Pharmacology Quiz: History and Concepts

Historical Use of Chemicals in Pharmacology

• Weaponized poisons at higher doses were found to have therapeutic effects.
• Use of sulfa drugs lead to the development of the first synthetic antibacterial compounds.
• Historical use of natural compounds at ultra low doses resulted in therapeutic effects
• Extraction of chemical compounds from man-made poisons that resulted in large-scale human epidemics led to the discovery of drugs still used today.

Morphine

• Morphine is a historical drug still used clinically today.

Placebo

• A placebo is defined as an inert substance masquerading as a drug.
• Placebo therapy provides satisfactory relief in approximately 55% of sick anxious patients.
• The likelihood of placebo effects is greater in normal volunteers than in sick anxious patients under stress.
• Placebo responses are not well understood and thus should be controlled in a phase 3 study.

Randomized Controlled Trial

• Patients are selected and assigned to various test groups based on their characteristics.
• All patients receive the new drug or the control drug (gold-standard or placebo) in a blinded fashion.
• The people who administer the drugs should not know who is receiving the new drug.
• The outcomes measured should preferably be objective.

Drug Development Stages

• Research and Discovery Target: Discovery of lead compounds
• Preclinical Trial: Safety and potential efficacy in laboratory animals
• Phase 1 Clinical Trial: Safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers
• Phase 2 Clinical Trial: Effectiveness and safety in small number of patients
• Phase 3 Clinical Trial: Effectiveness and safety in large number of patients
• Phase 4 Clinical Trial: Post-market surveillance for adverse effects and safety

Efficacy vs Effectiveness

• Drug B has greater efficacy than Drug A.

Therapeutic Range

• The therapeutic range is the range of drug concentrations in the body that produce a therapeutic effect without causing unacceptable adverse effects.

Explore the intriguing historical use of chemicals in pharmacology, including weaponized poisons and sulfa drugs. Understand the role of morphine and the complexities of placebo effects in clinical studies. This quiz covers key concepts necessary for a deeper understanding of pharmacological practices.