NURS 3113 Pharmacology Week 1

Course Information

• Course name: NURS 3113 PHARMACOLOGY
• Topics covered include: Pharmacologic Principles, Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs, Herbal and Dietary Supplements

Week 1 Class Objectives

• Understand general pharmacology concepts (pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics)
• Understand various drug dosage forms and their implications for nursing
• Explain how a patient's age affects drug effects and responses

What is Pharmacology?

• Involves drugs and their therapeutic effects on the human body
• Includes aspects of how drugs act, their movement, and ultimate impact.
• Includes visual examples of medicine, a heart, and a syringe

Branches of Pharmacology

• Pharmacogenomics
• Pharmacoceutics
• Pharmacokinetics
• Pharmacodynamics
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Pharmacotherapeutics
• Pharmacognosy
• Toxicology

Pharmaceutics

• Focuses on the design and delivery of drugs
• Includes various dosage forms:
  • Tablets
  • Capsules
  • Liquids
  • Powders
  • Suspensions
  • Transdermal patches
  • Injections

Pharmacokinetic Processes

• Absorption: Movement of a drug from the site of administration to the bloodstream
• Distribution: Transportation of a drug via the bloodstream to the site of action
• Metabolism: Alteration of a drug into a more or less active metabolite
• Excretion: Elimination of drugs from the body

Specific Pharmacokinetic Concepts

• Bioavailability: Amount of drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged
• First-pass effect: Drug metabolism in the liver before it reaches the rest of the body; affects bioavailability
• Routes of administration: Enteral, parenteral, topical are methods of delivering medication to the body

Distribution

• Drug movement through the body influenced by factors such as:
  • Extravascular drug movement
  • Interactions with other drugs
  • Blood-brain barrier, which limits drug entry into the brain

Metabolism

• Process of breaking down or converting drugs via liver (P-450).
• Conversion of drugs to active or inactive forms

Excretion

• Process of removing drugs from the body
• Methods include kidney excretion, bile excretion, and others
• Important concepts like half-life, peak, and trough levels

Pharmacodynamics

• How drugs interact with their target sites (receptors or enzymes) and produce effects
• Includes mechanisms of action, receptor interaction types, and enzyme-based effects

Pharmacotherapeutics

• Clinical use of drugs
• Includes contraindications, possible treatment options, and monitoring

Over-the-Counter (OTC) and Herbal/Dietary Supplements

• Chapter 7 outlines safe use, concerns, education, and communication with PCPs related to OTC & herbal/dietary supplements
• Importance of communication with a PCP for medication safety when taking other drugs, supplements, or herbs

This quiz covers the foundational principles of pharmacology, including essential concepts such as pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Students will explore the impact of drug dosage forms on nursing practice and how patient age influences drug effects. Test your understanding of these vital pharmacologic concepts and their clinical applications.