pharmacology

Question 1

medicines act 1968

Answer 1

POM - prescription only medicines
P - pharmacy only medicines
GSL - general sales lists

Question 2

what does ‘off label’ use mean

Answer 2

• the medicine being used in a way that is different to described in license

Question 3

examples of off label uses

Answer 3

• using medicine in age group outside licensed range
• using medicine at higher dose than stated in license
• using medicine for a different illness to that stated in license

Question 4

what does unlicensed use mean

Answer 4

• medicine has license in other countries but not UK
• medicine has license but made up of unlicensed formulation
• medicine has no license at all - used for treating rare illnesses

Question 5

drugs act 2005

Answer 5

• aggravated supply of control drugs
• police powers in drug offences
• testing for presence of class A drugs

Question 6

poisons act 1972

Answer 6

• non-medical poisons
• arsenic and strychnine
• little relevance to hospitals

Question 7

prescription of medicine human use order 1997

Answer 7

• appropriate practitioners
• medicinal products that are prescription only
• medicinal products that emit radiation
• exemptions

Question 8

contrast media

Answer 8

• used extensively in radiology to provide contrast between different structures
• dependent on doctors scope of practise and patients diagnosis

Question 9

contrast media definition

Answer 9

• various agents used to facilitate distinction between structures on images as consequence on differences in contrast

Question 10

two basic categories of contrast agents

Answer 10

• negative contrast agents
• positive contrast agents

Question 11

radiolucent

Answer 11

• negative contrast agents

Question 12

what are negative contrast agents used for

Answer 12

designed to make the intraluminal contents dark, especially on T2-weighted images
- produces denser image

Question 13

qualities of negative contrast agents

Answer 13

• have low atomic number
• more radiation transmitted through gas than bone
• air alone can provide sufficient contrast

Question 14

negative contrast media

Answer 14

• air
• sodium bicarbonate
• water
• carbon dioxide

Question 15

what are positive contrast agents used for

Answer 15

shorten relaxation times and increase intraluminal signal on T1-weighted images

Question 16

radiopaque

Answer 16

positive contrast agents

Question 17

qualities of positive contrast agents

Answer 17

• high atomic numbers
• high absorption of x-rays
• contrast appears lighter
• can be introduced to tracts, cavities + physiological systems

Question 18

why are elements with high atomic numbers used for positive contrast agents

Answer 18

• cause an increase in attenuation of x-rays
• eg barium and iodine
• radiopaque

Question 19

non-ionic contrast

Answer 19

tri-iodinated substituted ring compound
- routine
- 1:80 000 risk
- severe reactions 0.04%
- very severe reactions 0.004%

Question 20

water soluble iodine agents

Answer 20

• gastrograffin and urograffin
• relatively safe
• very small chance of a reaction