Medical Pharmacology Overview

Medical Pharmacology

• Focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases using drugs.

Clinical Pharmacology

• Studies drug interactions, including effects of different administration routes and interactions with food.
• Analyzes unwanted side effects of medications.

Toxicology

• Examines the adverse effects and potential toxicity of drugs.

Pharmaceutical Pharmacology

• Focuses on the synthesis and formulation of drugs.

Pharmacogenetics

• Investigates how genetic variations influence individual responses to drugs and their metabolism.

Experimental Pharmacology

• Uses experimentation, often with animal models, to test drug activity and metabolism.

Pharmacokinetics

• Describes the journey of a drug from administration to its target site and elimination from the body.
• Involves three key processes:
  • Input: Absorption and Administration
  • Distribution: Spread through the body
  • Elimination: Removal from the body

Pharmacodynamics

• Explores the effects of a drug after it reaches its target site, including the mechanisms of action.

Dose-Effect Relationship

• Divided into two components:
  • Pharmacokinetics: Relationship between dose and concentration.
  • Pharmacodynamics: Relationship between concentration and effect.

Sources of Drugs

• Natural Sources:
  • Plants:
    • Glycosides: Digoxin from foxglove plants, used for cardiac conditions.
    • Alkaloids: -Morphine from poppy capsules, used for pain relief. -Atropine from belladonna leaves, used for various medical conditions. -Quinine from cinchona bark, used for malaria treatment.
    • Castor Oil: Derived from castor beans, used as a laxative and in other applications.
  • Animal Sources (for Hormones): -Heparin: Sourced from the liver of oxen or pigs, used as an anticoagulant. -Insulin: Extracted from the pancreas, essential for blood sugar regulation. -Thyroxine: obtained from the thyroid gland, crucial for metabolic regulation. -Gonadotropin: Sourced from the urine of pregnant women, used in fertility treatments.
  • Microorganisms (antibiotics): -Penicillin: Derived from Penicillium notatum. -Streptomycin: Sourced from Streptomyces griseus. -Bacitracin: Obtained from Bacillus species.
  • Minerals: -Paraffin: Derived from petroleum, used in various pharmaceutical applications.

Semisynthetic Drugs

• Created through chemical modifications of natural compounds.
• Employ techniques such as substitution, insertion, and dilution.
• Ampicillin: Modified form of penicillin, enhanced for greater efficacy.
• Cephalosporins: Derived from cephalosporin, with structural modifications to improve activity and spectrum.