Terminologies in Introduction to Pharmacology

Question 1

Study of drugs and their interaction with living things which encompasses the physical and chemical properties, biochemical and physiologic effects

Answer 1

Pharmacology

Question 2

Study of drugs in human for patients and healthy volunteers

Answer 2

Clinical Pharmacology

Question 3

The use of drugs to diagnose, prevent or treat diseases

Answer 3

Pharmacotherapeutics

Question 4

Any chemical that can affect living processes

Answer 4

Drug

Question 5

A drug that elicits the responses for which it is given

Answer 5

Effectiveness

Question 6

A drug that cannot produce harmful effects even if administered in very high doses and for a very long time

Answer 6

Safety

Question 7

A drug that elicits only the response for which it is given

Answer 7

Selectivity

Question 8

A drug action that subsides within an appropriate time

Answer 8

Reversible action

Question 9

A drug that we can know with certainty how a given patient
will respond

Answer 9

Predictability

Question 10

A drug that is given conveniently with low needed doses

Answer 10

Ease of administration

Question 11

• Study of the effects of the drugs on the body
• Drugs act within the body to mimic the actions of the body’s own chemical messengers

Answer 11

Pharmacodynamics

Question 12

• Changes medications into less active/inactive form by the action of enzymes
• Occurs primarily in the liver, kidneys, lungs, bowel, and blood

Answer 12

Metabolism/Biotransformation

Question 13

Transportation of medications to sites of action by bodily fluids

Answer 13

Distribution

Question 14

• Elimination of drugs from the body
• Mainly through the kidneys but may also be through bile, lungs, saliva, sweat, and breastmilk
• Renal dysfunction may lead to an increase in duration and intensity of medication response

Answer 14

Excretion

Question 15

Refers to the amount of drug to elicit a specific response to a drug

Answer 15

Potency

Question 16

Increasing a drug dosage no longer increases the response

Answer 16

Maximal efficiency

Question 17

Describes the relationship between the therapeutic dose of the drug and the toxic dose of a drug

Answer 17

Therapeutic index

Question 18

Study of the movement of the drug throughout the body

Answer 18

Pharmacokinetics

Question 19

• Refers to the percentage of administered drug available for activity
• The bioavailability of oral drugs is affected by absorption and first-pass effect while IV drugs are 100%

Answer 19

Bioavailability

Question 20

• Enteral route of administration pass from the intestinal lumen to the liver via the portal vein
• The liver metabolizes drugs to an inactive form and are excreted

Answer 20

First pass effect