PHAR 179: Pharmacology for the Pharmacy Technician

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic pharmacology concepts, drug nomenclature, classification systems, references, and labeling standards for PHAR 179.

PHAR 179

Pharmacology for the Pharmacy Technician, a course covering drug nomenclature, mechanisms of action, ADME, bioavailability, routes of administration, dosage forms, excipients, stability, and shelf life.

MTER 100

Medical Terminology, a concurrent co-requisite course required alongside PHAR 179.

LO 1 Unit Quiz

A 50-minute closed-book unit assessment delivered via Lockdown Browser, consisting of 22 questions (multiple choice, True/False, multi-select) worth 12.5% of the final course grade.

Final Comprehensive Exam (PHAR 179)

A 30% final course examination split into Part 1 (closed book) and Part 2 (open book).

Passing Grade (PHAR 179)

The minimum overall grade requirement of 50% needed to pass the course.

Credit Units (PHAR 179)

The academic credit value assigned to the course, equal to 2 units.

Course Hours (PHAR 179)

The total instructional time for the course, equal to 30 hours.

Student Assessment Breakdown (PHAR 179)

Course evaluation consisting of two assignments (20%), four unit quizzes (50%), and a final comprehensive exam (30%).

Brightspace PHAR 179

The online learning management system where all lecture powerpoints, activities, assignments, and quizzes/exams are posted.

Self-assessment Requirement

The mandatory student responsibility to monitor academic performance and initiate discussions with the instructor if at risk of failure.

Pharmacology

The study of drugs and their interactions with living systems.

Drug

A substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation, or prevention of a disease, disorder, or symptoms.

Pharmacy Technician Pharmacology Competencies

Essential professional competencies required to ensure safe, effective, and efficient drug product distribution, patient health support, and effective healthcare communication.

Safe Drug Product Distribution

Core technician responsibility requiring knowledge of drug names, classifications, dosage forms, MOA, indications, interchangeability, stability, and interactions.

Primary References

Original research or raw data sources, such as journal articles (clinical trials, case studies) and official databases like the Health Canada Drug Product Database.

Secondary References

Indexing and abstracting databases used to locate primary literature, such as PubMed, bibliographies, and indexes.

Tertiary References

Information sources that summarize, interpret, and condense primary literature, such as CPS Online, Lexidrug, textbooks, and Pharmacy Technician's Letter.

Health Canada Drug Product Database (HC DPD)

The official primary database listing every approved drug product in Canada with authoritative details on active ingredients, dosage forms, strengths, and manufacturers.

PubMed

A secondary reference database used to search and locate primary biomedical research articles.

Lexidrug (Lexicomp)

A quick, user-friendly tertiary reference database commonly used to look up dosing ranges, interactions, and clinical practice information.

Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS)

A Canadian tertiary reference providing drug monographs, therapeutic updates, guidelines, and Canadian availability information.

Saskatchewan Formulary (SK Formulary)

A provincial drug benefit reference listing approved medications, interchangeability determinations, and reimbursement coverage under provincial drug plans.

Pharmacy Technician's Letter

A tertiary practice resource providing concise clinical updates, summaries, and professional development material for pharmacy technicians.

Manufacturer's Drug Monograph

A factual, scientific prescribing document written by a drug manufacturer and approved by Health Canada at the time of drug approval.

Product Name Search (HC DPD)

A search function in the Health Canada DPD that locates drug products matching the specific text string entered in the product name field.

Active Ingredient Search (HC DPD)

A search function in the Health Canada DPD that retrieves all drug products containing a specified non-proprietary chemical entity.

Rule of Thumb for Pharmacy References

The principle of selecting the most authoritative source for a specific task: DPD for product details, Lexi/CPS for clinical dosing, and Formularies for coverage/interchangeability.

Monograph Update Limitation

The limitation where manufacturer monographs are updated only when manufacturers submit changes and Health Canada approves them, causing potential lag times behind clinical evidence.

Off-Label Information Coverage

Real-world evidence and non-approved clinical uses that are excluded from official manufacturer monographs but included in tertiary references like Lexidrug.

Tylenol No. 3 Reference Discrepancy

An example of reference limitations where Health Canada DPD lists acetaminophen, caffeine, and codeine, while Lexidrug lists only acetaminophen and codeine.

Plant Sources of Drugs

Natural drug origins derived from plants, such as digitalis (digoxin), opiates (morphine), and marijuana.

Digitalis

A plant source used to produce cardiac glycoside medications such as digoxin.

Opiates

Plant-derived analgesic medications extracted from the opium poppy, such as morphine.

Animal Sources of Drugs

Drug materials derived from animal tissues, including porcine insulin and thyroid extract.

Porcine Insulin

An animal-sourced insulin extracted from pig pancreas tissues.

Mineral and Inorganic Sources of Drugs

Non-organic elemental substances used medicinally, including calcium, gold, and magnesium.

Micro-organism Sources of Drugs

Microbial sources such as fungi and bacteria used to produce antibiotics like penicillins.

Synthetic Drugs

Pharmaceutical agents produced completely through chemical synthesis in a laboratory.

Semi-synthetic Drugs

Medications formulated using a combination of natural starting materials and laboratory chemical modifications.

Genetic Engineering Sources of Drugs

Biotechnology processes used to produce complex molecules, such as human biosynthetic insulin and biological drugs.

Biologic Drugs (Biologics)

Large, complex drugs or vaccines manufactured from living organisms or their cells, such as proteins, antibodies, and hormones.

Biosimilar Drug

A biologic drug demonstrated to be highly similar to an authorized reference biologic drug, with no clinically meaningful differences in efficacy and safety.

Reference Biologic Drug

The original innovator biologic product authorized for sale to which a biosimilar drug is compared during approval.

Inflectra

A Health Canada approved biosimilar drug corresponding to the reference biologic product Remicade (infliximab).

Basaglar

A Health Canada approved biosimilar drug corresponding to the reference biologic product Lantus (insulin glargine).

Admelog

A Health Canada approved biosimilar drug corresponding to the reference biologic product Humalog (insulin lispro).

Trurapi

A Health Canada approved biosimilar drug corresponding to the reference biologic product Novorapid (insulin aspart).

New Drug Submission (NDS)

An application submitted by a sponsor/manufacturer to Health Canada containing preclinical and clinical trial data evaluating safety, efficacy, and quality.

Notice of Compliance (NOC)

An official market authorization document issued by Health Canada following a successful review of a New Drug Submission.

Drug Identification Number (DIN)

A unique 8-digit numerical code issued by Health Canada to identify each approved drug product sold in Canada.

Preclinical Studies

Initial drug research involving laboratory experiments and animal testing to assess safety and biological activity across many compounds.

Clinical Development

The drug development phase comprising Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III clinical trials conducted in human subjects.

Phase I Clinical Trials

Initial human trials conducted in a small group of healthy volunteers to evaluate drug safety, tolerability, and dosage limits.

Phase II Clinical Trials

Clinical trials conducted in patient volunteers to assess drug safety, preliminary efficacy, and dosage ranges.

Phase III Clinical Trials

Large-scale clinical trials in expanded patient populations designed to confirm drug efficacy, monitor side effects, and establish therapeutic value.

Phase IV Clinical Trials

Post-marketing surveillance studies conducted after drug approval to monitor long-term safety and real-world effectiveness.

Health Canada Thorough Review

Regulatory review step where Health Canada evaluates study results for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality before issuing an NOC.

Post-Marketing Development

Ongoing regulatory oversight requiring manufacturers to monitor real-world drug performance and report adverse problems to Health Canada.

Product Monograph Part I

The Health Professional Information section of a product monograph containing indications, dosage, contraindications, warnings, and interactions.

Product Monograph Part II

The Scientific Information section of a product monograph detailing pharmaceutical data, clinical trial results, microbiology, and toxicology.

Product Monograph Patient Medication Information

Part III of a product monograph providing lay-language consumer information regarding drug administration, side effects, and proper usage.

Formulary

An official list of drugs covered and reimbursed by a specific health plan, institution, or government drug benefit program.

Formulary Reimbursement Decisions

Public funding decisions evaluated by federal and provincial committees based on drug efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)

The organization responsible for conducting Common Drug Reviews to provide health technology assessments and formulary recommendations.

Drug Nomenclature

The systematic naming convention used for drugs to facilitate identification, ensure clinical clarity, and prevent medication errors.

Chemical Name (Scientific Name)

The precise scientific designation describing a drug's exact chemical makeup, molecular structure, and atomic arrangement.

Non-Proprietary Name (Generic Name)

The public, globally recognized common name approved by official regulatory bodies to identify an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)

The biologically active chemical compound in a drug product responsible for producing its intended pharmacological effect.

Word Stem (In Drug Naming)

A standardized syllable prefix or suffix embedded in generic drug names that identifies shared chemical or therapeutic classifications.

Trade Name (Brand Name / Proprietary Name)

A trademarked name owned by a specific pharmaceutical company and protected by patent laws to designate their drug product.

Innovator Drug Product

The first patented drug product containing a specific active ingredient marketed by an innovator pharmaceutical company.

Generic Drug Product

A pharmaceutical copy of an innovator reference product produced after patent expiration, containing identical active ingredients in equivalent strength and dosage form.

Innovator Brand Name Example

Unique proprietary names created by innovator companies, such as Orbenin, Crestor, Effexor XR, Tylenol, or Seroquel.

Generic Brand Name Example

Brand names created by generic companies by combining their prefix with the generic name, such as Teva-cloxacillin, Apo-cloxi, or PMS-Quetiapine.

Apotex Inc.

A major generic drug manufacturer using the product brand prefix "Apo-" (e.g., Apo-Rosuvastatin, Apo-Amoxi).

Teva Canada

A major generic drug manufacturer using the product brand prefix "Teva-" or "Novo-" (e.g., Teva-cloxacillin, Novo-gesic).

Pharmascience Inc.

A generic drug manufacturer using the product brand prefix "Pms-" or "PMS-" (e.g., Pms-venlafaxine XR, PMS-Quetiapine).

Sandoz

A generic drug manufacturer using the product brand prefix "Sandoz-" (e.g., Sandoz-venlafaxine XR, Sandoz Quetiapine).

Ranbaxy

A generic drug manufacturer using the product brand prefix "Ran-" (e.g., Ran-venlafaxine XR, Ran-Quetiapine).

Auro Pharma

A generic drug manufacturer using the product brand prefix "Auro-" (e.g., Auro-venlafaxine XR, Auro-clindamycin).

Stem "-cillin"

A generic drug stem designating penicillin antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin, ampicillin).

Stem "-azepam"

A generic drug stem designating benzodiazepine anxiolytics/sedatives (e.g., diazepam, oxazepam).

Stem "-zolam"

An alternative generic drug stem designating benzodiazepines (e.g., alprazolam).

Stem "-vastatin"

A generic drug stem designating HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lipid-lowering agents (e.g., atorvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin).

Stem "-olol"

A generic drug stem designating beta-blocker antihypertensives (e.g., propranolol, atenolol).

Stem "-sartan"

A generic drug stem designating angiotensin-II receptor antagonist antihypertensives (e.g., losartan, valsartan).

Stem "-cef" or "-ceph"

A generic drug stem/prefix designating cephalosporin antibiotics (e.g., cephalexin, cefprozil).

Stem "-eprazole" or "-oprazole"

A generic drug stem designating proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for gastric acid reduction (e.g., omeprazole, pantoprazole).

Stem "-nazole"

A generic drug stem designating antifungal agents (e.g., fluconazole, ketoconazole).

Stem "-tidine"

A generic drug stem designating H2 receptor antagonists for gastric acid reduction (e.g., cimetidine, ranitidine).

Stem "-tadine"

A generic drug stem designating antiviral or antihistamine agents (e.g., amantadine, loratadine).

Corticosteroid Naming Patterns

Naming conventions for corticosteroids featuring prefixes like pred- or cort- and suffixes like -asone, -olone, or -onide.

Look-Alike Sound-Alike (LASA) Drugs

Medication pairs with similar orthographic or phonetic spellings that pose risks for dispensing errors (e.g., Lamisil vs. Lamictal, Flomax vs. Fosamax).

Ciprofloxacin Naming Breakdown

Example drug with chemical name 1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-4-oxo-7-(1-piperazinyl)-1,4-dihydro-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid, common name ciprofloxacin, and brand names Cipro, Cipro XL, Ciloxan, Apo-Cipro.

Rosuvastatin Naming Breakdown

Lipid-lowering active ingredient available under innovator brand Crestor (AstraZeneca) and generic brand Apo-Rosuvastatin (Apotex).

Pharmaceutical Salt

An ionic compound combined with an active drug molecule to modify physicochemical properties like dissolution, absorption, stability, palatability, or efficacy.

Salt Form Non-Equivalence

The clinical rule that different salt forms of a drug (e.g., diclofenac sodium vs diclofenac potassium) are usually not bioequivalent and cannot be substituted automatically.

Amlodipine Besylate Salt Example

An example where besylate is the single salt form of amlodipine, often omitted on prescription labels when no alternative salt exists.

Pharmacopoeia

An official compendium published by a government or medical authority containing standards for drug strength, purity, manufacture, and quality testing.

United States Pharmacopeia (USP)

An official pharmacopoeial quality standard designation frequently listed on drug packaging (e.g., Furosemide Tablets USP).