Principles of Pharmacology - Basics & Forms Flashcards
The science of drugs, including their ingredients, preparation, uses, and actions on the body
Pharmacology
A substance that is used to treat or prevent disease or relieve pain
Medication
The process by which a medication works on the body
Pharmacodynamics
Sites on cells where medications or chemicals produced in the body can bind and produce an effect
Receptors
When medications are given, they bind to receptors to ___
Produce an effect or block the receptors to prevent other chemicals or medications from binding
A medication that causes stimulation of receptors
Agonist
A medication that binds to a receptor and blocks other medications or chemicals from attaching
Antagonist or blocker
Medication that targets bacteria
Antibiotic
Medication that targets fungi
Antifungal
The amount of medication that is given
Dose
The dose often depends on ___
The patient’s weight and age, as well as desired action of medication
The intended therapeutic effect that a medication is expected to have on the body
Action
The therapeutic effect is also called ___
The desired or intended effect
Doses may need to be decreased for older adults because they ___
Cannot process medications as efficiently as younger people
Actions of the body upon the medication
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacokinetic properties for a medication include ___
- Onset of action
- Duration
- Elimination
- Peak
Many medications are transformed by ___ and/or eliminated by ___
- The liver
- The kidneys
EMTs should understand both the ___ of a medications when assessing a patient’s response to a medication, monitoring for adverse effects, or considering the administration of repeat doses
Pharmacodynamics and the pharmacokinetics
The reasons or conditions for which a particular medication is given
Indications
Two sets of factors that will determine how quickly a medication will begin to work, when its effects will peak, how ling it will last, and when additional doses would be safe to administer
- Pharmacodynamics
- Pharmacokinetics
Conditions that make a particular medication or treatment inappropriate because it would not help, or may actually harm a patient
Contraindications
Two types of contraindications
- Absolute
- Relative
Any actions of a medication other than the desired ones
Adverse effects
Two types of adverse effects
- Unintended effects
- Untoward effects
Effects that are undesirable but pose little risk to the patient
Unintended effects
Effects that can be harmful to the patient
Untoward effects
Two names of medications
- Generic name
- Trade name
Simple, clear, non-proprietary name
Generic name
The generic name is not ___
Capitalized
All medications that are licensed for use in the US are listed by their generic names in the ___
United States Pharmacopoeia and National Formulary (USP-NF)
The generic name is approved by the ___
FDA
Gives the FDA the authority to enforce drug safety standards
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938
The brand name that a manufacturer give to a medication
Trade name
Medications distributed to patients only by pharmacists according to a physician’s order
Prescription medications
Medications that may be purchased directly without a prescription
OTC medications
Two categories of routes for medication administration
- Enteral
- Parenteral
Enter the body through the digestive system
Enteral medications
Enteral medications tend to absorb ___
Slowly
Fever-reducing medications
Antipyretics
Enter the body by a route other than the digestive system, the skin, or the mucous membranes
Parenteral medications
Parenteral medications are generally administered using ___
Syringes
Regardless of the route of administration, the end goal is to get the medication into the ___
Bloodstream
The process by which medications travel through body tissues until they reach the bloodstream
Absorption
Enteral routes of administration
- Sublingual (SL)
- Per rectum (PR)
- By mouth (PO)
Parenteral routes of administration
- Intravenous (IV)
- Intraosseous (IO)
- Inhalation
- Intranasal (IN)
- Intramuscular (IM)
- Subcutaneous
- Transcutaneous
Rate of absorption for sublingual administration
Rapid
Rate of absorption for per rectum administration
Rapid
Rate of absorption for by mouth administration
Slow
Rate of absorption for intravenous administration
Immediate
Rate of absorption for intraosseous administration
Immediate
Rate of absorption for inhalation administration
Rapid
Rate of absorption for intranasal administration
Rapid
Rate of absorption for intramuscular administration
Moderate
Rate of absorption for subcutaneous administration
Slow
Rate of absorption for transcutaneous administration
Slow
Through the rectum
Per rectum
PR
Per rectum
Per rectum delivery is most commonly used with ___ because ___
- Children
- Of easier administration and more reliable absorption
Many medications used for nausea and vomiting come in a ___
Rectal suppository form
PO
Oral or per os
Medications taken by mouth
Oral
Into the vein
Intravenous
IV
Intravenous injection
Fastest way to deliver a chemical substance
IV
Into the bone
Intraosseous
IO
Intraosseous injection
Medications given by IO reach the bloodstream through the ___
Bone marrow
Giving a medication by the IO route requires ___
Drilling a needle into the outer layer of the bone
The IO route is used most often in ___
Patients who are unconscious as a result of cardiac arrest or extreme shock. Often for children who have fewer available (or difficult to access) IV sites
Under the skin
Subcutaneous
A subcutaneous injection is given into the ___
Fatty tissue between the skin and the muscle
Medications given subcutaneously are generally absorbed more ___, and their effects ___
- Slowly
- Last longer
Into the muscle
Intramuscular
IM
Intramuscular injection
IM injections are absorbed quickly because muscles have ___
A lot of blood vessels
Possible problems with IM injections
Damage to muscle tissue and uneven, unreliable absorption, especially in people with decreased tissue perfusion or who are in shock
You will typically use the IM route of medication administration with an ___
Auto-injector
Reasons to inhale medications
- Absorb into the bloodstream more quickly
- Some work in the lungs
Under the tongue
Sublingual
SL
Sublingual
Medication given by the SL route enter through the ___
Oral mucosa under the Tonge and are absorbed into the bloodstream within minutes
Through the skin
Transcutaneous
Transcutaneous is also called ___
Transdermal
IN
Intranasal
IN medications is administered with a ___
MAD
MAD
Mucosal atomizer device
7 forms of medications
- Tablets & capsules
- Solutions & suspensions
- Metered-dose inhalers
- Topical medications
- Transcutaneous medications
- Gels
- Gases for inhalation
Gelatin shells filled with powdered or liquid medication
Capsules
Often contain other materials that are mixed with the medication
Tablets
Some tablets are designed to dissolve quickly in small amounts of liquid so that they can ___
Be given sublingually and absorbed rapidly
Liquid mixture of one or more substances that cannot be separated by filtering or allowing the mixture to stand
Solution
Specially prepared solutions can be given as ___
An IV, IM, or subcutaneous injection
A mixture of ground particles that are distributed evenly throughout a liquid but do not dissolve
Suspension
A suspension must be ___ before administering
Shaken or swirled
Suspensions are usually administered by ___
Mouth, but sometimes rectally. Occasionally applied directly to the skin for skin problems. Possibly IM or subcutaneous injection
Suspensions cannot be given via IV because ___
The suspended particles do not remain dissolved
Miniature spray canister used to direct substances through the mouth and into the lungs
MDI
MDI
Metered-dose inhaler
The MDI must be ___ before the medication is administered
Shaken vigorously
Lotions, creams, and ointments
Topical medications
Lotions contain the ___ water, and ointments contain the ___
- Most
- Least
Lotions are absorbed the ___, and ointments the ___
- Most rapidly
- Most slowly
Designed to be absorbed through the skin
Transcutaneous medications
Semi-liquid substance that is administered orally in capsule form or through plastic tubes
Gel
Gels usually have the consistency of pastes or creams but are ___
Transparent
Most common gaseous medication
Oxygen
