Pharmacology (patient care U5)

• ASRT Scope of Practice


  •Performing venipuncture as prescribed by a licensed practitioner •Starting, maintaining and/or removing intravenous access as prescribed by a licensed practitioner •Identifying, preparing and/or administering medications as prescribed by a licensed practitioner
• practice standard 


  Prepare, administer and document activities related to medications and radiation exposure in accordance with federal and state laws, regulations or lawful institutional policy
• Standard 4


  • Monitors the patient for reactions to medications
• Professional Liability

  • expected to know safe dosage
  • safe route of administration
  • limitations of the drug
  • potential hazards
• Negligence

  • court based decisions on if another tech was in your shoes should they have done the same thing as you
  • malpractice
• Employer Prerogative

  • free will of management to punish malpractice
  • system policy has degree of infractions with corresponding penalties
• Drug


  Any substance that, when taken into a living organism, may modify one or more of its functions
• Pharmacology


  Study of drugs and their origin, nature, properties, and effects on living organisms
• Classifications of drugs

  • nomenclature
  • chemical group (action)
  • method of legal purchase
  • mechanism and site of action
  • primary effect
• Nomenclature


  • Chemical Name
  • Generic Name (Nonproprietary name)
  • Trade/Brand Name (Trademark, Trade name, Proprietary name)
• Chemical Name


  1. acetyl-p-aminophenol, C8H9N02
• Generic Name (Nonproprietary name)


  acetaminophen
• Trade/Brand Name (Trademark, Trade name, Proprietary name)


  Tylenol
• Chemical Group


  (Action or Function)
• Families


  Groups of chemicals that have similar chemical actions
• One drug may be listed in more than one family
• Legal Purchase


  Prescription vs. Non-prescription
• Prescription


  Legend drugs
• Non-prescription


  Over-the-counter
• FDA: 'Caution: Federal law prohibits dispensing without prescription'
• Mechanism and site of action (MOA)


  A term used to describe how a drug or other substance produces an effect in the body
• MOA


  • Provides information about the safety of the drug
• Primary Effect


  Desired therapeutic effect of the drug
• Therapeutic Index/Range


  Measures the safety of a drug
• Analgesics

  • relieve pain without causing loss of consciousness
  • 2 groups: opioid and nonopioid
• Opioid

  • treat moderate to severe pain
• Nonopioid

  • treat mild to moderate pain
• Anesthetics

  • reversibly depress neural function
  • produce the loss of ability to perceive pain or other sensations
  • 2 types: general and local
• General

  • produce muscle relaxation and loss of consciousness
• Local

  • block nerve conduction from an area of the body
• Anesthetic side effects

  • irregular heartbeat
  • seizures
  • breathing issues
  • death
• Antianxiety (anxiolytics)

  • treatment of anxiety
• Benzodiazepines

  • pre-operative drug for anxiety
• Anticholinergics

  • Reduce smooth muscle tone
  • Reduce motility of the GI tract
  • Reduce secretions from respiratory tract and secretory glands
• Antiarrhythmics

  • treat arrhythmias
  • could also cause the opposite effect
• Anticonvulsants (antiepileptic)

  • prevent and/or control the occurrence of seizures
  • can also help with bipolar and fibromyalgia
• Antidiabetic

  • insulin
• Anticoagulants

  • increase coagulation time
  • treat thromboembolic disorders
• Coagulants

  • speed up coagulation
• Antidepressants

  • treat depression, panic disorder, OCD, bipolar depression