Download Basic Pharmacology

Basic Pharmacology
Terms and Classifications
Terms
• Action of a drug: chemical changes or
effects that a drug has on body cells
and tissues
• Adverse reaction: an unintended and
undesirable response to a drug
• Indication: an illness or disorder for the
treatment of which a specific drug has
documented usefulness
Terms
• OTC drugs: drugs that may be
purchased without a prescription
• Pharmacodynamics: what drugs do to
the body and how drugs interact with
body tissue
• Prescription drugs: require a
prescription to be dispensed
• Side effect: an additional effect of a
drug that isn't the necessary purpose
of the medication, can be desirable or
undesirable
The Five Rights
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•
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•
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Right Drug
Right patient
Right time
Right route
Right dosage
Scheduled Drugs
• The Controlled Substances Act of 1970
categorized controlled substances
based on their relative potential for
abuse.
• Schedule I : High Abuse Potential: no
accepted medical use, may lead to
severe dependance: Ex: Heroin,
Marijuana, THC, LSD, mescaline,
peyote, methaqualone
Schedule II
• High Abuse Potential, Some accepted
medical uses, may lead to severe physical
and /or psychological dependence
• Written Rx needed, signed by practitioner,
No refills, container must have warning
label
• Opium, Morphine, hydromorphone,
meperidine, codeine, secobarbital,
pentobarbital, amphetamine, cocaine, etc.
Schedule III
• Less abuse potential than I & II, accepted
medical uses, may lead to moderate/low
physical or high psychological
dependence
• Written or Oral Rx, Rx expires after 6 mo.
No more than 5 refills in 6 mo period, must
have warning label
• Combination drugs: hydrocodone,
paregoric, morphine combinations
Schedule IV
• Lower abuse potential compared to III,
accepted medical uses, may lead to
physical or psychological dependence.
• Written or Oral Rx, Rx expires after 6 mo.
No more than 5 refills in 6 mo period, must
have warning label
• Phenobarbital, diazepam, clorazepate,
flurazepam, meprobamate,
chlordiazepoxide
Schedule V
• Low abuse potential compared to IV,
accepted medical uses, may lead to
limited physical or psychological
dependence.
• May require written Rx (may be sold
without Rx, depending on individual state
laws)
• Medications, generally for relief of coughs
or diarrhea containing limited quantities of
certain opioid controlled substances
Names
• Chemical: most formal name, precise
description of chemical composition and
molecular structure, only useful to
chemists and drug companies
• 7-chloro-1,3dihydro-1, methyl-5-pheynl2H-1.4-benzodiazepin-2-one
• Generic: abbreviation of chemical name,
legally and scientifically identifies the drug
• Ibuprophen= Motrin, Advil
Names
• Brand/Trade Names: copyrighted by
manufacturer, private property of
manufacturer, Often has trademark “R”
after the name.
• Several Trade Names
• Ibuprophen = Motrin, Advil
Functional Classifications
• Clinical Indication: Antihypertensive,
anticoagulant
• Body System
• Pharmacological or chemical classification
• Legal Classification: Prescription vs.
OTC
Drug Standards
• US Food and Drug Administration:
• FDA: approves distribution and sale of
drugs
• Oversees and reviews testing
• Determines safety and efficacy
Special Considerations:
• Pediatric Patients: most peds drugs are
weight based, some drugs metabolize
faster in peds
• Geriatric Patients: aging process alters
pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics,
so doses need to be altered
• May be on multiple meds with multiple
interactions.
Considerations for All Patients
• Diet can affect drug therapy
• Ex: Cardiac Glycosides (Digoxin)
shouldn’t be taken with large amounts of
dietary fiber: reduces absorption of med
in the bloodstream.
• Psychosocial effects
• OTC medications interactions
• Work schedules
• Compliance with orders