basic

• Drug nomenclature includes three different names for drugs:

  • Chemical name
  • Generic name
  • Trade name
• Chemical name is given to a drug according to chemical nomenclature rules by IUPAC
• Generic name is a short name for a drug not subject to proprietary rights
• Approved name is given by bodies like USAN and BAN soon after drug introduction
• Official name is approved by the National Pharmacopeia
• Trade name is given by the pharmaceutical firm selling the drug
• Examples of drug identification:

  • Paracetamol / Acetaminophen: N-acetyl-para-aminophenol, Panadol, Tylenol
  • 7-Chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one: Diazepam, Valium
  • 4-[4-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxypiperidin-1-yl]-N, N-dimethyl-2,2-diphenylbutanamide: Diatabs Loperamide
• Pharmacology basics include:

  • Pharmacotherapeutics
  • Toxicology
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Pharmacodynamics
• Pharmacotherapeutics refers to using drugs to prevent, treat, or diagnose disease
• Pharmacodynamics analyzes what a drug does to the body and how it exerts its effect
• Pharmacokinetics studies how the body deals with the drug in terms of absorption, distribution, and elimination
• Drug classification includes:

  • Body system
  • Therapeutic or clinical use
  • Chemical action
  • Prescription vs non-prescription
  • Illegal or recreational
• Pregnancy classification categories:

  • Category A
  • Category B
  • Category C
  • Category D
  • Category X
• Drugs can be made from:

  • Minerals
  • Plants
  • Animals
  • Synthesis
  • Microorganisms
• Drug preparations include:

  • Solid preparations: suppository, ointment, powder
  • Tablets or pills may be "scored"
  • Fluid preparation
• Vehicles are substances mixed with drugs to give them bulk or form
• Examples of drug preparations:

  • Capsule
  • Tablet
  • Caplets
  • Lozenges
  • Chewables
• Suppository: molded drug for insertion into a body opening, melts at body temperature

  • Ointment: drug in a semi-solid base
  • Powder: ground-up drug used in powder form
• Pharmacology Is the study of drugs. In its broadest definition, a drug can be described as “any chemical that affects processes of living.”
• drug nomenclature implies that there are several names that can be used to identify a drug
• chemical name is given when a new chemical entity (NCE) is developed. It is the name given to drug in accordance with rules of chemical nomenclature established by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
• chemical name is not used to identify the drug in a clinical or marketing situation.
• generic name is a short name given to a drug that is not subject to proprietary rights
• Generic name should always be concise and meaningful. It is also called “Non proprietary Name”. it is often the easiest and most effective way to refer to a drug.
• There are two classes of non proprietary names:

  Approved name

  Official name
• This name is given to drug by bodies like United State Adopted Name Council (USAN) and British Approved Name (BAN) soon after its introduction


  Approved Name
• It is the name approved by the National Pharmacopeia

  Official Name
• It is the name given to a drug by the pharmaceutical firm which sells the drug. Thus a single dose is sold under many proprietary names by different firms. They are written with capital initial letter and are often further distinguished by superscript R in circle ® Clinicians usually described drug by their proprietary names

  Trade Name
• Adequate and well-controlled studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).

  Category A
• Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women

  Category B
• There is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience or studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.

  Category D
• Studies in animals or humans have demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience, and the risks involved in use of the drug in pregnant women clearly outweigh potential benefits.

  Category X
• Synthesis - is the artificial building up of a chemical compound by the union of its elements.  Drugs such as epinephrine that were once available only from natural sources can now be artificially reproduced through synthesis. 
• . Suppository.  A drug which is molded into shape for insertion into a body opening other than the mouth.  Its vehicle, such as cocoa butter, melts at body temperature and the drug is released
• Ointment.  A drug suspended in a semi-solid base such as petrolatum. 
• Powder.  A drug which is ground up and used in powder form.
• To give them bulk or form, drugs may be mixed with other substances which have no action or medicinal value. These substances are called vehicles.
• Caplets -These have all the same advantages of tablets, but are smaller in size with a smoother finish, making them easier to swallow. Unfortunately, fewer products are offered in caplet form and these medicines are often more expensive than tablets.
• Capsule Pharmacists place the powder or jelly medication in a cylindrical outer shell made of dissolvable gelatin. The capsules are odorless and tasteless, making them easy for patients to swallow. you can add the contents to apple sauce or a protein shake. This is beneficial for smaller children, or people who have difficulty swallowing large pills
• Tablet -Tablets are the most common. They are small, smooth, compressed masses of medicated material. Tablets come in a wide range of shapes and sizes to better accommodate patients’ needs. Usually they are circular and flat, and coated with ingredients like sugar to slow the release of into the body.