Pharmacology Basics and Medication Safety

A vocabulary-focused set of flashcards covering pharmacology concepts, safety practices, regulatory terms, drug naming, routes, and patient care practices from the lecture notes.

First-pass effect

Orally ingested drugs pass to the liver first, where part of the dose is metabolized before reaching systemic circulation; IV or injected meds bypass this.

Half-life

The time required for a drug's blood level to decrease by half; guides dosing frequency but is a guideline, not a strict rule.

Toxicity

Harmful levels of a drug in the body due to excess or reduced excretion/metabolism.

Therapeutic level

The concentration of a drug in the blood that produces the desired effect without toxicity.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of how a drug affects the body.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes a drug.

Assessment (in pharmacology)

Evaluating history, pregnancy/lactation status, liver/kidney function, allergies, and interactions to guide safe meds.

Allergies (medication)

Immune reactions to drugs; identify what the drug does to the body and document it.

Side effects

Harmless secondary effects (e.g., nausea, diarrhea) that may or may not require intervention.

OTC interactions

Over-the-counter medications and herbs can interact with prescribed meds; obtain a complete OTC/herbal history.

Diet recall

24- to 48-hour dietary recall to assess how diet may affect drug therapy.

Recreational drug history

Inquiry about substances like tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, heroin to assess potential interactions.

Caffeine/alcohol effects

Substance use can alter drug metabolism and efficacy; consider in treatment plans.

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing; may require alternative routes to prevent aspiration.

PRN

As needed; medication given based on patient condition and reassessed afterward.

FDA

Food and Drug Administration; U.S. agency regulating drug development, approval, and safety.

Phase I trial

Initial clinical trial in healthy volunteers to assess safety and dosing ranges.

Phase II trial

Clinical trials in patients with disease to assess efficacy and side effects.

Phase III trial

Large-scale trials to confirm effectiveness and monitor adverse effects before approval.

Post-market surveillance

Ongoing monitoring of a drug’s safety after it is approved and released.

DEA Schedule I

High abuse potential with no accepted medical use (e.g., heroin, marijuana, LSD).

DEA Schedule II

High abuse potential with severe dependence; includes many opiates and cocaine.

DEA Schedule III

Moderate dependence and less abuse potential.

DEA Schedule IV

Limited abuse potential.

Pregnancy category A

Safe in human studies; no risk to the fetus in the first trimester or later.

Pregnancy category B

Animal studies show no risk; human data insufficient or lacking.

Pregnancy category C

Animal studies show adverse effects; insufficient human data.

Pregnancy category D

Definite fetal risk; potential benefits may outweigh risks in specific cases.

Pregnancy category X

Clear evidence of fetal harm; contraindicated in pregnancy.

Generic name vs Brand name

Generic name is the nonproprietary name; brand (trade) name is the marketed name and varies by country.

Rights of safe medication administration

Right drug, right dose, right patient, right route, right time, and right documentation (plus patient refusal rights).

Two patient identifiers

Use name and date of birth to identify patients; do not rely on room numbers.

Legal liability (nursing)

Nurses are responsible for safe med administration and must verify orders and educate patients.

Absorption

Process by which a drug enters the bloodstream; affected by weight, age, gender, circulation, etc.

Enteral vs Parenteral routes

Enteral: via GI tract (oral, sublingual, buccal, feeding tube). Parenteral: bypasses GI tract (injections, IV, IM, SC, intradermal, epidural, intrathecal, inhalation, topical, transdermal).

Sublingual

Drug placed under the tongue for rapid absorption.

Buccal

Drug placed between cheek and gums for absorption.

Intramuscular (IM)

Injection into muscle; max volume per site varies by age; smaller volumes in children.

Intravenous (IV)

Administration directly into a vein; rapid systemic effect.

Intradrmal

Injection into the dermal layer of the skin; used for TB/allergy testing.

Epidural

Injection into the epidural space, commonly used in labor analgesia.

Intrathecal

Injection into the intrathecal space near the spinal cord; avoid spinal cord injury.

Topical

Medicine applied to the skin at the site of discomfort.

Transdermal

Medication delivered through the skin via a patch; can be away from the pain site.

Inhalation

Medication inhaled into the lungs (e.g., albuterol) for rapid effect.

Vastus lateralis

IM injection site recommended for infants up to age 3; located on the thigh.

Pediatric dosing considerations

Children require careful dose calculations and monitoring due to higher toxicity risk and different pharmacokinetics.

Elderly pharmacokinetics

Age-related declines in liver/kidney function slow drug clearance, increasing toxicity risk.

Test dose

Small initial dose to test for adverse reactions, especially with IV iron or other high-allergy-risk meds.

Teratogenic

Drug-induced birth defects; avoid in pregnancy when possible.

Carcinogenic

Drug that can cause cancer.

Recall

FDA-initiated removal of a drug from the market due to safety concerns.

Interpreting medication orders

Always verify patient, dose, route, time; question unclear or incorrect orders with the physician.

First-pass effect

A phenomenon where an orally administered drug travels through the GI tract to the liver first, where a portion is metabolized, reducing the active dose that reaches systemic circulation.

Half-life (t½)

The time required for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to one half of the peak level previously achieved. It is used to determine dosing frequency.

Pharmacodynamics

How a drug affects the body.

Pharmacokinetics

How the body processes a drug (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion).

Medication reconciliation

The process of verifying a patient's name, medication list, routes, doses, and timing to ensure accuracy and prevent errors.

FDA (Food and Drug Administration)

The regulatory body in the U.S. that oversees drug development, testing, safety, and sale.

Controlled Substances Act

Established in 1970 and regulated under the DEA, it categorizes drugs into schedules based on their abuse potential and medical use.

Pregnancy Category A

Drugs with adequate studies in pregnant humans showing no risk to the fetus; considered relatively safe for use during pregnancy.

Pregnancy Category D

Drugs with proven, definite fetal risk. Potential benefits may, in some life-threatening cases, warrant their use despite the risks.