”
this enhances the effect of the original water pill
(case of loop diuretic)
notable side effect of statins?
muscle damage
myopathies rhabdomyolysis
what do tetracyclines interact with?
calcium ions
if a person takes milk or dairy products with tetracycline, it prevents the drug from working
what are MAO inhibitors
drugs used in treating depression and parkinsons disease
what are examples of MAO inhibitors
tranylcypromine (parnate)
isocarboxazid (marplan)
phenelzine (nardil)
what do MAO inhibitors interact with?
tyramine
what is tyramine
amino acid that helps regulate blood pressure
what does a patent mean
company that developed the drug has legal control over the ingredient produced in the med
what happens when a patent expires
competitor pharmaceutical companies can now produce the med at a cheaper cost
what is different in generic and brand meds?
excipients differ
what is the half life?
how long it takes a med to reduce by 50 percent in pt body
