Drug Classification Quiz

Definition of a Drug

• A drug is a chemical given to people to treat, prevent, or diagnose a disease or illness.

Types of Drug Names

• Prescription Name: given to a drug before it becomes official
• Official Name: the name listed in official publications
• Chemical Name: precisely describes a drug's constituents
• Brand Name (Trademark): the name given by the manufacturer

Pharmacology and Posology

• Pharmacology: the study of drugs' effects on living organisms
• Posology: the study of dosage or amount of drugs given in disease treatment

Types of Doctor's Orders

• Standing Order: carried out until a specified period or discontinued by another order
• Single Order: carried out once only
• STAT Order: carried out immediately
• PRN Order: carried out as the patient requires

Parts of a Legal Doctor's Order

• Patient's Name
• Date and Time
• Name of Drug
• Dose of Drug
• Route of Administration
• Time of Frequency
• Signature of the Physician

Effects of Drugs

Therapeutic Effects

• Primary effects intended, the reason the drug is prescribed
• Desired effect

Adverse Effects

• Side effects: unintended effects of the drug
• Drug allergy: immunologic reaction to a drug
• Anaphylactic reaction: severe allergic reaction following drug administration
• Drug tolerance: decreased physiologic response to repeated drug administration
• Cumulative effect: increasing response to repeated drug doses
• Idiosyncratic effect: unexpected peculiar response to a drug
• Drug abuse: inappropriate intake of a substance
• Drug dependence: reliance or need to take a drug
• Addiction: biochemical changes in body tissues, especially the nervous system
• Habituation: emotional reliance on a drug for a sense of well-being

Drug Interactions

• Drug interaction: effects of one drug modified by another drug
• Drug antagonism: conjoint effect of two drugs is less than each drug separately
• Summation: combined effect of two drugs equals the sum of individual effects
• Synergism: combined effects of drugs are greater than each individual agent
• Potentiation: concurrent administration of two drugs, one increasing the other's effect

Therapeutic Actions of Drugs

• Palliative: relieves symptoms of a disease, but does not affect the disease itself
• Curative: treats a disease or condition
• Supportive: sustains body functions until other treatments take over
• Substitutive: replaces body fluids or substances
• Chemotherapeutic: destroys malignant cells
• Restorative: returns the body to health

Pharmacokinetics

• What the body does to drugs, encompassing drug interactions and clearance metabolism

Pharmacokinetic Factors in Drug Therapy

• Absorption: process by which a drug passes into the bloodstream from its site of administration

Factors Affecting Drug Absorption

• Blood Flow
• Pain
• Stress
• Foods
• Exercise

Test your knowledge on drug classification by identifying the different names and terms associated with drugs, such as prescription name, official name, chemical name, and brand name.