Pharmacology

• The pharmaceutical industry is responsible for developing, manufacturing, marketing, and distributing drugs.
• Drug interactions can occur when two or more drugs interact negatively within the body, leading to adverse effects.
• Drug development involves the discovery, preclinical testing, clinical trials, regulatory approval, and commercialization stages.
• Clinical trials involve three phases: Phase I (initial human testing), Phase II (dose determination and short-term effects), and Phase III (longer term use).
• Bioavailability refers to the amount of an administered dose that reaches systemic circulation.
• Absorption involves the movement of drug molecules from their site of administration into the bloodstream.
• Pharmacokinetics refers to how the body processes and eliminates drugs.
• Pre-marketing drug evaluation includes animal studies to determine safety, efficacy, and toxicity.
• Metabolism involves chemical reactions that alter the structure of a drug.
• The liver is responsible for metabolizing most drugs through enzymatic reactions.
• Distribution is the movement of a drug throughout the body.
• First pass metabolism occurs when a drug undergoes metabolic changes during absorption.
• Pharmacovigilance refers to monitoring drug safety throughout their lifecycle, including postmarketing surveillance.
• Absorption is the process by which a drug enters the bloodstream from its site of administration.
• Pharmacokinetics describes how the body processes a drug over time.
• Regulatory agencies such as the FDA ensure drug safety and efficacy through rigorous review processes.
• Pharmacovigilance refers to the collection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse events associated with medicines.
• Post-marketing surveillance monitors the safety and effectiveness of approved drugs through post-approval monitoring programs and spontaneous reporting systems.