ch 21: pharmacology

drugs

substances used to prevent or treat a condition or disease that are obtained from various sources such as plants, animals, or synthesized in a lab

vitamins

come from plant or animal sources and are contained in foods

pharmacist

individual who is responsible for preparing and dispensing drugs; responsible for consulting with and advising licensed practitioners about drugs; answer questions from the patient about their prescription; pharmacy degree takes 6-7 years

pharmacy

where a pharmacist prepares and dispenses drugs

prescription

a written order from a physician that is the only way a pharmacist can dispense a prescription medication

pharmacy technician

can help licensed pharmacists by providing medications and other products to the patient

pharmacology

the study of the discovery, properties, uses, and actions of drugs; can be an MD or a PhD

chemotherapy

study of drugs that destroy microorganisms, parasites, or malignant cells within the body; treatment of choice for infectious diseases and cancer

toxicology

study of harmful effects of drugs and chemicals on the body

toxicologist

interested in finding antidotes that are appropriate for specific harmful effects of drugs

antidote

neutralizes the effects of a drug

three types of names a drug can have

chemical name, generic name, brand name

chemical name

specifies the exact chemical formula of the drug; often very long and complicated

generic name

shorter and less complicated; identifies the drug legally and scientifically; cannot become public property until after 17 years and after that other drug companies can use the general name; only one generic name for each drug; not normal to be capitalized

brand name

trademark, private property of the individual drug manufacturer, no competitor may use it; has a superscript R with a circle around it to show it has been registered as a brand name; drugs can have several of these; normal to be capitalized

when a specific brand name is ordered by a physician on a prescription

must be dispensed by the pharmacist and the pharmacist cannot substitute something else for that brand name

food and drug administration

the entity in the US that has the legal responsibility for deciding whether a drug may be sold; have strict standards and look at all kinds of criteria in regards to the efficacy of drugs; involves extensive experimental testing in animals and people before it would be approved as a drug to be placed on the market to treat anything

united states pharmacopeia

independent committee of physicians, pharmacologists, pharmacists, and manufacturers that reviews the available commercial drugs and continually reappraises their effectiveness

three important standards for the united states pharmacopeia

drug must be safe; drug must be clinically useful (effective for patients); drugs must be available in pure form (made by good manufacturing methods)

if a drug has USP after its name

means that it has met all of the standards of the pharmacopeia

hospital formulary

the most complete and up-to-date listing which gives information about the characteristics of drugs and their clinical usage (application to patient care) as approved by that particular hospital

physicians' desk reference

published by a private form; drug manufacturers pay to have their products listed; useful reference with several different indices to identify drugs, along with complete description of the drug properties and approved indications; gives precautions, warnings about side effects, and information about the recommended dosage and administration of each drug

oral administration

most common, indicates that drugs are given by mouth and are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach or intestinal wall; takes a long time to be absorbed into the blood stream because it has to go through the mouth, stomach, and then intestinal wall; has to go through the entire digestive system process before it is absorbed

sublingual administration

drugs are placed under the tongue and dissolve in the saliva; rapid absorption

nitroglycerin is administered

sublingual for immediate relief for angina

rectal administration

administering drugs through a suppository (cone shaped object containing drugs) or aqueous solution; given when oral administration presents, such as if patient is nauseated and vomiting

parenteral administration

process of injection of a drug using a syringe through a hollow needle placed under the skin into a muscle, vein, or body cavity

intracavitary instillation

injection made into a body cavity, such as the peritoneal or pleural cavity; where you would want the drug to effect change in that particular body cavity

intradermal injection

shallow injection that is made into the upper layers of the skin; used chiefly in skin testing for allergic reactions

subcutaneous (hypodermic) injection (subQ)

a small hypodermic needle is introduced into the subcutaneous tissue under the skin, usually on upper arm, thigh or abdomen; insulin is injected daily via this route

intramuscular injection

the buttocks or upper arm is the usually site for injection into muscle; used when drugs are irritating to the skin or when a large volume of solution must be administered

intrathecal instillation

when instillation occurs in the space under the meninges surrounding the spinal cord and brain; way to introduce treatment for leukemia

intravenous injection

when the injection is given directly into a vein; used when an immediate effect from the drug is desired or when the drug cannot be safely introduced into other tissues; requires some technical skill to make sure drug gets into the vein and doesn't leak into the surrounding tissues

pumps

battery powered; can be used for continuous administration of drugs by the subcutaneous or intravenous route; automated

inhalation

when vapors or gases are taken into the nose or mouth and are absorbed into the bloodstream through thin walls or air sacs in the lungs

aerosols

particles of drug suspended in the air and are administered by inhalation, many are anesthetics

topical application

when drugs are applied locally on the skin or mucous membranes of the body; antiseptics, antipruritics, transdermal patches

antiseptic

topically applied drug used to fight infection

antipruritic

fight against itching and are commonly used as ointments, creams, and lotions that are applied to the skin

transdermal patches

used to deliver drugs continuously through the skin such as estrogen for hormone replacement therapy, pain medications, nicotine for smoking cessation programs

receptor

when a drug enters the body, target substance with which the drug interacts to produce its effects; may be on cell's surface or intracellular

dose

refers to the amount of a drug administered, usually measured in milligrams or grams

schedule

exact timing and frequency of drug administration

additive action

when we have two similar drugs that are combined to equal the sum of the effects of each

antagonist

if two drugs give less than an additive effect

synergistic

if two drugs give greater than additive effects

synergism

combination of two drugs sometimes can cause an effect that is greater than the sum of the individual effects of each drug given alone

response

desired and beneficial effect of a drug

tolerance

the effects of a given dose for some drugs diminish as the treatment continues, increasing amounts are needed to produce the same effect

addiction

physical and psychological dependence on and craving for a drug and the presence of clearly unpleasant effects when that drug or other agents is withdrawn

controlled substances

drugs that produce dependence and have potential for abuse or addiction

idiosyncrasy

unpredictable type of drug toxicity; any unexpected and uncommon side effect that develops after administration of a drug

anaphylaxis

occurs as a result of exposure to previously encountered drug or foreign substance

iatrogenic

produced by treatment, so these disorders can occur as a result of mistakes in drug use or because of individual sensitivity to a given treatment

side effects

toxic effects that routinely result from the use of a drug; often occur with the usually therapeutic dosage of a drug and generally are tolerable and reversible when the drug is discontinued

contraindications

factors in a patient's condition that make the use of a drug dangerous and ill advised

resistance

lack of beneficial response; seen when drugs that used to be effective are unable to control the disease process in a particular patient

analgesics

drugs that lessen pain; painkiller; can be mild to moderate

anesthetics

reduce or eliminate sensation

general anesthetics

affect the entire body and put the patient to sleep and are used for surgical procedures to block the perception of pain

local anesthetics

may be limited to a particular region that inhibit the conduction of pain impulses in sensory nerves in the region which they are injected or applied

antibiotic

chemical substance produced by a microorganism that inhibits or kills bacteria, fungi, or parasites

anticoagulants

precent clotting of blood; prevent formation of clots or break up clots in blood vessels in conditions such as thrombosis and embolism; heparin

anticonvulsants

drugs that prevent or reduce the frequency of convulsions in various types of seizure disorders or epilepsy

antidepressants

treat symptoms of depression; can elevate mood, increase physical activity and mental alertness, improve appetite and sleep patterns

anti-alzheimer drugs

treat symptoms of alzheimer disease; act by aiding brain neurotransmitters or shielding brain cells from glutamate

antidiabetics

used to treat diabetes mellitus

antihistamines

drugs that block the action of histamine, normally released in the body in allergic reactions

anti osteoporosis drugs

help prevent osteoporosis; calcium, vitamin D, estrogen prescribed to increase calcium deposition in bone

osteoporosis

disorder marked by abnormal loss of bone density

cardiovascular drugs

act on the heart or the blood vessels to treat hypertension, angina, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias; would be used to treat any condition that effects the heart or the circulatory system

endocrine drugs

act in the same manner as the naturally occurring (endogenous) hormones

gastrointestinal drugs

used to relieve uncomfortable and potentially dangerous symptoms, rather than as cures for specific diseases

respiratory drugs

prescribed for treatment of asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and bronchospasm

sedative-hypnotics

medications that depress the central nervous system and promote drowsiness and sleep

stimulants

drugs that act on the brain to speed up vital processes in cases of shock and collapse

tranquillizer

useful for controlling anxiety; can be minor or major

aer/o

air

alges/o

sensitivity to pain

bronch/o

bronchial tube

chem/o

drug

cras/o

mixture

cutane/o

skin

derm/o

skin

erg/o

work

esthes/o

feeling, sensation

hist/o

tissue

hypn/o

sleep

iatr/o

treatment

lingu/o

tongue

myc/o

mold, fungus

narc/o

stupor

or/o

mouth

pharmac/o

drug

prurit/o

itching

pyret/o

fever

thec/o

sheath

tox/o

poison

toxic/o

poison

vax/o

vessel