Introduction to Respiratory Care Pharmacology

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on respiratory care pharmacology.

What is pharmacology?

The science dealing with drugs and their effects on living organisms.

What is a drug?

Any chemical that alters the organism’s functions or processes.

Name all five names for a drug.

Chemical name, code name, generic name, official name, and trade name (brand name).

Brand-name vs generic: what are the key differences?

They have the same active ingredient; generics typically have lower cost and may differ in inactive ingredients, packaging, and appearance; the brand name is usually more expensive.

What are common sources of drug information?

United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary (USP-NF), Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR), Goodman & Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, Basic & Clinical Pharmacology (15th ed), Drug Facts and Comparisons, and NDC database.

What are the major sources of drugs?

Chemical synthesis; plant, mineral, and animal sources (examples: animal – thyroid hormone, insulin, pancreatic dornase; plant – atropine, digitalis, reserpine, oils; mineral – copper sulfate, magnesium sulfate, mineral oil).

What are the major steps in the US drug approval process?

Chemical isolation and identification; animal studies; general effects; Investigational New Drug (IND) approval; Phase 1–3 trials; New Drug Application (NDA); post-approval reporting for the first 6 months.

What are the major steps in marketing a drug in the US?

Chemical isolation and identification; animal studies; general effects; special effects on organ systems; toxicology studies.

What are the IND approval phases?

Phase 1: small number of healthy subjects; Phase 2: small number with disease; Phase 3: large, multicenter studies.

What does the FDA alphanumeric coding system mean (1–6)?

1 = new chemical entity; 2 = new salt form; 3 = new dosage form; 4 = new combination; 5 = generic drug; 6 = new indication.

What are the therapeutic potential ratings?

A = important therapeutic gain; AA = important gain (fast-track, e.g., for AIDS); B = modest therapeutic gain; C = important options; little or no therapeutic gain.

What is an orphan drug?

A drug or biologic for a rare disease; disease affects fewer than 200,000 people; or no reasonable expectation of recovering development costs; Table 1-2 provides examples.

What are the parts of a prescription?

Patient name and address/date; Rx; inscription; subscription; signature; name of prescriber; indication for generic substitution.

What is an Over-the-Counter (OTC) drug?

A drug that does not require a prescription; can be hazardous; self-treatment may mask or worsen a serious condition.

What are the five advantages of aerosolized respiratory drugs?

Smaller dose; fewer side effects; rapid onset; targeted to the respiratory system; painless and relatively safe.

What are the related drug groups in respiratory care?

Antiinfective agents; Neuromuscular blocking agents; Central nervous system agents; Antiarrhythmic agents; Antihypertensive/antianginal agents; Anticoagulant/thrombolytic agents; Diuretics.

What are some animal sources of drugs mentioned in the notes?

Thyroid hormone, insulin, pancreatic dornase.

What are some plant sources of drugs mentioned in the notes?

Khellin (Ammi visnaga); atropine (belladonna alkaloid); digitalis (foxglove); reserpine; volatile oils of eucalyptus, pine, anise.

What are some mineral sources of drugs mentioned in the notes?

Copper sulfate; magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts); mineral oil (liquid hydrocarbons).

What does IND stand for?

Investigational New Drug.

What does NDA stand for?

New Drug Application.