10 Questions
What is the primary focus of medical pharmacology?
The study of drugs used for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease
What is the term used to describe the process of metabolism and excretion of a drug?
Biodisposition
Which of the following is NOT a source of drugs?
Minerals
What is the study of the actions of a drug on the body, including receptor interactions and dose-response phenomena?
Pharmacodynamics
What is the term used to describe the molecular components of the body with which a drug interacts to bring about its effects?
Drug receptors
What is the primary function of a pharmacopeia?
To establish standards for medicinal substances
What is the main difference between a generic name and a trade name?
A generic name is used in pharmacopoeias, while a trade name is used by pharmaceutical companies
Which of the following is an example of a mineral-derived drug?
Iron
What is the purpose of inspecting places where medicines are manufactured?
To ensure the quality of the medicines
Which ancient Egyptian medical document is an example of a pharmacopeia?
Papyrus Ebers
Study Notes
Introduction to Pharmacology
- Pharmacology is the study of the interaction of chemicals with living systems.
- Medical pharmacology is the study of drugs used for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease.
- Clinical Pharmacology provides scientific methods for determining the usefulness, potency, and toxicity of drugs in humans.
Pharmacological Terms
- Drug: a substance that acts on living systems at the chemical (molecular) level.
- Drug receptors: molecular components of the body with which a drug interacts to bring about its effects.
- Pharmacodynamics: the actions of a drug on the body, including receptor interactions, dose-response phenomena, and mechanisms of therapeutic and toxic action.
- Pharmacokinetics: the actions of the body on the drug, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
Sources of Drugs
- Plants (e.g., atropine from belladonna, morphine from opium, cardiac glycosides from digitalis)
- Animals (e.g., insulin, thyroxin, heparin)
- Synthetic (through chemical reaction, which is the case for most drugs)
- Microorganisms (e.g., penicillin and cephalosporin from fungus)
- Minerals (e.g., iron, calcium, magnesium)
Drug Nomenclature
- Each drug has three names:
- Chemical name (describes the chemical structure of the compound)
- Generic name (used in pharmacopoeias and chosen by official authorities)
- Trade or brand name (property of pharmaceutical companies that produce the drug)
- Example: Aspirin (chemical name: Acetyl salicylic acid; generic name: Aspirin; trade name: Rivo)
Pharmacopeia
- Pharmacopeia is a legally binding collection of medicinal substances, crude drugs, and formulas for making preparations from them.
- Types of pharmacopeia: Egyptian, United States, British, European, Indian
- Importance of Pharmacopeia:
- Protects the public against error, ignorance, or fraud
- Defines standards for substances used in medicinal use
- Limits supply of certain medicines to doctors' prescriptions
- Inspects and licenses places where medicines are manufactured
- Evaluates formulations proposed by manufacturers
- Analyzes samples of medicines on the market
This quiz covers the fundamentals of pharmacology, including pharmacology branches, drug definition, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics. It also explores the sources of drugs, application of basic principles, and the importance of pharmacopeia.
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