Pharmacology Flashcards
Absorption
Process by which a drug enters the circulatory system (blood).
Intravenous (IV) & Intra-Arterial
Administration/Dosage routs that do not require absorption.
Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, & Elimination… The Pharmacokinetic Process
ADME
Addiction
Dependence characterized by a perceived need to take a drug to attain the psychological & physical effects of mood altering substances.
Affinity
Natural attraction - the strength by which a particular chemical messenger binds to its receptor site on a cell
Allergen
Substance of a usually harmless nature that produces an abnormal hypersensitive reaction.
Allergic Response
A hypersensitive reaction to any usually harmless substance that does not normally cause a reaction.
Anaphylactic Reaction
Severe allergic response resulting in immediate life-threatening respiratory distress, usually followed by vascular collapse & shock accompanied w/ hives.
Angioedema
Abnormal accumulation of fluid in tissue
Antagonist
Drug that neutralizes or counteracts the effects of a neurotransmitter or another drug when it binds to a particular receptor site.
Antigen
Foreign substance that is recognized by the immune system & induces the immune system to produce antibodies to defend against the foreign substance.
bioavailability
degree to which a drug or other substance becomes available to the target tissue after administration
ceiling effect
point at which no clinical response occurs with increased dosage of a drug
clearance
rate at which a drug is eliminated from a specific volume of blood per unit of time
contraindication
any disease, condition, or symptom for which a drug will not be beneficial and may be harmful
dependence
state in which a persons body has adapted physiologically and psychologically to a drug and cannot function without it
distribution
process by which a drug moves from the blood into other body fluids and tissues and ultimately to its site of action
dose
quantity of a drug administered at one time
drug abuse
use of a drug for purposes other than those prescribed and in amounts that were not directed.
drug interaction
when a drug is affected in some way by another drug, food, or other substances
drug interaction relationship: addiction
the combined effect of 2 drugs is equal to the sum of the effects of each drug taken alone
drug interaction relationship: potentiation
1 drug increases or prolongs the action of another drug and the total effect is greater than the sum of the effects of each drug used alone
drug interaction relationship: synergism
the combined effect of 2 drugs is more intense or longer in duration than the sum of their individual effects.
enzymes, nucleic acids, receptors, and transport proteins
types of specific body molecules that drugs can combine with
duration of action
length of time a drug gives the desired response/remains at the therapeutic level
elimination
removal of a drug or the drugs metabolites from the body by excretion
first order
drugs for which the rate of elimination is concentration dependent
half life
time necessary for the body to eliminate half of the drug in the body at any 1 time
induction
process by which a drug increases the concentration of certain enzymes that affect the pharmacologic response to other drugs
Inhibition
process by which a drug blocks enzyme activity and impairs the metabolism of another drug
Interaction
change in the action of a drug caused by another drug, food, or another substance, such as alcohol or nicotine
Lipid
fatty molecule- an important consituent of cell membranes; the generally repel water
Local Effect
action of a drug that is confined to a specific part of the body
Loading Dose
amount of a drug that is confined to a specific part of the body
Maintenance dose
amount of a drug administered at regular intervals to keep the blood concentration at a therapeutic level. An important factor in determining this is a drugs clearance rate.
Metabolic Pathway
Sequence of chemical steps that convert a drug into a metabolite
Metabolism
process by which drugs are chemically converted to other compounds
Peak
top or upper limit of a drug’s concentration in the blood
Pharmokinetic Modeling
method of describing the process of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of drug within the body mathematically
Pharmokinetics
activity of a drug within the body over a period of time; including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
Prophylaxis
Effect of a drug in preventing infection or disease
Pruritus
itching sensation
Receptor
protein molecule on the surface of or within a cell that recognizes and binds with specific molecules, thereby producing some effect within the cell
Side effect
secondary response to a drug other than the primary therapeutic effect for which the drug was intended
Solubility
ability of a drug to dissolve in bodily fluids
Specificity
property of a cell receptor that enables it to bind only with a specific chemical messenger complementary to the structure of the receptor
Systemic effect
action of a drug that has generalized the all inclusive effect of the drug on the body.
Therapeutic effect
desired action of a drug in the treatment of a particular disease, state, or symptom
Therapeutic level
amount of a drug in the blood at which beneficial effects occur. The amount of time required to achieve this can be shortened by administering a loading dose.
Therapeutic range
optimum dosage, providing the best chance for achieving the most effective and desired action… dosing below this range has little effect, while dosing above this level can lead to toxicity and death
Tolerance
Decrease in response to the effects of a drug as it continues to be administered
Trough
lowest level of a drug in the blood
Urticaria
Hives, itching sensation
Volume of Distribution
mathematical relationship between the blood concentration attained and the amount of drug administered
Wheals
slightly elevated red areas on the surface of the body
Zero order
drugs for which the rate of elimination is not concentration dependent
Blind investigational drug study
A research design in which the subjects are purposely unaware of whether the substance they are administered is the drug under study or the placebo. This method serves to eliminate bias on part of the subjects in reporting their body’s responses the investigational drugs
Controlled substances
Any drugs listed on one of the ‘schedules’ of the Controlled Substance Act (aka scheduled drugs)
Double-blind research study
A research design in which both the investigators and the subjects are purposely unaware of whether the substance administered to a given subject is the drug under study or the placebo. This method eliminates bias on the part of both the investigator and the subject
Drug polymorphism
variation in response to a drug vecause of a patient’s age, gender, size, and/or body composition
