Pharmaceutical Science Overview Quiz

Drug Disintegration and Dissolution

Disintegration: The breakdown of a solid drug into smaller particles.
Dissolution: The process by which the active ingredient in a solid drug dissolves into a solution.

Drug Absorption and Bioavailability

Absorption: The movement of a drug into the bloodstream.
Bioavailability: The amount of drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged.

Bioequivalence & Therapeutic Equivalence

Bioequivalence: Two drugs have comparable bioavailability if they reach systemic circulation at the same rate and extent.
Therapeutic Equivalence: Two drugs have comparable clinical effectiveness and safety.

Pharmaceutical Quality and Manufacturing

Quality: Intrinsic characteristics of a product that meet user needs.
Quality Control: Physical and chemical tests to ensure raw materials and finished products meet specifications.
Manufacture: All operations involved in producing a pharmaceutical product, from raw material procurement to finished product shipment.
Starting Material: Any substance used to produce a pharmaceutical product, excluding packaging materials.
Intermediate Product: Partially processed material that requires further manufacturing steps.
Finished Product: A product that has undergone all manufacturing stages including packaging and labeling.
Returned Product: Finished products sent back to the manufacturer.
Production: All operations involved in preparing a pharmaceutical product, from material receipt to completed product.
Packaging: Operations involved in transforming a bulk product into a finished product, including filling and labeling.
Validation: Demonstrating that a procedure, process, or system consistently delivers expected results.

Pharmaceutical Stability and Expiration Dates

Stability: The ability of a pharmaceutical product in its container to maintain defined physical, chemical, microbiological, therapeutic, and toxicological specifications over time under specific storage conditions.
Expiration Date: The date on a product container indicating the expected date when the product remains within specifications.
Expiration Dating Period (Shelf-Life): The duration a drug product is expected to remain within specifications, determined through stability studies.
Shelf-storage Stability: Stability of a drug product at ambient room temperature (15-30°C).
Storage: Safekeeping of starting materials, packaging, and finished products under specified conditions.
Storage Conditions: Specified conditions for storing a product, including temperature, humidity, container, and light.
Storage Temperatures: Actual storage temperature during stability studies:
- Refrigerator: 2°C to 8°C
- Freezer: Less than -10°C
- Cold Place: 8°C to 15°C
- Warm Place: 30°C to 40°C
- Room Temperature: 15°C to 30°C

Medical Terminology

Contraceptive, Oral: A drug taken orally by women to prevent conception.
Anti-anemic: A drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells.
Anticholesteremic: A drug that lowers plasma cholesterol levels.
Antihyperlipidemic: A drug that lowers plasma cholesterol and lipid levels.
Anticoagulant, Systemic: A drug that slows blood clotting.
Antihypertensive: A drug that lowers arterial blood pressure.
Diuretic: A drug that promotes renal excretion of electrolytes and water.
Hematinic: A drug that promotes hemoglobin formation by supplying iron.
Metal Complexing Agent: A drug that binds to metals, removing them from solutions; used in treating metal poisoning.
Systemically Acting Drug: A drug that is absorbed into systemic circulation and diffuses into all tissues.
Anti-anginal: A coronary vasodilator used to prevent or treat angina pectoris.
Antitussive: A drug that suppresses coughing.
Bronchodilator: A drug that expands bronchiolar airways, used to treat asthma.
Expectorant: A drug that decreases respiratory tract secretion viscosity and promotes its removal.
Mucolytic: A drug that hydrolyses mucoproteins to reduce pulmonary mucous viscosity.
Anticonvulsant: An antiepileptic drug that arrests convulsions.
Antidepressant: A drug that induces mood elevation, used to treat depression.
Anti-epileptic: An anticonvulsant drug that suppresses seizures.
Hypnotic: A drug that induces sleep.
Sedative: A drug that induces relaxation and reduces emotional tension.
Antidiabetic: A drug that replaces or stimulates insulin secretion, used to treat diabetes mellitus.
Antihypoglycemic: A drug that elevates plasma glucose levels, used to treat hypoglycemia.
Analgesic: A drug that suppresses pain perception.
Antipyretic: A drug that lowers body temperature during fever.
Antirheumatic: A drug that alleviates inflammatory symptoms of arthritis.
Digestive Aid: A drug that promotes digestion, usually by supplementing digestive enzymes.
Antacid: A drug that neutralizes excess gastric acid.
Anti-amebic: A drug that kills or inhibits Entamoeba histolytica.
Anti-emetic: A drug that prevents vomiting.
Emetic: A drug that induces vomiting, used to remove ingested poisons.
Antiflatulent: A drug that reduces gastrointestinal gas.
Antibacterial: A drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic bacteria.
Antifungal, Systemic: A drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic fungi causing systemic and gastrointestinal infections.
Antifungal, Topical: A drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic fungi causing topical infections.
Antimalarial: A drug that kills or inhibits protozoa that cause malaria.
Emollient: A topical drug that softens the skin.
Keratolytic: A topical drug that softens the skin's keratin layer and promotes desquamation.
Sun Screening Agent: A skin protectant that absorbs light energy that causes sunburn.