term test 1

Question 1

Definition of a drug

Answer 1

Any EXOGENOUS substance that ALTERS BODY FUNCTION when introduced INTO a living organism.

Question 2

What makes a substance, like insulin, become regulated as drug? (health canada)

Answer 2

If it is injected into the body.

Question 3

Sources of drugs and which is the most common nowadays?

Answer 3

Natural preparations, pure compounds, semi-synthetic compounds, biological compounds and

PURELY SYNTHETIC COMPOUNDS

Question 4

What is the magic bullet theory and who discovered it?

Answer 4

Paul Ehrlich - the drug goes to a particular place in the body

Question 5

What does the drug development process in Canada consist of?

Answer 5

Preclinical studies, clinical studies with 3 phases, regulatory review, and post-marketing phases.
Takes several years

Question 6

What are the phases of clinical studies?

Answer 6

Phase I - healthy volunteers to determine safety and dosing range
II - patients to determine safety, efficacy, dosing
III - wide scale, safety and efficacy

Question 7

What are the different ways of naming drugs during early development?

Answer 7

1. Chemical name - describes chemical structure, worldwide, can be more than one name
2. Drug Company Code Name - usually only used during marketing phase

Question 8

What are the ways of naming promising drugs?

Answer 8

1. Non-Proprietary name (generic) - the official name if in pharmacopoeias or if not yet, approved name
2. Proprietary (brand) - assigned by manufacturer, trademark
3. Street name - assigned by public but useful for physician to know

Question 9

Why are non-proprietary names so complex?

Answer 9

Safety - named to be very different from others

Marketing - encourages people to use brand names

Question 10

What is Pharmacokinetics?

Answer 10

What the body does to the drug ie. absorption, distribution, metabolism, and exertion

ADME

Question 11

What is Pharmacodynamics?

Answer 11

What the drug does to the body - action/effects of the drug

Question 12

Describe the elimination portion of the concentration versus time graph.

Answer 12

A constant PROPORTION is eliminated over time.

Question 13

At what point in the time course of drug action is an effect seen?

Answer 13

There is a lag due to absorption and then the therapeutic window is between the minimal therapeutic effect and threshold for toxic effects (adverse effects). Below this point there’s no effect.

Question 14

Why aren’t drugs absorbed in the stomach?

Answer 14

The environment is too harsh (acidity and enzymes), many drugs have a coat to protect from this.
Instead they’re absorbed in the small intestine.

Question 15

What is the pharmacopeia?

Answer 15

A compilation of officially recognized standards of name, purity, potency, and preparation of drugs.