Intro to Pharmacology

What is the definition of pharmacology?

Study of drugs and their interactions with the body.

What does the study of pharmacology include?

How a patient reacts to a drug, but also how the patient’s body affects the drug itself

What is the definition of a drug?

Substance that can have a positive or negative impact on the body

What is a medication?

Also a drug, but used to prevent, alleviate, or cure a symptom of a disease

What are indications?

What a medication is used for

What is a drug class?

a group of medications that share similar characteristics

What is pharmacodynamics?

Study of how a drug interacts with the body. Includes mechanism action of drug

What is pharmacokinetics?

Study of how the body interacts with a drug

What is a medication’s mechanism of action?

What happens to the drugs from absorption, all the way to transportation to site of action

What is the pathway of movement of meds within the body called?

LADME, liberaton, absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination

Liberation only applies to which medications?

Oral ones, since they are NOT administered or absorbed directly into bloodstream

Some medications that act in the GI tract are not ________ and act _________.

Not absorbed, act locally

What aids in distribution?

Blood flow

What does the body use for metabolism or the breakdown of meds?

Enzymes

Where are medications eliminated from body?

Through feces and urine, but sometimes through breath or sweat

What is a lock and key mechanism?

When a med fits specific receptors in the body to stimulate or block an action

What is an agonist?

Stimulates the body to perform an action

What is a antagonist?

Like the villan in a movie, it blocks the body from performing an action

What do antagonists usually have in their name?

“Anti” or “blocker”

What are side effects? What are they also called?

Secondary effect of a med, also called adverse effects

In some cases, side effects may be…

Beneficial

What is a drug interaction?

When a med, food, or drink blocks or activates another med or enzyme responsible for breaking down a med

What is a drug-drug interaction?

One med affects another med

What is a drug-food interaction?

When food or drink affects a med

What is a drug-disease interaction?

When a disease state/medical condition affects a med

What are special patient populations? Which are they?

Patients that need special considerations with meds, such as pediatric, geriatric, and prenancy/breastfeeding

What patients are included in pediatric populations? Why are they more sensitive?

Patients under 18. Sensitive to med effects due to body-water distribution

What patients are included in geriatric population? Why are they more sensitive?

65+, sensitive to meds due to lower functioning kidneys and liver

Why are pregnant/breastfeeding patients a special patient population?

Because medications may cross placenta or into breastmilk and harm the baby