Test 1: Ch. 1-5, 16 Flashcards
Biotechnology
Process that may involve manipulating DNA and RNA and recombining genes into hybrid molecules that can be inserted into living organisms (often Escherichia coli bacteria) and repeatedly reproduced
Brand (trade) name
Manufacturer’s chosen name for a drug, which is protected by a patent
- More expensive
- Tylenol
Controlled substances
Drugs that are categorized by federal law according to therapeutic usefulness and potential for abuse - also known as scheduled drugs
Drug classifications
Groups of medications that are classified according to their effects on particular body systems, their therapeutic uses, and their chemical characteristics
Generic name
Chemical or official name of the drug that is independent of the manufacturer and often indicates the drug group
- Cheaper and more available option
- acetaminophen
Over the counter (OTC) drugs
Medications available for purchase without a prescription
Pharmacoeconomics
Costs of drug therapy, including costs of purchasing, dispensing, storage, administration, and laboratory and other tests used to monitor patient responses - also considers losses due to expiration
Pharmacogenomics/pharmacogenetics
Study of how a person’s genetic heritage leads to variable responses to drugs - more generally refers to genetic polymorphisms that occur in a patient population, such as an ethnic group, as opposed to an individual person
Pharmacotherapy
Use of drugs to prevent, diagnose, or treat signs, symptoms, and disease processes
Placebo
Inert substance containing no medication and given to reinforce a person’s expectation to improve
Prescription drugs
Medications that are ordered in writing by a licensed health care provider
Prototype
Often the first drug of a particular drug class to be developed - usually the first standard against which newer, similar drugs are compared
Absorption
Process that occurs from the time a drug enters the body to the time it enters the bloodstream to be circulated
Agonist
Drug that produces effects similar to those produced by naturally occurring hormones, neurotransmitters, and other substances
Antagonist
Drug that inhibits cell function by occupying receptor sites
Antidote
Substance that relieves, prevents, or counteracts the effect of a poison
Bioavailability
Portion of a drug dose that reaches the systemic circulation and is available to act on body cells
Biotransformation
- When drugs are altered from their original into a new form by the body
- Referred to as metabolism
Distribution
- Transport of drug molecules within the body
- After a drug is injected or absorbed into the bloodstream, it is carried by the blood and tissue fluids to its sites of action, metabolism, and excretion
Enterohepatic recirculation
Drugs or metabolites that are excreted in bile, reabsorbed from the small intestine, returned to the liver, metabolized, and eventually excreted in urine
Enzyme induction
- Production of larger amounts of drug-metabolizing enzymes by liver cells
- Process accelerates drug metabolism because larger amounts of the enzymes (and more binding sites) allow larger amounts of a drug to be metabolized during a given time
Enzyme inhibition
Process in which a molecule binds to enzymes and inhibits their activity
Excretion
- Elimination of a drug from the body
- Effective excretion requires adequate functioning of the circulatory system and of the organs of excretion (kidneys, bowel, lungs, and skin)
First-pass effect
Initial metabolism of some oral drugs as they are carried from the intestine to the liver by the portal circulatory system prior to reaching the systemic circulation for distribution to site of action
Hypersensitivity
Immune-mediated reaction to a drug
Loading dose
- Dose larger than the regular prescribed daily dosage of a medication
- Used to attain a therapeutic blood level
Maintenance dose
Quantity of drug that is needed to keep blood levels and/or tissue levels at a steady state or constant level
Nephrotoxicity
- Toxic or damaging effect of a substance on the kidney
- Potentially serious because renal damage interferes with drug excretion, causing drug accumulation and increased adverse effects
Pharmacodynamics
- Reactions between living systems and drugs
- Drug actions on target cells and the resulting alterations in cellular biochemical reactions and functions
Pharmacokinetics
Drug movement through the body to reach sites of action, metabolism, and excretion
Polymorphism
The occurrence of two or more clearly different forms (or phenotypes) in a species important in drug therapy because it explains the functionally different response to drugs in a general patient population or a specific individual
Prodrugs
Initially inactive drugs that exert no pharmacologic effects until they are metabolized
Serum drug level
Laboratory measurement of the amount of a drug in the blood at a particular time
Serum half-life
Time required for the serum concentration of a drug to decrease by 50%
- Also called elimination half-life
Assessment
Collection of patient data that affects drug therapy
Controlled-release
Oral tablet or capsule formulations that maintain consistent serum drug levels
Dosage form
Form where drugs are manufactured
- Includes elixirs, tablets, capsules, suppositories, parenteral drugs, and transdermal systems
Enteric-coated
Coating of a tablet or capsule that makes it insoluble in stomach acid
Evaluation
Determining a patient’s status in relation to stated goals and expected outcomes
Evidence-based practice
Scientific evidence that yields the best practice in patient care
Interventions
Planned nursing activities performed on a patient’s behalf, including assessment, promotion of adherence to drug therapy, and solving problems related to drug therapy
Medication history
List of prescription medications, OTC medications, herbal supplements, or illegal substances taken by the patient (both current and past)
Nursing diagnosis
Description of patient problems based on assessment data