Pharmacology basics

Polypharmacy =

Regular use of five or more medications simultaneously

Pharmacokinetics =

movement of medication through the body, interacting with the body throughout entire process

Pharmacodynamics =

Effect a medication has when interacting at receptor sites in the body

Therapeutic effect =

The desired, beneficial effect of a medication on a patient's condition while avoiding the chance for toxicity and adverse effects

Side effects =

Unintended effects of a medication (or treatment) causing minor or nonemergency manifestations

Adverse effects =

Unexpected effects of a medication that can cause harm

Drug tolerance

Requirement of markedly higher doses of the same medication to achieve outcome desired; consuming the same dosage of a med and noting decreased desired outcomes

Affinity =

The ability of a medication to bind to a receptor

Selectivity =

Effects a medication has when interacting at receptor sites in the body

Passive diffusion =

Drug molecules move across a concentration gradient, movement will occur from higher concentration to lower concentration

Active diffusion =

Process of movement of substances across a concentration gradient in which energy is required to move the substance

Facilitated diffusion =

Movement of molecules across a membrane via transport proteins, requiring no energy, and follows the concentration gradient.

Bioavailability =

Amount of medication available after the absorption process to be used by the body for therapeutic effects

Absorption =

1st step in pharmacokinetic process after medication admin where the drug is taken up from the site of administration into the bloodstream.

• Medications are absorbed differently depending on route and site of admin

Distribution =

2nd step in the pharmacokinetics process after medication admin where the drug passes to body through extracellular fluid and is distributed via blood vessels and lymphatic system to site of action where it will act

Polarity =

The state of a molecule having both a positive and negative charge

Hypoproteinemia =

Decreased protein in the serum; can be related to the loss of or decreased intake

Metabolism =

3rd step in the pharmacokinetic process after med admin where the drug is chemically altered by enzymatic action, usually in the liver, to facilitate excretion.

• Process can also be seen in the kidneys, GI tract, skin, plasma, lungs

Depot binding =

When a medication molecule binds to an inactive site found in the body and is no longer available to be metabolized, it affects duration of action of the medication

Enzyme induction =

When a medication induces or enhances the expression of enzymes that aid in metabolism

First-pass metabolism =

When a med is consumed, absorbed, and transported to the liver via the portal vein and metabolized before it enters systemic circulation, decreasing the amount of active medication available to affect a therapeutic action

Biotransformation =

Metabolic process that occurs in the liver, primarily helping to facilitate the breaking down of medications for ease of excretion

Excretion =

4th and final step in the pharmacokinetic process after med admin where the medication is now removed from the body most often by the glomeruli of the kidneys through passive filtration

• Can also take place in the lungs, skin, and GI tract

Trough =

The point where a medications concentration is at its lowest before the administration of the next dose or the body rids any additional medication from the body

Peak =

The point at which the concentration of a medication is at its highest, exerting the strongest effects

Lipophilic =

When a molecule can dissolve in fat or lipids

Dissolution rate =

Rate at which a solid substance turn into a solution under standard conditions

Polymorphism =

Indicates that a solid medication can have more than one crystalline form

Amorphic =

State in which a medication has no internal crystalline structure

Astrocytes =

Cells in the CNS that help regulate substances crossing the blood-brain barrier

Pericytes =

Cells that wrap around endothelial cells of capillaries, involved in blood flow regulation and stability.

Endocytosis =

The taking of substances into the cell

Modification =

First phase of metabolism of medications in which the medication will undergo oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, and cyclization, and either an oxygen and hydrogen molecule will be removed to make the medication more polarized

Prodrug =

Medication that is inactive when consumed but becomes active after going through metabolism

Cholestasis =

Sluggish or poor flow of bile through the biliary system

Rhabdomyolysis =

Condition in which the muscle tissues break down resulting in muscle fiber content within the blood stream, which can damage the kidney

Synergistic effect =

When the effect of two combined medications is greater than the sum of their individual effects

Drug-drug interactions =

When two or more medications are consumed and interact with one another in clients body, putting them at risk for adverse effects

Titrated =

Method of personalizing the dosage of a medication and limiting the potential for side effects by slowly increasing the dosage

Arrestin =

A protein that regulates G protein-coupled receptor signaling and mediates receptor desensitization.

Receptor down-regulation =

When the number of receptors on the cell decreases from endocytosis and successive degradation due to long-term exposure to medication agonists.

Up-regulation =

An increase in the number of receptors that increases cellular activity and response to medications.

Enteral route =

Method in which medication is given directly into the GI tract

Urticaria =

Welts or swollen areas on the skin that are red and itchy; often seen when an allergic reaction is present

Angioedema =

A medical emergency involving swelling of the subcutaneous tissue or soft tissues, often seen in the lips, face, neck, and oral mucous membranes; seen when anaphylaxis is present.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome =

A rare reaction to medications that affects the skin and mucous membranes. The reaction starts with flu-like manifestations followed by a rash that blisters, which causes the top layer of the skin to die and shed and then heal several days later