Questions and Answers
What is pharmacology?
Integrated medical science involving chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and the study of drugs, their actions, dosage, therapeutic uses, and adverse effects.
What is drug therapy?
Drug therapy is directly linked to the pathophysiology of a particular disease and includes sources such as natural sources from plants, animals, and microorganisms, as well as synthesized drugs.
What can drugs do?
Promote healing, cure disease, control or slow disease progress, prevent disease, alter neurotransmission, decrease the risk of complications, increase function and comfort, provide replacement therapy, and reduce excessive activity in the body.
What is pharmacodynamics?
Signup and view all the answers
What is pharmacokinetics?
Signup and view all the answers
What is pharmacotherapeutics?
Signup and view all the answers
What is toxicology?
Signup and view all the answers
What is pharmacy?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'therapeutic' refer to in pharmacology?
Signup and view all the answers
What are drug classifications?
Signup and view all the answers
What are indications in pharmacology?
Signup and view all the answers
What are contraindications?
Signup and view all the answers
What are side effects?
Signup and view all the answers
What are adverse or toxic effects?
Signup and view all the answers
What does hypersensitivity refer to in relation to drugs?
Signup and view all the answers
What is an idiosyncratic reaction?
Signup and view all the answers
What does iatrogenic mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does teratogenic mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What are interactions in pharmacology?
Signup and view all the answers
What is synergism?
Signup and view all the answers
What is antagonism in pharmacology?
Signup and view all the answers
What is potentiation?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a dose in pharmacology?
Signup and view all the answers
How is a child's dose calculated?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a loading dose?
Signup and view all the answers
What is frequency of dosing?
Signup and view all the answers
What is an optimum dosing schedule?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a timing schedule in pharmacology?
Signup and view all the answers
What factors affect blood levels of drugs?
Signup and view all the answers
How can drugs be administered?
Signup and view all the answers
What is oral medication?
Signup and view all the answers
What is sublingual administration?
Signup and view all the answers
What is parenteral administration?
Signup and view all the answers
What is inhalation in pharmacology?
Signup and view all the answers
What is topical (transdermal) administration?
Signup and view all the answers
What is drug absorption?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the role of receptors in drug action?
Signup and view all the answers
What must a signed legal document for drug administration include?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a generic name in pharmacology?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a trade name?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a chemical name?
Signup and view all the answers
What is drug regulation?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'PO' stand for?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'IM' stand for?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'SQ' stand for?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'BID' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'TID' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'QID' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'IV' stand for?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'OD' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'OS' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'OU' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'QD' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'Q 4 hr' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'HS' stand for?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'ac' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'pc' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What does 'prn' mean?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Pharmacology Overview
- Pharmacology integrates multiple medical sciences including chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology.
- It involves the study of drugs, including their actions, dosages, therapeutic uses, and adverse effects.
Drug Therapy
- Drug therapy is closely related to the disease's pathophysiology.
- Drugs can originate from natural sources like plants, animals, and microorganisms or be synthesized.
Drug Functions
- Drugs can promote healing (e.g., anti-inflammatories), cure diseases (e.g., antibacterials), control or slow disease progress (e.g., chemotherapy), and prevent diseases (e.g., vaccines).
- They can influence neurotransmission (e.g., antidepressants), decrease complication risks (e.g., anticoagulants), enhance function and comfort (e.g., analgesics), provide replacement therapy (e.g., insulin, estrogen), and reduce excessive bodily activity (e.g., proton pump inhibitors).
Pharmacodynamics & Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacodynamics focuses on how drugs exert their effects.
- Pharmacokinetics studies the movement of drugs within the body based on the routes of administration.
Pharmacotherapeutics & Toxicology
- Pharmacotherapeutics involves using medications to prevent or treat diseases.
- Toxicology examines the body’s reactions to drugs, focusing on both harmful and beneficial effects.
Pharmacy Practice
- Pharmacy encompasses the preparation, dispensing, and management of drug use for safe and effective patient care.
Drug Classifications
- Drugs are classified based on their primary pharmacologic actions and effects.
Indications and Contraindications
- Indications refer to approved uses of drugs for specific conditions.
- Contraindications are specific scenarios where a drug should not be used.
Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
- Side effects are mild undesirable effects that may occur even at recommended doses.
- Adverse effects can be dangerous, cause significant harm, or even be life-threatening.
Unique Drug Reactions
- Hypersensitivity relates to allergic reactions; reactions may vary from mild to severe (anaphylaxis).
- Idiosyncratic reactions are unusual responses that differ from typical drug effects.
- Iatrogenic effects are negative outcomes associated with drug administration.
- Teratogenic effects refer to developmental defects caused by drug exposure to a fetus.
Drug Interactions
- Interactions modify drug effects when combined with other drugs.
- Synergism occurs when combined drugs produce a greater effect than the sum of individual effects.
- Antagonism results in diminished effects when drugs are combined.
- Potentiation happens when one drug enhances the effect of another.
Dosing Considerations
- Dosage is the amount of drug required for the desired effect, calculated by weight, measure, and frequency.
- Children's doses are determined primarily by weight, not age.
- A loading dose can be initially administered to quickly raise drug levels in the bloodstream.
- Frequency of dosing is critical to maintain effective blood levels without toxicity.
Routes of Drug Administration
- Oral medications are absorbed slowly and require processing by the liver.
- Sublingual medications are absorbed immediately under the tongue.
- Parenteral (injection) routes vary in absorption speed: subcutaneous (slow), intramuscular (moderate), and intravenous (immediate).
- Inhalation provides rapid absorption directly into the respiratory tract.
- Topical preparations can have varying speeds of absorption, with mucous membranes absorbing more quickly than skin.
Drug Absorption and Metabolism
- Drugs are generally metabolized in the liver and excreted by the kidneys, though some can be expelled through bile or feces.
- Barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier and placental barrier, can impede drug absorption.
Drug-Receptor Interaction
- Drug actions typically involve interactions with specific receptors.
- Drugs may directly stimulate or block receptors, influencing cellular functions and biochemical processes.
Legal and Regulatory Context
- Prescriptions must include patient and prescriber information, drug details, dosage, and usage instructions.
- Generic names identify drugs uniquely, while trade names are manufacturer-specific. Chemical names specify the drug's chemical structure.
- The FDA regulates drug production, labeling, and distribution; scheduled drugs are monitored for abuse potential, while OTC drugs are available without prescriptions.
Abbreviation Guide
- PO: orally by mouth
- IM: intramuscularly
- SQ: subcutaneously
- BID: twice a day
- TID: three times a day
- QID: four times a day
- IV: intravenous
- OD: right eye
- OS: left eye
- OU: both eyes
- QD: daily
- Q 4 hr: every 4 hours
- HS: at bedtime
- ac: before meals
- pc: after meals
- prn: as needed
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge of pharmacology concepts with these flashcards from Chapter 3. Learn definitions related to drug therapy and the integrated medical sciences involved. Perfect for students needing a quick review of key pharmacological terms.