Medications Flashcards
What is Pharmacology?
The study of drugs and their effects on living organisms
What is Clinical Pharmacology?
The study of how drugs work in the human body
What is Pharmacokinetics?
The study of how the body responds to the drug
What are the four components of Pharmacokinetics?
“ADME”
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretion
What is Bioavailability?
The amount of administered drug that reaches the blood circulation and can be used by the body
What does it mean for two drugs to have Bio-equivalent (BE)
These drugs are absorbed equally into the body
What does it mean for two drugs to be Therapeutic Equivalent?
These drugs are both BE and can be expected to have the same clinical effect and safety profile. The FDA maintains a publication, the Orange Book, of approved drug products and their therapeutic equivalents.
What is Pharmacodynamics?
The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs on the body
What is the Therapeutic Index?
Indicates the range of doses at which a medication is effective and safe. Drugs with a narrow therapeutic index have a very small window between their effective doses and those at which they produce unacceptable adverse effects
What is an Indication?
A reason to use a certain treatment
What is a Contraindication?
A reason to not use a certain treatment due to the harm that it could cause the patient
What is an Addition Drug-Drug Interaction?
The combined effect of two drugs is equal to the sum of the effects of each drug taken alone
What is an Antagonism Drug-Drug Interaction?
The action of one drug antagonizes the action of another drug
What is a Potentiation Drug-Drug Interaction?
One drug enhances or prolongs the effects of another drug
What is a Synergism Drug-Drug Interaction?
The combined effect of two drugs is greater than the sum of the effects of two drugs
What is a Drug-Disease Interaction?
When a drug that is intended for therapeutic use causes certain harmful effects because of a disease or pre-existing condition that the patient has
What is a Drug-Nutrient Interaction?
When certain foods or beverages increase or decrease the effects of drugs in the body
Common: Grapefruit juice
What is a Warfarin Drug-Drug Interaction?
Warfarin is a blood thinner that indirectly inhibits vitamin K
What is a Dairy Food Drug-Drug Interaction?
Dairy foods contain calcium which can interact with certain medications by binding to them and preventing their absorption. Ingestion of dairy foods should be separated from drugs by at least two to four hours
What is a Drug-Herbal Interaction?
When herbal or dietary supplements increase or decrease a drug’s effect
What is a Drug-Alcohol Interaction?
Alcohol can have chemical reactions with the drug molecule itself or harmful side effects
What is a Drug-Laboratory Interaction?
Medications can interfere with laboratory testing and cause incorrect results
