Introduction to Pharmacology and Medication Administration

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the introductory pharmacology lecture notes covering pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, dosing, administration safety, and drug classifications.

Pharmacokinetics

The branch of pharmacology that deals with the movement of a drug into, through, and out of the body, encompassing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Pharmacodynamics

The branch of pharmacology dealing with what a drug physically does to the body, including its mechanism of action, affected receptors, and therapeutic effects.

Absorption

The process of a drug being absorbed from its site of administration into the bloodstream.

Small Intestine

The primary site in the gastrointestinal tract where most orally (PO) administered medications and nutrients are absorbed.

Distribution

The movement of a drug through the bloodstream to reaching tissues and organs throughout the body.

Albumin

A large vascular protein that holds water in blood vessels; when a drug is bound to it, the drug remains inactive and cannot bind to receptors.

Hypoalbuminemia

A medical term for low albumin in the blood, which causes highly protein-bound medications to stay free-floating and potentially lead to toxicity or overdose.

Metabolism

The breakdown of a drug into metabolites, occurring primarily in the liver, which commonly converts fat-soluble substances into water-soluble forms for renal excretion.

Excretion

The process of eliminating drugs or their metabolites from the body, primarily carried out by the kidneys.

First Pass Effect

The initial metabolism of oral medications by the liver via hepatic portal circulation before reaching systemic circulation, reducing the active amount of drug.

Bioavailability

The amount or proportion of a medication that is physically available in the bloodstream after absorption to exert its effect.

Half-Life

The amount of time required for 50% of a medication to exit or be eliminated from the body.

Steady State

A consistent level of drug concentration maintained in the body through routine dosing intervals to prevent therapeutic spikes or drops.

Agonist

A drug that promotes or enhances a natural physiological action at a receptor site.

Antagonist

A drug that blocks a receptor or reduces a physiological action in the body.

Wide Therapeutic Index

A broad safety margin for a medication, where higher or variable doses generally do not cause toxic harm in a single dose.

Narrow Therapeutic Index

A narrow safety margin for a drug (e.g., lithium, Coumadin, digoxin) that requires precise dosing and frequent lab monitoring to avoid severe toxicity.

Schedule 1 Medication

A drug classified federally as having high misuse potential and no accepted medical use, such as hard drugs and cannabis.

Schedule 2 Medication

Controlled substances with high misuse potential and severe dependence risk (e.g., fentanyl, Adderall, Ritalin) that legally cannot be refilled without a new prescription.

Side Effect

A mild, predictable, non-life-threatening response to a medication (e.g., headache from nitroglycerin) that typically does not stop the medication's use.

Adverse Effect

A moderate to severe unwanted response to a medication (e.g., hives, angioedema) that generally requires a dose adjustment or medication change.

Enteric Coating

A coating applied to pills to prevent stomach acid breakdown and delay absorption until reaching the small intestine; these pills must never be crushed.

Extended Release (XR/ER)

A drug formulation designed with a special coating to dissolve and release medication slowly over time; these pills must never be crushed.

Seven Rights of Administration

A essential safety checklist consisting of right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right reason, and right documentation.