Pharmacology Flashcards Quiz 1 (Day 1)

203 items in 14 days is (14 items per day to memorize)

How does a student develop a “story” about a drug, rather than try to memorize isolated facts about every single drug?

Associate, Ask, Predict

What does “Associate” mean, regarding a drug’s story?

Associate each drug class with info you already know.

What does “Ask” mean, regarding a drug’s story?

Ask yourself why some drugs are shots and others are pills, why some are taken 4x and some 2x per day, and why the info is important enough to be in the book.

What does “Predict” mean, regarding a drug’s story?

Predict the actions, clinical uses, side effects, and drug interactions based only on its mechanism of action.

What should you envision about a drug?

Envision the course of events that would occur as it enters the body.

What does “formulation” mean?

The drug preparations made by companies that can be administered orally, i.v., or another route.

What are the 5 factors that the drug formulation depends on?

• The barriers the drug can pass

• The setting in which the drug will be used

• The urgency of the medical situation

• The stability of the drug

• The first pass effect.

What are barriers that drugs must pass?

Any anatomical structure they must get through in order to reach the bloodstream or target area. IV drugs have no barriers, but pills must pass through the GI tract and the blood vessel wall to get to the blood.

What are some settings in which drugs can be used? 

Hospital vs. home

What setting is appropriate to administer an IV?

Hospital

What drugs can be administered in a home setting? 

Pills (aspirin)

Why are drug formulations selected based on medical urgency?

The delay before onset of action varies; an IV antibiotic works faster than the same drug administered orally.

How are drug formulations affected by the stability of the drug?

Drugs that are destroyed by acid (such as the proteins found in insulin for diabetics) are not effective if taken orally because of stomach acid

What is the first pass effect? 

Oral medicines are absorbed into the portal vein, which goes to the liver before being distributed to the body. The liver deactivates many medicines during this first pass, so they cannot be taken orally.