Pharmacology

Question 1

what is pharmacology?

Answer 1

the scientific study of the action of drugs on living animals and humans.

Question 2

What is a drug category/classification?

Answer 2

Effect on a particular body system.

what symptoms it relieves

Question 3

Chemical name?

Answer 3

medication’s chemical composition and molecular structure

Question 4

Generic name?

Answer 4

assigned by the manufacturer/company who first develops the medication

EX: acetaphinomen

Question 5

Trade/Brand name?

Answer 5

name of the drug chosen and copyrighted by the manufacturer. One drug may have several trade names.

EX: tylenol

Question 6

Pharmacokinetics?

Answer 6

absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs

related to the concentration of the drug and/or its chemical byproducts in various body sites

Question 7

Absorption (bioavailabilty)?

Answer 7

process by which a drug passes into the blood stream

Question 8

Factors affecting absorption?

Answer 8

Route of administration, Dosage Form, Acid (pH) medium in the stomach, Presence or absence of food, Blood circulation to site of absorption,

Question 9

Distribution?

Answer 9

process by which a drug is carried from its site of absorption to its site of action.

Question 10

Factors affecting distribution?

Answer 10

Body weight and composition
Adequate blood supply (tissue perfusion)
Plasma protein binding capacity
Drug molecules that are bound to protein are pharmacologically inactive
Drug molecules that are unbound are active
Blood brain barrier

Question 11

Metabolism?

Answer 11

process by which drugs are inactivated or transformed by the body so they can be more easily excreted. Metabolism occurs primarily in the liver stemming from the reaction of liver enzymes with the drug

Question 12

Factors affecting metabolism?

Answer 12

Liver function, Age, Nutritional status

Question 13

Excretion?

Answer 13

refers to the elimination of a drug from the body

– may be eliminated unchanged or in the form of metabolites. Most drugs are excreted via the kidneys, however drugs/ metabolites can also be excreted in feces, saliva, sweat, lungs, bile and breast milk.

Question 14

Factors affecting excretion?

Answer 14

Kidney Function, Liver Function, Age

Question 15

Factors Affecting Medication Action?

Answer 15

Age/developmental factors
Gender/body size/weight and composition
Genetics/culture/ethnicity
Lifestyle habits
Psychological factors
Illness and disease
Time of Administration

Question 16

Effects of drugs?

Answer 16

Therapeutic: desired or primary effect

Side Effects/Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs): all drugs have a potential to cause secondary effects or a response not related to the therapeutic effect. Usually it is undesired and unintended

Question 17

Drug Allergy/Sensitivity?

Answer 17

immunological reaction to a drug. can occur within minutes or up to two weeks after

Question 18

Toxic Effect?

Answer 18

poisoning; which is related to the dose of the drug being given

Question 19

Anaphylactic reaction /shock?

Answer 19

severe allergic reaction usually occurring within seconds of administration

Question 20

Drug Tolerance?

Answer 20

Body becomes accustomed to a drug over a period of time, therefore requiring a higher dose to attain the same effect.

Question 21

Cumulative Effect?

Answer 21

the action of repeated doses of drugs that are not eliminated from the body

Question 22

Idiosyncratic Effect?

Answer 22

occurs when an individual’s response to a drug is extreme sensitivity in low dosage, extreme sensitivity in high dosage, or a response that is quite different from the usual (bizarre)

Question 23

Potentiating or Synergistic Effect?

Answer 23

interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects

Question 24

Decreased or Inhibiting Effect?

Answer 24

Interactions that decrease a drug’s effect

Question 25

Drug Abuse?

Answer 25

inappropriate intake of a substance, either continually or periodically

Question 26

Drug Dependence?

Answer 26

reliance on or need to take a drug or substance.

two types of drug dependence: psychological and physical.

Question 27

Pharmacodynamics?

Answer 27

impact of drugs on the body

Question 28

Agonist?

Answer 28

drug that has a direct action on a receptor and alters its functional properties.

Question 29

Antagonist?

Answer 29

drug that interacts with a cell receptor without stimulating it and blocks the action of other drugs

Question 30

Actions of drugs on the body?

Answer 30

Half-life: the time required for the elimination/metabolism process to reduce the concentration of the drug to one-half of its original dosage.
Example: if a drug’s half-life is eight hours, then the amount of the drug in the body is as follows:
Initially: 100%
After 8 hours: 50%
After 16 hours: 25%
After 24 hours: 12.5%
After 32 hours: 6.25%

Question 31

Onset of action?

Answer 31

time after administration until the body initially responds to the drug

Question 32

Peak Plasma level?

Answer 32

highest plasma level achieved by a single dose.

Question 33

Duration of action?

Answer 33

Length of time a single dose of a drug produces an effect

Question 34

Plateau?

Answer 34

maintained concentration of a drug in the plasma during a series of scheduled doses

Question 35

Pharmacopiea?

Answer 35

book containing a list of drug products used in medicine, including their descriptions and formulas

Question 36

Information required to take a medication history from a patient?

Answer 36

Known allergies
Prescription drugs taken
Non-prescription drugs taken (OTC, herbal remedies etc.)
Social drugs, drug misuse, drug abuse
Illness – affect on pharmacokinetics
Knowledge of drugs (patient/guardian)
Medication Hx