Pharmocology

• What does pharmacology examine?

  It examines the composition, effects, and uses of drugs
• What is pharmacodynamics?

  It is the effect that drugs have on the body
• What is pharmacokinetics?

  It is the study of how drugs move through the body during absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
• What is the British National Formulary (BNF)?

  A UK pharmaceutical reference resource that includes all aspects of drug management
• What are the four distinctions of pharmacokinetics after drug administration?

  • Absorption of the drug
  • Distribution of the drug molecules
  • Metabolism of the parent drug
  • Excretion or elimination of the drug and its metabolites
• What are the principal routes of drug administration?

  • Oral
  • Sublingual/Buccal
  • Rectal
  • Intravenous
  • Intramuscular
  • Subcutaneous
  • Inhaled
• What factors affect drug absorption?

  • Presence of food
  • Route of medication
  • Coating of medication
  • Rate of gastric mobility
  • Controlled release preparations
• What happens to drugs after they are administered and absorbed?

  They are distributed to their site of action
• What are the steps involved in drug distribution?

  1. Distribution into body fluids (blood)
  2. Uptake into body systems or organs
  3. Extent of plasma protein binding
  4. Passage through barriers (placenta or Blood-Brain Barrier)
• Where does biotransformation of drugs primarily occur?

  In the liver
• What are pro-drugs?

  Drugs that are pharmacologically inert until metabolized by the liver
• What is the best example of a pro-drug?

  Codeine, which is metabolized into Morphine by the liver
• How does drug metabolism affect dosage?

  It affects the dose size and frequency of administration
• What happens to drugs that are metabolized quickly?

  They have a shorter duration of action and need to be administered more often
• What is the therapeutic index?

  A measure of the margin between safe and unsafe dosing of drugs
• What factors affect how the liver metabolizes drugs?

  Age, liver disease, and certain foods or substances
• Where is most drug excretion carried out?

  Through the kidneys
• What can happen if drug metabolites are not eliminated?

  They can accumulate in the bloodstream and cause toxic effects
• What are the routes of drug excretion besides the kidneys?

  • Sweat
  • Saliva
  • Tears
  • Breast milk
  • Semen
• What is pharmacodynamics sometimes described as?

  What drugs do to the body
• What are the two actions involved in pharmacodynamics?

  Changing the environment of body cells or binding to receptors on cell membranes
• What are ligands?

  Molecules that bind with receptors
• How do drugs work through ion channels?

  • By blocking the drug channel (channel blocking receptors)
  • By allowing the drug to enter (channel modulating receptors)
• What is the therapeutic effect of a drug?

  • The desired effect for treating a disease
  • Example: Codeine for pain relief
• What is an adverse effect of a drug?

  • A harmful or abnormal result from drug use
• What is a side effect of a drug?

  • An undesired effect on the patient
  • Example: Codeine causing constipation
• Why are most drugs administered orally?

  Because it is convenient and economical
• What is first pass metabolism?

  Destruction of some drugs by liver enzymes before they enter systemic circulation
• What is the purpose of transdermal applications?

  To deliver drugs into the systemic circulation through the skin
• What does affinity refer to in pharmacology?

  The preference of drugs for their receptors or chemical targets