Basic Principles in Pharmacology

Pharmacology

Pharmacology

Study of substances that interact with living systems through chemical processes, especially by binding to regulatory molecules and activating or inhibiting normal body processes.

Drug

udes any substance that alters physiologic function in an organism, regardless of whether the effect is beneficial or harmful.

Toxicology

Study of the harmful effects of chemicals, Branch of pharmacology which deal with the undesirable effects of chemicals from individual cells to complex ecosystems.

Medical Pharmacology

Science of substances used to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease.

Pharmacotherapeutics

Area of pharmacology that refers to the use of specific drugs to prevent, treat, or diagnose disease.

Pharmacokinetics

Study of how body deals with the drugs in terms of way the drug is absorbed, distributed and eliminated.

Pharmacodynamics

Analysis of what the drugs does to the body, including mechanism of action by which drug exerts its effect.

Pharmacy

Deals with preparation and dispensing of medications.

Chemical name of Drug

Refers to the specific structure of the compound and are normally fairly long and cumbersome.

Generic name (Official/ Non-proprietary)

Often derived from chemical name, and used by physicians in prescribing.

Trade name (Proprietary/ Brand)

Assigned to the compound by the pharmaceutical company and may or may not bear any reference at all to the chemical and generic terminology.

Phase I

Drug development approval phase which small number (<100) of healthy volunteers, <1 year, determine effects, safe dosage, and pharcokinetics

Preclinical testing

Drug development approval phase which subjects are laboratory animals, takes 1-2 yrs, and determine drug effects and safety.

Phase II

Drug development phase that asses drug's effectiveness in treating a specific disease/ disorder, 200-300 subjects with disorder, takes up to 2 yrs.

Phase III

Drug development phase that asses safety and effectiveness in larger patient population (1000-3000), and takes upto 3 years.

Phase IV

Drug development and approval phase in which monitors any problems that occur after NDA approval.

Orphan drugs

Drugs that treat rare diseases (<200,000)

Off-label prescribing

Use of drug to treat conditions other than those that drug was originally approved to treat.

OTC (Over the counter) Medications

Used to treat relatively minor problems and to make the consumer more comfortable until the condition is resolved.

Prescription Medications

May be ordered or dispensed only by an authorized practitioner.

Rx

recipe or recipere

a

before

ac

before meals

Agit

Shake, stir

Aq

Water

Aq dest

Distilled water

bid

Twice a day

c

with

gr

grain

cap

capsule

D5W

dextrose 5% in water

dil

dilute, dissolve

disp, dis

dispense

elix

elixir

ext

extract

g

gram

IVPB

IV piggyback

gtt

Drops

h

Hour

hs

at bedtime

IA

Intra-arterial

IM

Intramuscular

IV

Intravenous

OD

Right eye

OS, OL

Left eye

OTC

Over the counter

OU

Both eyes

P

after

pc

After meals

PO

By mouth

qhs

every night at bedtime

Rept, repet

May be repeated

Rx

Take

kg

kilogram

mEq, meq

Milliequivalent

Mg

Milligram

Mcq

Microgram

no

Number

Non rep

Do not repeat

PR

Per rectum

prn

As needed

q

Every

qam, om

Every morning

qd

everyday

q2h

Every 2 hours

sos

If needed

ss

one-half

stat

At once, immediately

S

without

SC, SQ

Subcutaneous

Sid

Once a day

Sig, S

Label

tid

three times a day

tr, tinct

Tincture

tsp

teaspoon (Use 5 ml)

U

units (write units)

vaq

Vaginal

i,ii,iii,iv

one, two, three, four

sup, supp

suppository

susp

suspesion

tab

Tablet

tbsp.

tablespoon (use 15 ml)

Schedule I

Drug category of drugs regarded as having the highest potential for abuse and the legal use of agents in this category is restricted to approved research studies or therapeutic use in a very limited number of patients.

Ex. Heroin, lysergic acid

diethylamide (LSD),

tetrahydrocannabinols

Schedule II

These drugs are approved for specific therapeutic purposes but still have a high potential for abuse and possible addiction.

Ex. Opiods such as morphine and meperidine, phenoorbital, drugs containing amphetamine

Schedule III

These drugs have a lower abuse potential than those in schedule I and II but there is still the possibility of developing mild to moderate physical dependence or strong psychologic dependence or both.

Ex. Opiods such as codeine and hydocodone

Schedule IV

These drugs supposedly have a lower potential for abuse than schedule III drugs, with only a limited possibility of physical dependance, psychologic dependence, or both.

Ex. bezodiazepines like diazepam, chlordizepoxide, Opiod like pentazocine and

propoxyphene barbiturates not included in other schedules and a variety of other depressants and stimulants

Schedule V

These drugs have the lowest relative drug abuse potential.

Ex. Opioids in cough medications antidiarrheal preparation