Alison pharmacy technician

From the pharmacy technician course

Pharmacology

the study of how drugs from various sources work inside the body for their intended purposes.

Pathophysiology

the study of abnormal body processes or disease.

phase I clinical trials

1st tried on healthy human subjects – drugs are given a generic drug

Phase II & III clinical trials

drugs are tested on humans having the condition or disease the drug is supposed to treat

Phase IV clinical trials

postmarketing.

Generic substitution

Often a drug's class, mechanism of action, and common uses can be easily determined by simply knowing a drugs generic name.

Legend or prescription drugs

only available by prescription and are dispensed from the pharmacy upon receipt of a valid prescription from a prescriber.

Over-the-counter (OTC)

medications that can be purchased without a prescription.

Controlled substances

medications that have been categorized by the Drug Enforcement Agency(DEA) to have the potential for abuse and dependence.

Schedule I

illegal substances or only available for research or experimental purposes.

Schedule Il - V

medications that can be legally dispensed with certain restrictions.

Pregnancy categorization

developed to assess safety during pregnancy; determining potential benefits and risks involved when a woman takes a medication while pregnant. (Some drugs are considered safe during pregnancy because they do not significantly cross through the placenta and enter the bloodstream of the developing fetus.)

Teratogenic

drugs that can cause birth defects or malformations in a developing fetus; degree of teratogenicity may depend on the stage of development.

Western medicine

traditional medicine; treatments generally recognized and accepted; relies on the scientific method. method.

Eastern medicine

older type of medicine that used herbs and alternative therapies and recognizes a person’s spiritual being and balance.

Dietary and nutritional supplements

are regulated as foods; not regulated for safety and efficacy as are prescription and OTC products by the FDA.

Homeopathy

treating an ailment with a substance, that can cause an effect similar to the ailment itself.

Chinese medicine

uses Eastern medical philosophies.

Acupuncture

insertion of needles at specific points on the body to unblock energy channels.

Acupressure

applies pressure to those points to enhance energy flow.

Chiropractic therapy

non-drug modalities; manipulation to achieve better body alignment and health.

Biofeedback

mental exercise and relaxation to slow heartbeat, lower blood pressure, and reduce stomach problems.

Dosage form

How to drug is delivered

Systemic effect

Efforts the whole body as a whole

Local effect

site of action is a specific area or tissue.

Oral

by mouth. The most convenient and cost-effective means of delivering a medication to a patient.

Solution

liquids with dissolved substances.

Suspensions

liquids with particulate matter - must be shaken.

Orally dissolving tablets (ODTs)

dissolve quickly on the tongue.

Sublingual

dissolve under the tongue.

Buccal

absorbed in the cheek.

Parenteral route

administered by injection; administered elsewhere in the body than the mouth and alimentary canal.

Intramuscular (IM)

given directly into a muscle.

• Deltoid - upper arm

• Gluteus medius - buttocks

Intravenous (IV)

injections given directly into a vein.

Peripheral IV line

inserted into a vein in the arm, wrist, or hand; small amounts of fluid; time infused is a few days or less.

Central IV line

inserted into one of the larger veins in the upper chest area near the clavicle (collarbone); inserted surgically; used when large volumes of fluid must be given; repeated infusions; time is longer than a few days.

Subcutaneous (SQ or SC or Subq)

injections into the fatty tissue under the dermal layer of the skin about the muscular tissue.

Intrathecal (IT)

injections given into the spinal column between vertebrae; epidural - injections given via a small catheter to deliver a drug directly into the spinal column over time; both are administered exclusively by anesthesiologists or anesthetists.

Intradermal (ID)

injections given just underneath the top layer of skin (epidermis); used for tuberculosis (TB) skin tests (PPD), local anesthesia, and allergy skin testing.

Rectal

drugs inserted via the rectum and allowed to melt or dissolve in place - allows for systemic absorption through the mucosal lining.

Local treatment for hemorrhoids.

Dosage forms include suppositories and enemas.

Transdermal

drug delivery through the skin over time.Patches can be applied and left in place for a period of time (hours to days).

Implants

inserted just below the skin to release a drug slowly over time (months to years).

Long-term treatments, like birth control, work best for this route.

Topical

not for the intent of systemic absorption; limited to local absorption. Not limited to application on the skin. Lungs, eyes, and vagina, are some ways that are considered topical administrations.

Dermal

applied topically to the skin; creams, lotions, gels, ointments, powders, solutions, and pastes.

Inhalation

delivery of drugs into the lungs, where a patient breathes it in through the mouth.

Intranasal

drug products sprayed into the nose; available in a liquid dosage form, delivering the drug to the nasal mucosa.

Ophthalmic

drug delivery topically to the eye; eyedrops and eye ointments.

• Limited systemic absorption, but is possible with solutions and ointments.

Otic

delivery of medication into the external ear canal.

Vaginal

drug delivery by inserting and applying medication into the vagina.

Covalent bond

sharing electrons; creating a neutrally charge molecule; strong bond.

Ionic bond

when one element entirely loses electrons and another gains electrons; remaining connected by electromagnetic attraction; weak bond, easily broken.

One atom becomes positively charged, the other negative.

Molecule

two or more atoms combined via covalent or ionic bonds.

Carbon backbone

chains of carbon atoms strung together or in ring-like structures.

Functional groups

side portions of a molecule that give it the chemical properties that allow it to react with others in specific ways.

Molecules react only with those receptors in the body that are shaped similarly, like a lock and key.

A drug's activity can be predicted by examining its molecular shape and functional groups.

Isomers

compounds with the exact same chemical makeup, but arranged differently in space.

Stereoisomers

isomers of the same molecule that are mirror images of each other.

A drug that contains a mixture of stereoisomers can have more drug activity and/or cause more side effects.

Carbohydrates

common molecule in the body; an essential part of nutrition; breaking bonds in carbohydrates produces energy; large carbohydrates, like starches, are used in building cell membranes or stored for energy.

Peptides

composed of amino acids and are the building blocks of protein molecules.

Proteins are used to build tissues, but can also be used for energy.

Lipids

molecules that form long chains of covalently bonded carbon and hydrogen atoms; soluble in fat or oil; used to create hormones and other active biochemical.

Nucleic acids

part of deoxyribonucleic acid

(DNA), which forms the genetic material contained in the cell nucleus. (DNA serves as a road map for the body's processes and growth cycle.)

pH scale

measuring acidic and basic (alkaline) properties of substances.

Acids

low pH (below 7)

Bases

high pH (above 7)

Hydrogen ions

created when an electron orbiting a hydrogen atom is lost, leaving a lone proton with a positive charge.

receptors

receives chemical signals - on the surface or inside of specific cells.

Pharmacodynamics

the study of drug receptor theory at the molecular level and how that interaction translates to drug activity on the entire body.

Mechanism of action

a drugs effect on the body.

Drugs mimic the molecular shape of the body's endogenous chemicals and produce either similar effects or block the activity.

Agonist

drugs whose activity stimulate a specific response when binding to receptors.

Antagonist

drugs that block a response when binding to receptors.

Antagonists block in two ways:

1. directly by inactivating the receptor, blocking its ability to trigger a response;

2. binding to the receptor in a competitive fashion, keeping agonist molecules from binding and then triggering a response.

Pharmacokinetics

observing and predicting, using a mathematical model, to study how a drug enters, moves around, and leaves the body.

Pharmacokinetics studies absorption, distribution, and elimination from the bloodstream.

Absorption

the process by which drugs enter the bloodstream. Absorption affects the onset of drug action as well as the extent of action. Route of administration affects absorption by enhancing or limiting systemic effect.

Active transport

use energy to bring drug molecules across the membrane. An example of active transport is the sodium/potassium exchange pump, which requires ATP for energy.

Passive transport

molecules move across on their own.

Passive transport mechanisms, are usually driven by concentration gradients

Distribution

the process by which drugs move around in the bloodstream and reach other tissues of the body.

Volume of distribution (Vd)

how a drug is distributed within the compartments of the body.

Highly-water soluble drug stays in the bloodstream.

Highly fat- or lipid-soluble, accumulates in fatty tissue and then slowly released over time back into the bloodstream

Protein binding

drug molecules can have a high affinity for protein molecules; binding to proteins, that circulate in the blood.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB)

a layer of cells that affects distribution of drugs to the central nervous system (CNS).

Metabolism

the process in the body by which drugs are converted to other biochemical compounds, and then excreted through metabolic pathways.

Prodrugs

- a compound that on administration and chemical conversion by metabolic processes becomes an active pharmacological agent.

First-pass effect

the liver metabolizing drugs as they "pass" or travel through it.

Cytochrome P450 enzyme system

frequently deactivates drugs; liver enzyme involved in metabolism.

Elimination

the process by which drugs leave the body.

Half-life (t 1/2)

the time it takes half of a drug to be cleared from the blood.

Excretion

the process by which drug molecules are removed from the bloodstream; primarily involving the kidneys.

Pediatric practice

infants and children

Geriatric practice

elderly patients

Liver disease

can greatly affect drugs eliminated via metabolism.

Kidney function

excretion primarily happens through the kidneys, affecting elimination.

Pharmacodynamics

the study of drug receptor theory at the molecular level and how that interaction translates to drug activity on the entire body.