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
