pharmacology

• What is a drug?

  Any substance altering body function
• What is a medicine?

  A drug approved to treat diseases
• What is the key difference between drugs and medicines?

  All medicines are drugs, not vice versa
• What does the term pharmacology derive from?

  Greek words for drug and study
• What are the two major branches of pharmacology?

  Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
• What does pharmacokinetics study?

  What the body does to the drug
• What does pharmacodynamics study?

  What the drug does to the body
• What are the three names in the drug naming system?

  1. Chemical Name
  2. Generic Name
  3. Brand Name
• What is the chemical name for paracetamol?

  N-acetyl-p-aminophenol
• What is the generic name for ibuprofen?

  Ibuprofen
• What is the brand name for paracetamol?

  Tylenol
• What are the sources of drugs?

  1. Natural
  2. Synthetic
  3. Semi-synthetic
  4. Biosynthetic
• What are the types of drug effects?

  • Therapeutic Effect
  • Side Effects
  • Adverse Effects
  • Toxic Effects
  • Contraindication
• What is a therapeutic effect?

  Intended benefit of a drug
• What are side effects?

  Unintended but not necessarily harmful
• What are adverse effects?

  Harmful, undesired effects
• What are toxic effects?

  Life-threatening or severe poisoning
• What is a contraindication?

  Situations where the drug must not be used
• What are the components of pharmacokinetics (ADME)?


  1. Absorption
  2. Distribution
  3. Metabolism
  4. Excretion
• What is absorption in pharmacokinetics?

  Movement of drug into the body
• What factors influence drug absorption?

  Molecular size, polarity, lipid solubility
• What is the "First Pass Effect"?

  Reduces bioavailability of oral drugs
• What is distribution in pharmacokinetics?

  Movement from blood to tissues
• What factors influence drug distribution?

  Protein binding, blood flow, pH, lipid solubility
• What is metabolism in pharmacokinetics?

  Chemical alteration for elimination
• What is the key enzyme in drug metabolism?

  Cytochrome P450
• What does metabolism convert drugs into?

  Water-soluble forms for elimination
• What is excretion in pharmacokinetics?

  Removal via urine, feces, lungs, etc.
• What is bioavailability?

  Percentage of drug reaching systemic circulation
• What is the bioavailability of IV drugs?

  100%
• What is pharmacodynamics concerned with?

  • Mechanism of Action
  • Targets: Receptors, ion channels, enzymes, transporters
• What is the mechanism of action in pharmacodynamics?

  How and where the drug produces its effect
• What are the types of drug-receptor interactions?

  1. Agonist
  2. Antagonist
• What is an agonist?

  Activates receptor, triggers biological response
• What is an antagonist?

  Blocks receptor, prevents response
• What are the key metrics in pharmacodynamics?

  • Efficacy
  • Affinity
  • Potency
• What is efficacy in pharmacodynamics?

  Drug’s maximal effect
• What is affinity in pharmacodynamics?

  Strength of binding to receptor
• What is potency in pharmacodynamics?

  Drug amount needed for maximal effect