Pharmacology Introduction

Introduction to Pharmacology

• Study of the effects of drugs on living organisms
• Involves understanding of pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body) and pharmacokinetics (what the body does to the drug)

Pharmacodynamics

• Study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs on the body
• Involves understanding of:
  • Mechanism of action: how the drug works at the molecular level
  • Receptor binding: how the drug interacts with specific receptors in the body
  • Dose-response relationship: how the effect of the drug changes with increasing dose

Pharmacokinetics

• Study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs
• Involves understanding of:
  • Absorption: how the drug enters the body
  • Distribution: how the drug is transported to its site of action
  • Metabolism: how the drug is broken down by the body
  • Excretion: how the drug is eliminated from the body

Drug Types

• Agonists: bind to receptors and activate them
• Antagonists: bind to receptors and block their activation
• Partial agonists: bind to receptors and activate them, but not as strongly as full agonists
• Inverse agonists: bind to receptors and reduce their activity

Pharmacological Effects

• Therapeutic effects: desired effects of the drug
• Adverse effects: undesired effects of the drug
• Side effects: effects of the drug that are not related to its therapeutic effect
• Toxic effects: harmful effects of the drug

Drug Interactions

• Synergism: two or more drugs produce a greater effect than the sum of their individual effects
• Antagonism: two or more drugs produce a lesser effect than the sum of their individual effects
• Potentiation: one drug increases the effect of another drug without affecting its own effect

Pharmacological Principles

• Dose-response curve: a graph showing the relationship between the dose of a drug and its effect
• Potency: the amount of drug required to produce a specific effect
• Efficacy: the maximum effect that a drug can produce
• Selective toxicity: the ability of a drug to target a specific organism or cell type

Pharmacology Overview

• Study of the effects of drugs on living organisms

Pharmacodynamics

• Study of biochemical and physiological effects of drugs on the body
• Involves understanding mechanism of action, receptor binding, and dose-response relationship

Mechanism of Action

• How a drug works at the molecular level

Receptor Binding

• How a drug interacts with specific receptors in the body

Dose-Response Relationship

• How the effect of a drug changes with increasing dose

Pharmacokinetics

• Study of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs
• Involves understanding how a drug enters the body, is transported, broken down, and eliminated

Absorption

• How a drug enters the body

Distribution

• How a drug is transported to its site of action

Metabolism

• How a drug is broken down by the body

Excretion

• How a drug is eliminated from the body

Drug Types

• Agonists: bind to receptors and activate them
• Antagonists: bind to receptors and block their activation
• Partial Agonists: bind to receptors and activate them, but not as strongly as full agonists
• Inverse Agonists: bind to receptors and reduce their activity

Pharmacological Effects

• Therapeutic Effects: desired effects of the drug
• Adverse Effects: undesired effects of the drug
• Side Effects: effects of the drug not related to its therapeutic effect
• Toxic Effects: harmful effects of the drug

Drug Interactions

• Synergism: two or more drugs produce a greater effect than the sum of their individual effects
• Antagonism: two or more drugs produce a lesser effect than the sum of their individual effects
• Potentiation: one drug increases the effect of another drug without affecting its own effect

Pharmacological Principles

• Dose-Response Curve: graph showing the relationship between dose and effect
• Potency: amount of drug required to produce a specific effect
• Efficacy: maximum effect that a drug can produce
• Selective Toxicity: ability of a drug to target a specific organism or cell type