Pharmacology for EMS Week 1

Course Information

• Course title: Pharmacology for EMS (EHS 202)
• Course institution: Fatima College of Health Sciences
• Week: 1
• Focus: Introduction to Pharmacology

Learning Objectives

• Describe pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, drug interactions, metabolism, route of administration, drug action, efficacy, potency, and toxicity.
• List major drugs and drug classes used in prehospital settings.
• Describe the specific pharmacology of major drugs and drug classes in prehospital settings, including indications, contraindications, mechanisms of action, physiological effects, major adverse effects, and clinically significant drug interactions.
• Apply pharmacology knowledge and patient-specific factors to select appropriate medications for a given disease/condition.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and modify treatment plans.
• Understand the basic principles of toxicology, mechanisms of adverse drug effects, and management of drug overdoses.
• Explain the physiological, pharmacological, and psychological effects of acute and chronic drug exposure, and the consequences of drug withdrawal.

What is Pharmacology?

• The study of how drugs affect living systems.

Why Study Pharmacology?

• Paramedics encounter various medications (administered and taken by patients).
• Detailed understanding is essential for patient management and high-quality care.
• Provides education and advice to the public.
• Plays a role in initiating, monitoring, and adjusting drug treatment strategies.
• Enables informed clinical decision-making.

What is a Drug?

• A chemical substance (excluding nutrients/essential ingredients) which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect.
• Any substance/product used to modify or explore physiological/pathological systems for the recipient's benefit.
• Drugs can be synthetic chemicals, extracted from plants/animals, or products of genetic engineering.

Route of Administration Importance

• The route of administration can influence the drug's actions
• A drug administered intravenously may cause different effects than the same drug taken orally.
• Endogenous substances, even though they are produced by the body, can still be considered drugs when administered.

What is a Medication/Medicine?

• A chemical preparation (often containing multiple drugs) intentionally administered to produce a therapeutic effect.
• Ingredients are mixed to improve stability, taste, or form, facilitating ease of administration of the active drug.
• Effective drugs exhibit potency, biological selectivity, and chemical specificity.

Source of Chemical Importance

• Some drugs derived from plants have both beneficial properties and the potential for abuse.

Sources of Medication

• Synthetic: Made entirely in a laboratory.
• Semisynthetic: Derived from plant, animal, or mineral sources.

Intention of Administration Importance

• Whether a drug is intentionally consumed or not does not alter its action or interaction within the body.
• The route of administration is critical for consideration and is frequently necessary to treat patients.

Drug Controls in the UAE

• Aligned with international agreements on narcotic and psychotropic drugs.
• Ensures that such drugs are not widely available to the public, minimizing misuse/trafficking.
• Federal laws (e.g., No. 4 of 1983, No. 14 of 1995) outline the requirements for prescribing and supplying prescription drugs.
• Current laws focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment in cases of first-time drug offenders.

Drug, Food, or Nutritional Supplement?

• Concentrated/refined compounds, derived from natural sources, which have effects on the body.
• Excessive quantities of naturally occurring compounds can be detrimental in terms of harm or effect.

Alternative Therapies?

• 'Alternate therapies' often contain compounds/chemicals which are absorbed into the body and trigger reactions like other drugs.
• Such substances may alter the immune system or interact with other physiological processes. 

Poisons and Other Chemicals?

• Drugs/chemicals are regarded as being the same regardless of their origin, whether synthetic, plant-based, animal-derived, or mineral derived
• Poisons and other chemicals can be therapeutic if the dose is carefully controlled.

Drug Name

• Drugs have chemical names, generic names, and trade names.
• Chemical names: Precise description of chemical structure
• Generic names: Simplified chemical name (easier to remember)
• Trade names: Names by which manufacturers sell the drugs.

Generic Name

• Primarily a simplified name derived from part of the chemical name.
• Often used by health professionals in discussions/record-keeping.
• May include a suffix indicating the drug group.
• Some drugs have different forms which may be reflected in their name (e.g., Hydrochloride, Sulphate, Tartrate).

Trade Name

• Proprietary name assigned by the drug manufacturer for marketing.
• Trademarked by the manufacturer (exclusive rights).
• Multiple trade names exist for a single drug.

Grouping of Drugs by Function

• Drugs can be grouped by their intended use (e.g., antihypertensives, antidepressants)
• Enables generalised discussions about treatment strategies without needing detailed information on dosage or administration.

Grouping of Drugs by Mechanism of Action

• Grouping drugs by the specific way in which they work in the body.
• Example: Anti-hypertensives (e.g., beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, AT2 receptor antagonists, diuretics), and each class has different mechanisms of action.
• Understanding the mechanisms offers insight into medical conditions that might be treated with those classes of drugs.

Americanism Note

• The text notes differences in generic/non-proprietary drug names between British and American nomenclature.

Weekly Learning Task

• Students will prepare presentations for class on a specific drug, including indications, actions, dose/administration, contraindications, precautions, and side effects.

References

• Provides citation information for texts used in the course.