pharmacology Flashcards
What is pharmacokinetics?
Routes of administration
What is pharmacodynamics?
The effects of drugs and the mechanism of their action
What is quantifying drug effects?
Efficacy and potency
What are psychoactive (psychotropic) drugs?
Psychoactive drugs are drugs which after your transmission to affect a mood or behaviour
What are psychoactive drugs effective for?
They may be effective in managing psychological problems
What are psychoactive drugs? (like structure wise)
Psychoactive drugs are compounds that are not naturally present in the body and can be found in plants or compounds that have been synthesised in a chemical laboratory
What are the 6 routes of drug administration?
- oral (ingestion)
- rectal
- other mucous membranes: sublingual (under tongue) / buccal 9inside cheek) / nasal
- transdermal
- inhalation
- injection: intravenous (into the vein) / intramuscular (into the muscle) / subcutaneous (into the skin)
What are some advantages of oral administration?
- easy
- allows for drug to go out of the system
- limited infection risk
What are some disadvantages of oral administration?
- stomach is very acidic; some drugs are broken down
- foodstuffs in gut can make absorption unpredictable (e.g. alcohol on empty /full stomach)
- some drugs irritate the stomach, induce vomiting
- blood supply from gut routed to liver, main site of drug metabolism (so called first pass effect)
What is the first pass effect?
- liver metabolism breaks down active drug to metabolites for elimination
- the first-pass effect is the extent to which a drug is metabolised by the liver before reaching systemic circulation
- from the GI tract, drugs pass via the portal vein into the liver
- the result of first pass metabolism means that only a proportion of the drug reaches the circulation
What are some advantages of rectal administration?
Can be used if person is vomiting or unconscious
What are some disadvantages of rectal administration?
- Unpredictable rate of absorption
- Not well accepted by some
What is a sublingual mucous membranes administration?
Sublingual = under the tongue
Absorbed through mucous membranes
What is a buccal mucous membranes administration?
Buccal = mouth
Absorbed through lining of mouth
What is a nasal mucous membranes administration?
Nasal = inhaled or snorted
Absorbed by mucous membranes in the nose
What is an advantage of other mucous membranes administration?
Avoid first pass metabolism
What is a disadvantage of other mucous membranes administration?
All relatively slow compared with inhalation/injections
What are some factors that can affect diffusion of drugs across lipid membranes?
- lipid-soluble and small molecules drugs diffuse the best
- Un-ionsied drug molecules are more lipid soluble
How do drugs travel in the body?
Drugs circulate throughout the body in plasma where they then enter tissue sites. They encounter receptors for which they have affinity to. They bind and have a pharmacological response.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism converts the drug chemically into another compound which can be inert, active, or even more active
Where does metabolism occur?
Mainly takes place in the liver as it contains enzymes that help metabolism, it is sometimes essential for the drug to be eliminated
What is elimination?
Elimination is the process of which a drug is removed from the body
What are the different routes of elimination?
Urine
Breath
Sweat
Hair
How do drugs get eliminated through urination?
They are eliminated via the kidneys but is only possible for water-soluble compounds. However, fat-soluble drugs may be metabolised to make them water-soluble
