Week 2

Question 1

What is pharmacodynamics?

Answer 1

It is the study of the effects of drugs on the body

Question 2

What does pharmacodynamics involve?

Answer 2

The relationship between the concentration of drug at the site of action and the effect and the relationship between plasma concentration and the intensity of its effects

Question 3

What is efficacy?

Answer 3

Its the term used to describe the maximum response produced by the drug

Question 4

What is potency?

Answer 4

It refers to the concentration or dose that is required to produce 50% of the drug’s maximum effect

Question 5

What is EC50?

Answer 5

Concentration

Question 6

What is ED50?

Answer 6

Dose

Question 7

What is an agonist drug?

Answer 7

A drug that activates a receptor to produce a response

Question 8

What is an antagonist drug?

Answer 8

An antagonist has an affinity but not efficacy and can prevent the agonist from activating receptors

Question 9

Why do people have different responses to drugs?

Answer 9

Differences in the number/function of receptors, changes in the effector mechanism coupled to the receptor, variations in the concentration of the drug that reaches the receptor or variations in the concentration of substances that compete for the receptor

Question 10

What is pharmacokinetics?

Answer 10

The study of what the body does to the drug

Question 11

What are the 4 pharmacokinetic processes?

Answer 11

Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion

Question 12

What is Absorption?

Answer 12

The transfer of the drug from its site of administration into the systemic circulation

Question 13

What is Distribution?

Answer 13

The reversible transfer of drugs into tissues

Question 14

What is Metabolism?

Answer 14

Processes of drug elimination: within the liver

Question 15

What is Excretion?

Answer 15

Processes of drug elimination: Within the kidney

Question 16

What is a steady state in drug therapy?

Answer 16

It is when doses are given at regular intervals, and the plasma concentration is level. The rate of the drug in equals the rate of drug out.

Question 17

How is a maintenance dose of a drug worked out?

Answer 17

Using clearance

Question 18

What does clearance determine?

Answer 18

The rate at which the concentration of the drug is at a steady state

Question 19

What is bioavailability?

Answer 19

It’s the proportion of a drug or other substance which enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.

Question 20

What is bioequivalence?

Answer 20

Bioequivalence is the biochemical similarity of two (or more) drugs that share the same active ingredient(s) and desired outcome(s) for patients.

Question 21

What can alter bioavailability?

Answer 21

Concomitant drugs, food, disease, or missed doses

Question 22

What are some reasons for lower clearance?

Answer 22

Poor metabolism, other medications, liver or kidney impairment, and elderly

Question 23

What are some reasons for higher clearance?

Answer 23

fast metabolism, obesity, and pregnancy

Question 24

Who are at risk of drug interactions?

Answer 24

Anyone who takes 2 or more drugs, people with hepatic or renal disease, people on long-term drugs, people with multiple prescribers, elderly,

Question 25

Who are at risk of drug interactions?

Answer 25

Anyone who takes 2 or more drugs, people with hepatic or renal disease, people on long-term drugs, people with multiple prescribers, the elderly,

Question 26

What is a narrow therapeutic index drug?

Answer 26

drugs with small differences between their therapeutic and toxic doses, implying that small changes in dosage or interactions with other drugs could cause adverse effects.

Question 27

What are the 4 pillars of QUM?

Answer 27

Safety, efficacy, judiciousness and appropriateness

Question 28

What does teratogenic mean?

Answer 28

Can cause birth defects

Question 29

What can influence teratogenicity and placental transfer?

Answer 29

Gestational timing of the dose, size of dose and lipophilicity

Question 30

What does lipophilicity mean?

Answer 30

It is the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene.

Question 31

What is category A (In pregnancy categories)

Answer 31

Drugs that are taken by a large number of pregnant women without any proven increase of malformations

Question 32

What is category B1 (In pregnancy categories)

Answer 32

Drugs that are taken by a limited number of pregnant women without any proven increase in malformations

Question 33

What is category B2 (In pregnancy categories)

Answer 33

Drugs that are taken by a limited number of pregnant women without any proven increase in malformations. The studies in animals are lacking but no evidence in fetal damage

Question 34

What is category B3 (In pregnancy categories)

Answer 34

Drugs that are taken by a limited number of pregnant women without any proven increase in malformations. Studies in animals have shown evidence of fetal damage.

Question 35

What is category C (In pregnancy categories)

Answer 35

Drugs that have causes harm to the fetus but not malformations

Question 36

What is category D (In pregnancy categories)

Answer 36

Drugs have caused or are suspected to have caused damage or malformations

Question 37

What is category X (In pregnancy categories)

Answer 37

Drugs are not to be used in pregnancy as they cause high levels of permanent drugs

Question 38

What is some key advice in pregnancy prescribing?

Answer 38

Only use necessary medications, use the lowest effective dose, avoid multiple medications, avoid recreational drugs

Question 39

What medication can be used when planning a pregnancy?

Answer 39

folic acid

Question 40

What drugs are often implicated to have drug interactions?

Answer 40

Drugs with a narrow therapeutic index and drugs with a steep dose-response curve

Question 41

What are 2 drugs which often have drug interactions?

Answer 41

Warfarin and Digoxin

Question 42

What does pharmacokinetics focus on?

Answer 42

ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion

Question 43

What does MESS stand for?

Answer 43

Mechanism, Evidence, Severity and Symptoms

Question 44

What are the best two databses for drug interactions?

Answer 44

MIMS Online & AusDI

Question 45

What website would be best for information about drugs in pregnancy?

Answer 45

The pregnancy and Breastfeeding guide