PAT201 Pathotherapeutics I - Week 1: Introduction to Pharmacology

Vocabulary flashcards based on PAT201 Week 1 lecture materials, covering foundational terminology, regulations, clinical approval phases, naming, scheduling, and individual patient variables.

Pharmacology

The study of medicines, including how they are administered, where they travel in the body, and their biological effects.

Pharmacotherapeutics

The branch of pharmacology focused on using drugs to prevent or treat disease.

Drug

A chemical agent capable of producing a biological response.

Medication

A drug that is administered for therapeutic purposes.

Food and Drugs Act

Canadian legislation designed to protect the public, prevent drug misuse, and establish standards for drug quality, safety, and efficacy.

Health Products and Food Branch

The Health Canada branch responsible for regulating drugs, biologics, and natural health products through specialized directorates.

Preclinical Studies

Initial testing phase in drug development that uses cells, tissues, and animals to evaluate safety and biological activity prior to human trials.

Phase I Clinical Trial

Initial human testing phase focused primarily on establishing drug safety.

Phase II Clinical Trial

Testing phase performed on a small group of individuals with the target illness to evaluate drug effectiveness.

Phase III Clinical Trial

Testing phase conducted in a larger group of individuals with the target illness to confirm effectiveness and evaluate safety.

Phase IV Post-Market Monitoring

Ongoing surveillance conducted after drug approval to detect rare, long-term, or unexpected adverse effects in the general population.

New Drug Submission (NDS)

A formal application submitted to Health Canada containing experimental data for review of drug benefits and risks prior to market authorization.

Notice of Compliance (NOC)

An official authorization issued by Health Canada confirming that a drug meets quality, safety, and efficacy requirements for sale.

Drug Identification Number (DIN)

A unique eight-digit number assigned by Health Canada to an authorized drug product before market distribution.

Therapeutic Classification

Organizing drugs based on what clinical condition they treat or their intended usefulness (e.g., antihypertensive).

Pharmacologic Classification

Organizing drugs based on their mechanism of action at the molecular, tissue, or body-system level (e.g., diuretic).

Prototype Drug

An individual representative drug from a class used as a model to compare other drugs in that same class.

Chemical Name

A standardized nomenclature that describes the precise chemical and molecular structure of a drug.

Generic Name

The official non-proprietary name adopted by regulatory agencies to identify a drug's active ingredient.

Trade Name

The proprietary brand name selected by the drug manufacturer for marketing purposes.

Schedule I Drugs

Prescription-only drugs provided directly to a client by a pharmacist.

Schedule II Drugs

Non-prescription drugs stored in an area of the pharmacy with restricted public access, requiring pharmacist dispensing.

Schedule III Drugs

Over-the-counter products kept in the public self-selection area of a pharmacy.

Unscheduled Products

Products that can be sold in any retail outlet without professional pharmacy supervision.

Addiction

Overwhelming biological or psychological drives that compel repeated substance use despite harmful outcomes.

Dependence

A physiological or psychological need for a drug to maintain normal functioning, often leading to withdrawal symptoms if discontinued.

Ideal Drug

A theoretical concept describing a medication that cures or prevents disease, acts rapidly and predictably at low doses, causes no side effects or interactions, and is completely accessible and affordable.

Growth

The progressive physical increase in body size.

Development

The functional evolution of body systems, including psychomotor abilities and cognitive capacity.

Holistic Model of Pharmacotherapy

An approach integrating environmental, social, cultural, psychosocial, gender, and biological variables into individualized client care.

Pharmacogenomics

The study of how genetic variations influence individual response to drug therapy.

CYP450

A group of liver enzymes responsible for drug metabolism that exhibit genetic polymorphisms affecting metabolic rate.

Slow Metabolizer

An individual with reduced enzyme activity who breaks down drugs slowly, increasing the risk of drug accumulation and toxicity.

Rapid Metabolizer

An individual with elevated enzyme activity who breaks down drugs quickly, increasing the risk of premature elimination and therapeutic failure.