Pharmacology Chapter 1 Overview

Study Notes

Pharmacology studies drugs that alter living organism functions.
Drug therapy, or pharmacotherapy, involves using drugs to prevent, diagnose, or treat diseases and symptoms.
Medications refer to drugs used for therapeutic purposes.

Pharmacotherapeutics: Focuses on using drugs to treat, prevent, and diagnose conditions.
Pharmacodynamics: Examines biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.
Pharmacokinetics: Studies drug absorption, distribution, metabolism (biotransformation), and excretion.
Pharmacognosy: Investigates drugs derived from natural sources, including plants and herbs.
Toxicology: Analyzes poisons, their effects, and treatments for exposure to toxins.

Plants: Historically the oldest drug sources; all parts of plants are utilized (leaves, stems, bark, fruits, roots).
- Example: Digitalis Purpurea provides cardiac glycosides (Digitoxin and Digoxin).
- Example: Poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source of morphine.
Animals:
- Pancreas is a source of insulin for diabetes management.
- Cod liver provides vitamins A and D.
- Animal blood is essential for vaccine preparation.
Minerals:
- Iron treats iron deficiency anemia.
- Gold salts are used in rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
- Iodine functions as an antiseptic and preventive measure.
Synthetic Chemicals: Clinically prepared drugs are derived from altering natural substances.
- Examples include aspirin, antihistamines, oral antidiabetics, and chloroquine.
Microbiological Sources:
- Penicillium notatum produces penicillin.
- Actinobacteria yield Streptomycin and other aminoglycosides like gentamicin.

Prescription Drugs: Requires a prescription by licensed health practitioners and includes a prescription legend on the label.
Non-Prescription Drugs: Known as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, can be obtained without a prescription.
Investigational Drugs: Received FDA approval for human testing but may still be undergoing clinical trials.
Orphan Drugs: Discovered drugs lacking financial viability and not adopted by any pharmaceutical company.
Illicit Drugs: Illegal substances like heroin, marijuana, and meth that are used and distributed unlawfully.

FDA Pregnancy Categories: Classifies drugs based on their potential risks to fetuses.
- Category A: No demonstrated risk in pregnant women; safe during all trimesters.
- Category B: No risk shown in animal studies; insufficient human studies.
- Category C: Adverse effects in animals; potential benefits may justify risks in pregnant women despite unclear human data.