Complete Review for the Pharmacy Technician: Drug Classifications and Formulations

Vocabulary flashcards covering human anatomy, organ systems, pathophysiology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, dosage forms, and core pharmacological principles from Chapter 1 of Complete Review for the Pharmacy Technician (4th Edition).

Pharmacotherapy

The use of medications to treat human disease.

Physiology

The study of human normal body function and the ways in which the body and its organ systems work.

Pathophysiology

The study of what goes wrong and the disrupted physiologic processes in diseases.

Homeostasis

A balanced state in which the body functions normally, organs work in concert, nutrients and oxygen are distributed, and metabolic wastes are processed and eliminated.

Atomic Number

The number of positively charged protons located in the nucleus of an atom.

Atomic Mass Number

The total sum of protons and neutrons present in the nucleus of an atom.

Afferent Nerves

Nerves that gather sensory information from in and around the body and transmit it toward the brain.

Efferent Nerves

Nerves that carry instructions and regulatory signals from the brain back to muscles, glands, and organs.

Sebum

An oily substance secreted by sebaceous glands connected to hair follicles that prevents the skin and hair from drying out.

Signs (of Disease)

Subjective clues describing how a patient experiences and characterizes their illness.

Symptoms (of Disease)

Objective clues discovered by healthcare professionals during physical examination, laboratory testing, or diagnostic procedures.

Epidemiology

The study and analysis of health patterns, causes of disease, and therapeutic outcomes across populations of people rather than individuals.

Pharmacogenomics

The study of how an individual's genetic variations influence their response to medications and risk of disease.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of the movement of drugs through the body, comprising absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).

Disintegration

The process in which a solid oral dosage form, such as a tablet, breaks apart into small particles within gastrointestinal fluids.

Dissolution

The process by which drug particles dissolve into gastrointestinal fluids, allowing the drug to become available for absorption into the blood.

Bioavailability

The ratio or percentage of an administered drug dose that successfully reaches the systemic circulation via the bloodstream.

First-Pass Metabolism

The extensive breakdown and transformation of an orally administered drug in the liver before it ever reaches the systemic circulation, which decreases its oral bioavailability.

Prodrug

An inactive chemical agent that requires metabolic conversion by the body into an active, therapeutic drug.

Volume of Distribution

A mathematical parameter describing the extent to which a drug disperses out of the blood and into various bodily compartments and tissues.

Clearance

The mathematical expression of the amount of drug eliminated or metabolized to inactive compounds by an organ or tissue over a given duration of time.

Half-Life

The time required for the concentration of a drug in the serum to decrease by one-half ($50\%$).

Pharmacodynamics

The study of what drugs do in the body and the relationship between serum or tissue drug levels and their pharmacological effects.

Narrow Therapeutic Range

A narrow margin between a medication's therapeutic dose and toxic dose, where small variations in blood concentration can produce toxicity or therapeutic failure.

Suspension

A liquid dosage form containing finely divided, insoluble drug particles dispersed throughout a vehicle that must be shaken thoroughly before measuring each dose.

Elixir

A clear, sweetened oral liquid preparation that contains alcohol and is used to dissolve medications and mask unpleasant, bitter tastes.

Suppository

A solid dosage form that remains solid at room or refrigeration temperatures but melts or dissolves when inserted into a body cavity such as the rectum, vagina, or urethra.

Depot Injection

An intramuscular injectable suspension formulated to release medication slowly and continuously into the bloodstream over an extended duration, such as $3$ to $4\text{ weeks}$.

Generic Name

The standardized nonproprietary name assigned to an active drug ingredient by the United States Adopted Names (USAN) program.

Brand Name

The proprietary or trade name designated to a pharmaceutical product by the manufacturer that first developed or marketed it.

Off-Label Use

The clinical use of an FDA-approved drug for an unapproved indication that is not listed in the official manufacturer labeling.

Adverse Effects

Unintended secondary effects (side effects) that occur when a drug is administered at normal, recommended doses.

Contraindication

A specific disease, condition, or patient characteristic that makes the use of a particular medication unsafe or inadvisable.

Cross Sensitivity

A condition in which a patient allergic to one drug experiences an allergic reaction when exposed to a structurally related medication.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP 450) Enzymes

A family of specialized hepatic enzymes (such as CYP 3A4 and CYP 2C9) responsible for metabolizing medications and frequently involved in drug interactions.