NURS3190 - Introduction to Pharmacology and Drug Action

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational principles of pharmacology, legislative regulations, medication safety, ADME processes, and pharmacodynamics.

Pharmacology

The study of drugs and their interactions with living systems.

Drug

Any chemical that affects the processes of a living organism.

Pharmacotherapeutics

The application of drugs to prevent or treat diseases and ease suffering.

Chemical Name

Drug name that describes its exact chemical structure.

Generic Name

Non-proprietary, often simpler name of a drug (ex. ibuprofen)

Trade/Brand Name

Proprietary name given to a drug by its manufacturer (ex. Motrin, Advil, Xanax)

Prescription Drugs

Medications that require a written order from a licensed healthcare provider.

Nonprescription Drugs (OTC)

Over-the-Counter medications available for purchase without a prescription.

Behind-the-Counter (BTC) Drugs

Nonprescription drugs stored behind the pharmacy counter requiring pharmacist intervention for purchase.

Controlled Drugs

Substances with potential for abuse or dependence regulated by the DEA, requiring a DEA number for prescribing.

Recreational Drugs

Substances used for non-medical purposes, often illegal and unregulated

What is the major source of drugs?

chemicals

Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906

regulated the sale of food and drugs

Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938

helped determine the safety of drugs.

Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1952

amendment to the 1938 Act that categorized prescription and OTC drugs

Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962

amendment to the 1938 Act that required proof that drugs were safe.

Controlled Substances Act of 1970

monitored scheduled drugs

Orphan Act of 1983

allowing for the development of drugs for rare diseases.

Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997

monitoring guidelines for food, medical products, and cosmetics.

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

Regulatory agency governing the development, manufacturing, and marketing of medicines, food, medical products, and cosmetics to ensure safety and efficacy.

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

Federal agency that enforces controlled substances laws and regulations in the United States.

U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)

Official compendium that sets standards for drug quality, purity, strength, and consistency.

Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR)

Clinical reference guide providing comprehensive drug information directly from manufacturers.

Malfeasance

Performance of an improper or wrong action, such as administering an IV ordered drug via IM or SubQ route causing loss of efficacy or tissue injury.

Misfeasance

Performance of a duty improperly, such as administering the wrong drug or wrong dose

Nonfeasance

Failure to perform a necessary action, such as omitting or forgetting a medication dose leading to therapeutic failure.

Preclinical Research

Initial laboratory testing of a drug on cells and animals before submitting an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.

Phase 1 Clinical Trial

Drug trial phase where a drug is given to a small group of healthy volunteers to evaluate safety, dosage, and pharmacokinetic profile

Phase 2 Clinical Trial

Drug trial phase where a drug is administered to several hundred patients with the target disease to evaluate effectiveness and safety.

Phase 3 Clinical Trial

Drug trial phase administering a drug to thousands of target patients to confirm effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare to common treatments, and collect widespread data

Postmarket Surveillance

Ongoing monitoring of a drug's safety and effectiveness after commercial release to detect harmful long-term effects.

5 Rights of Medication Administration

Right Patient, Right Medication, Right Dose, Right Time, and Right Route.

Pharmaceutic Phase

First phase of drug action for oral medications involving dosage form breakdown and drug dissolution.

Pharmacokinetic Phase

what the body does to the drug, encompassing Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME).

Pharmacodynamic Phase

what the drug does to the body, describing the mechanism of action and its effects at a cellular level

Absorption

The movement of a drug from its site of administration into the bloodstream.

Distribution

Reversible movement of a drug from systemic circulation into interstitial and intracellular fluids to reach target cells.

Metabolism

Chemical alteration of a drug, primarily by liver enzymes, converting lipid-soluble drugs into water-soluble forms for excretion.

Excretion

The process by which drugs and their metabolites are eliminated from the body, primarily through the kidneys.

Bioavailability

The amount of drug that reaches systemic circulation in an unchanged form after administration.

Passive Transport

no energy-required diffusion moving drug molecules from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration

Active Transport

Energy-requiring movement of drug molecules across cell membranes using a carrier

Pinocytosis

Active transport process where a cell membrane engulfs a drug molecule.

First-Pass Effect

Hepatic metabolism of oral drugs absorbed from the GI tract before reaching systemic circulation, reducing the active amount of drug.

Protein Binding

Attachment of drugs to blood proteins like albumin; bound drug molecules remain inactive and cannot exert effects or be excreted.

Free Drugs

Unbound, pharmacologically active drug molecules that freely circulate, bind to target receptors, and are excreted.

Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)

Protective barrier restricting substance entry into the brain, typically permeable only to lipid-soluble drugs.

Enzyme Induction

Process in which drugs or substances stimulate the liver to produce more metabolizing enzymes, accelerating drug breakdown

Onset of Action

Time from drug administration to first effect when plasma concentration crosses the Minimal Effective Concentration (MEC).

Minimal Effective Concentration (MEC)

The lowest drug dose required to achieve a therapeutic effect.

Peak Effect

most therapeutic point, corresponding to the highest risk for side effects.

Duration of Action

Time from drug action onset until termination, during which plasma levels remain above the MEC.

Therapeutic Range

The safe plasma concentration zone where a drug produces therapeutic effects without causing toxicity.

Drug Half-Life ($t_{1/2}$)

The time required for the amount of drug in the body to decrease by $50\%$.

Peak Level

Highest drug concentration in the patient's bloodstream, typically measured shortly after administration.

Trough Level

Lowest drug concentration in the patient's bloodstream, measured right before the next dose is due.

Receptor Theory

Concept that drugs exert therapeutic or toxic effects by binding to specific cell surface or intracellular protein receptors.

Agonists

Drugs that bind to receptors and activate them, producing a full cellular response.

Antagonists

Drugs that bind to receptors without activating them, blocking activation by agonists.

Therapeutic Index (TI)

Ratio of Lethal Dose 50 ($LD_{50}$) to Effective Dose 50 ($ED_{50}$) used to measure drug safety.

Maximal Efficacy

The greatest effect a drug can produce.

Relative Potency

The amount or dosage of a drug required to produce a specific effect.

Acute Therapy

Drug therapy administered for immediate or severe problems (e.g., antibiotics for acute appendicitis).

Maintenance Therapy

Drug therapy that maintains existing physiological functions and prevents disease progression without curing it.

Supplemental Therapy

Drug therapy providing essential substances to maintain normal function that the body cannot produce in adequate amounts.

Supportive Therapy

Drug therapy designed to maintain body function integrity during illness recovery (e.g., IV fluids for dehydration).

Prophylactic Therapy

Preventive drug therapy administered to prevent disease or infection (e.g., pre-operative antibiotics).

Palliative Therapy

Drug therapy focused on symptom relief and patient comfort rather than curing underlying disease.

Side Effect

Expected and predictable drug reaction occurring at normal therapeutic doses.

Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR)

Noxious and unintended response to a drug occurring at doses normally used for prevention, diagnosis, or therapy

Type A Intrinsic Adverse Reaction

Predictable, dose-dependent ADR representing a direct excessive extension of known pharmacodynamics ($60\text{--}70\%$ of ADRs).

Type B Idiosyncratic Adverse Reaction

Unpredictable, dose-independent ADR unexplainable by known pharmacodynamics, often genetically linked (20-30% of ADRs).