Pharmacology and Measurement: Drug Administration, Effects, and Calculations

Enteral

Medication delivered through the GI tract such as orally or by feeding tube.

Parenteral

Medication delivered outside the GI tract usually by injection or infusion.

Sublingual

Medication placed under the tongue for absorption.

Transdermal

Medication absorbed through the skin usually from a patch.

Additive

Two drug effects add together.

Synergism

Two drugs together produce an effect greater than their individual effects combined.

Potentiation

One drug increases another drug's effect even if the first has little/no effect alone.

Tolerance

Decreased response after repeated use higher doses may be needed for the same effect.

Tachyphylaxis

Rapidly developing decrease in response after repeated doses.

Desensitization

Decrease in receptor responsiveness after repeated/prolonged exposure.

Dependence

Body adapts to a drug stopping it may cause withdrawal.

ADR

unwanted or harmful response at normal doses.

Teratogenic

Capable of causing birth defects or abnormal fetal development.

Toxicology

Study of harmful effects of drugs chemicals and other substances.

Therapeutic range

Drug concentration range that gives desired effects without unacceptable toxicity.

Racemic

Mixture containing equal amounts of two mirror-image forms (enantiomers) of a drug.

Emetics

Substances that cause vomiting.

Pharmacology

Study of drugs including their actions effects uses and side effects.

Pharmacokinetics

What the body does to the drug: absorption distribution metabolism and excretion (ADME).

Pharmacodynamics

What the drug does to the body including its effects and mechanism of action.

Pharmacogenomics

Study of how genes affect a person's response to medications.

Pharmacotherapy

Use of medications to treat or manage a disease or condition.

Therapeutics

Use of treatments including drugs to prevent or treat disease.

Disease management

Coordinated approach to controlling chronic disease and preventing complications.

Agonist

Drug that binds to and activates a receptor.

Antagonist

Drug that blocks a receptor and prevents its activation.

Receptor

Protein a drug or natural chemical binds to to produce an effect.

Efficacy

Maximum effect a drug can produce.

Selectivity

Drug's ability to act primarily on a specific receptor or target.

Bioavailability

Amount/fraction of a drug that reaches the bloodstream and is available to act.

First-pass effect

Liver breakdown of an orally administered drug before it reaches systemic circulation.

Half-life

Time required for drug concentration to decrease by 50%.

Loading dose

Larger initial dose used to quickly reach the desired drug concentration.

Maintenance dose

Regular dose used to maintain the desired drug concentration.

Protein binding

Drug attaches to blood proteins generally only unbound drug is available to act.

Steady state

Point when the amount of drug entering the body equals the amount eliminated.

Metric system

Measurement system using units such as grams liters and meters.

English system

Measurement system using units such as pounds ounces inches and gallons.

Gram (g)

Metric unit used to measure mass/weight.

Liter (L)

Metric unit used to measure volume.

Meter (m)

Metric unit used to measure length/distance.

Exponent

Number showing how many times a number is multiplied by itself.

Scientific notation

Writing very large/small numbers using a number × a power of 10. Example: 0.001 = 1 × 10^-3.

Fraction method

Dosage calculation method using fractions so unwanted units cancel.

Factor-label method

Uses conversion factors to cancel units and reach the desired unit.

Cancelling units

Crossing out matching units during a calculation so the correct unit remains.

Proportion

Equation showing two ratios are equal. Example: 2/4 = 5/10.

Ratio

Comparison of two quantities.

Base

Number being multiplied by itself when using an exponent.

Percentage (%)

Quantity expressed as a portion of 100. Example: 25% = 25/100.

Solution

Mixture in which a substance is evenly dissolved throughout another substance.

Solute

Substance that is dissolved.

Solvent

Substance that dissolves the solute.

Ratio solution

Solution expressed as a ratio showing the amount of solute compared with the solution/solvent depending on notation.

V/V

Volume/volume: volume of liquid solute compared with total solution volume. Example: 5 mL/100 mL = 5% V/V.

W/V

Weight/volume: weight of solute compared with solution volume. Example: 5 g/100 mL = 5% W/V