Term 3: Pharmacology

Question 1

What are medications used for?

Answer 1

Diagnosis, treatment, cure and relief or prevention of health alterations.

Question 2

Who can prescribe medication and how do they do it?

Answer 2

• doctor
• nurse practitioner
• midwife
• dentist

It can be written on prescription pad, written order can be faxed, order can be verbal or written on medication charts.

Question 3

What is the difference between the generic name of a drug and the trade name of a drug?

Answer 3

The generic name is given by the manufacturer that first develops the drug (eg. paracetamol) Drug charts should be written with this name.

A trade name is given by a manufacturer that markets the drug (eg. panadol, pamol, paracare).

Question 4

What is the therapeutic effect of a medication?

Answer 4

This is the expected response. Some medication can have more than one.

Question 5

What is the side effect of a medication?

Answer 5

This is an unwanted, unintended yet predictable effect.

Question 6

What is the adverse effect of a medication?

Answer 6

This is an unexpected event, may be related to the way the medication has been taken. Medication needs to be modified or discontinued.

Question 7

What is the toxic effect of a medication?

Answer 7

This may develop after a prolonged intake of the medication.

Question 8

What are the 7 rights of medication administration?

Answer 8

• right person
• right dose
• right route
• right time
• right documentation
• right drug
• right reason

Question 9

What are platelets and what do they do?

Answer 9

Irregular shaped fragments of cells that are sticky. Their function is clot formation and coagulation to stop bleeding at a wound.

Question 10

What is platelet production called and where does it happen?

Answer 10

Thrombopoiesis in the bone marrow.

Question 11

What stimulates platelet production?

Answer 11

Thrombopoietin

Question 12

How do platelets stop bleeding?

Answer 12

• sticking to collagen fibres and forming a plug.
• more platelets arrive at the injury
• damaged skin releases cytokines making platelets more sticky
• plug size increases
• bleeding is stopped temporarily

Question 13

What does hemostasis consist of?

Answer 13

Vessel constriction, platelet plug formation and coagulation.

Question 14

Why does vasoconstriction occur at a wound site?

Answer 14

To reduce the diameter of the injured vessel, preventing further blood loss

Question 15

What is coagulation at a wound site?

Answer 15

Platelets, various blood cells and fibrin forming a permanent plug stopping bleeding.

Question 16

What is undesirable clotting?

Answer 16

Formation of clots inside vessels. These can become large and prevent/restrict blood flow.

Question 17

What is an anti coagulant?

Answer 17

Something that prevents clotting. Anticoagulants are produced in medications such as warfrin, heparin and aspirin.

Question 18

What is aspirin used for?

Answer 18

Can be used as an non-steroidal anti inflammatory (NSAID)

Analgesic, and used for people with CVD

Question 19

What is aspirins mode of action?

Answer 19

Platelets produce a chemical called thromboxane that causes platelets to clot.
COX (cyclo-oxygenase) enzyme is required for the production of thromboxane
Aspirin inhibits the action of COX blocking the production of thromboxane which prevents platelets from clotting

Question 20

Aspirin should be taking with food. True or false? Why/why not?

Answer 20

True it should be taken with food to avoid gastric upset. It also dissolves and is absorbed faster with food.

Question 21

What are some side effects of aspirin?

Answer 21

• GI upset/abdominal pain
• bronco spasm
• tinnitus
• dizziness
• allergic responses

Question 22

Contraindications of aspirin

Answer 22

• people with bleeding disorders
• risk of bronchospasm/asthma
• people already taking anticoagulant therapy
• women who are pregnant or breast feeding
• people under 16 years old

Question 23

Aspirin should be stopped 7 to 10 days before surgery why?

Answer 23

To prevent excessive blood loss