Pharmacology Week 1

Pharmacology

study of chemicals (drugs) and their effects on the body

What are adverse effects?

Side effects one experiences from taking medication

ex: nausea, dizziness, vomiting

What is the nursing responsibility for administering drugs?

1- administer drugs

2 - assess drug effects

3 - intervene to make the drug regimen more tolerable

4 - provide pt. teaching on drug & drug regimen (plan)

5 - Monitor the pt. & care plan to prevent med errors

Food & Drug Association (FDA)

creates tests to make sure any drug used in the USA is safe & reliable

Phases of Drug testings

Pre-clinical Trial - test to see if they have presumed side effects & evaluate the effects; tested inside (VIVO) or outside a living organism (VITRO)

Phase I - test drug on healthy human

Phase II - test drug on pts with that disease

Phase III - test drug on larger # of pts with that disease & monitor effects (positive effects move to FDA)

Phase IV - after approved for marketing; continues to be evaluated

T/F drugs stop getting evaluated once they enter the market

What are off label uses

using a drug for other purposes that are not approved by the FDA

such as treating a different condition other than the condition the drug was originally approved for

this can create new drugs

What is an example of a behind the counter (BTC) drug

plan b; you must ask someone (a worker) to get it for you

Orphan Drugs

drugs that have been discovered but not profitable enough for a drug company to develop it unless they are given a financial incentive

these drugs typically are for rare diseases that affect 200,000 people or less

Pharmacodynamics

the study of how the drug affects the body and how it works within the body

Receptor Sites

Specific sites on cell membrane that react with certain molecules to cause an effect within a cell

Pharmacokinetics

the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes (breaks down), and excretes drugs.

movement & modification of medication in the body

ADME:

Absorption - absorbed into circulation

Distribution - distribution into various tissues

Metabolism - breaking down the medication

Elimination - eliminated or excreted in urine or feces

Selective toxicity

is the ability of a drug to target harmful microorganisms without affecting the host's cells.

loading dose

giving a higher dose to a pts than what’s normally given to quickly achieve the critical concentration [allowing the drug to reach its maximum potential quicker]

pharmacogenetics

how genetics affect an individual’s reaction to a drug

half life

the time it takes for a drug to decrease to half its peak level

placebo effect

the phenomenon where a patient experiences a perceived improvement in their condition due to believing they are receiving treatment, even if it is inactive.

excretion

removal of a drug from routes like kidney, skin, lungs, bile, feces

factors that influence a drug’s effect

weight

sex

age

genetics

environmental factors

immunological factors - allergy to drug

psychological - person attitude toward drug (placebo effect)

tolerance

interactions - drugs interfering with one another

accumulation - body doesn’t eliminate drug

T/F Drugs do only what is desired of it

T/F all drugs have adverse effects

Hepatotoxicity

oral drugs are absorbed and passed into the liver where they can cause liver damage or toxicity, leading to impaired liver function.

Nephrotoxicity

oral drugs can cause kidney damage or toxicity, leading to impaired kidney function.

symptoms include changes in urine output, swelling, fatigue

teratogenicity

the potential of a drug to cause developmental abnormalities or birth defects in a fetus when taken during pregnancy.

what is hypokalemia & hyperkalemia

an electrolyte imbalance

What sensory effects can happen from hypokalemia & hyperkalemia

ocular & auditory disturbances such as blurred vision and tinnitus, dry mouth, increased HR, urinary retention (can’t pee) these happen because anticholinergic effect (blocks the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine)

What are the rights of medication

Right Drug

Right Patient

Right Preparation

Right Dose

Right Time

Right Route

Right Reason

Right History & Assessment

Right education

Right to refuse

Right documentation

Right evaluation - to watch effects of the drug