Intro to Pharmacology

Prototype Drugs

Well understood drug with known action and adverse effects that serves as a model for a drug class; Used to compare other drugs in the same pharmacologic class; Newer drugs may replace these drugs if they have been found to be more effective, better safet

Body system Drug

Drug that is based on where the drug works
Ex. Cardiac, respiratory, gastrointestinal

Therapeutic classification

Which is based on what the drug does clinically?
Ex. The disease state that they treat (anti-coagulants, anti-anxiety, anti-hypertensives, etc.)

Pharmacologic classification

Which is based on mechanism of action and is more specific than therapeutic classification?
Ex. Vasodilators, diuretic, calcium channel blocker

Generic name vs. Trade name

The common and official name assigned by United States Adopted Names Council vs the brand name copyrighted by company that sells drug in which the drug has a registered trademark.

Bioavailability

The amount of a drug that is available to the site of action and the rate at which it is available is known as what? Can affect whether or not a brand name drug is used vs a generic drug.

Controlled Substance Act

What is the federal law regulating the administration dispensing and prescription of particular substances that are categorized in five schedules

Schedule I (C-I) Substances

What controlled substance classification has the highest abuse potential, restricted to situations of medical necessity (if allowed at all), has a high physical and psychological dependence, and has limited or no therapeutic use?

Schedule II (C-II)

Have accepted medical uses but have a high potential for abuse and dependency. (EX): Cocaine, codeine, morphine, oxycodone, and more. Never expires because you need a new prescription every time.

Schedule III Drugs

Moderate abuse potential moderate physical dependence, high potential for physiological dependence, therapeutic use with prescription. (Tylenol 3, anabolic steriods, codene w/ asprin, hydrocodone w/asprin)

Schedule IV Drugs

Lower abuse potential, lower potential for physical and psychological dependence. Therapeutic use with prescription. (Valium)

Schedule V Drugs

Lowest abuse potential, lowest physical and psychological dependence. Therapeutic use without prescription. (OTC drugs)

Enteral Medications

What type of meds are given orally and pass through the GI tract to be absorbed into the bloodstream and metabolized by the liver. This includes oral, naso-gastric, and rectal routes.

Buccal Meds

What type of medication is placed in the cheek and absorbed through the mucosal membrane?

Only if is safe to crush!

Can tablets, capsules, or caplets be crushed or mixed?

Powder or Gel enclosed in gelatinous container

What would you find inside a capsule?

Enteric-coated

What tablets are coated by a special chemical that resists gastric secretion but disintegrates in the intestines and can not be crushed or mixed?

Time-released

What kind of drug is designed to release at various times or over time (XR,TR,SR,etc.), and should not be crushed or mixed?

Tinctures

What is a type of liquid solution dissolved in pure alcohol or water-alcohol mixtures?

Elixirs

What is a type of liquid solution containing alcohol, sweetener, and water?

Suspensions

What is a heterogeneous mixture with large, often visible solutes that tend to settle out and should be shaken before administered?

Lozenges

can be hard, soft or chewable;
intended to be dissolved slowly in the oral cavity

Orally disintegrating tablet (ODT)

a solid oral dosage form designed to dissolve quickly on the tongue for oral absorption and ease of administration without water.

Topical meds

What type of drug is applied to skin or mucous membranes, directly to body surface/body cavities, administered for local or systemic effect, and has fewer side effects?

first-pass effect

What is the initial metabolism in the liver of a drug absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract before the drug reaches systemic circulation through the bloodstream?

A sweat and hair-free area and date and initial. Don't forget to document in MAR!

Where should you place a transdermal patch and what should you do when applying it while making sure the old one is taken off and cleaned?

Instillations

What are applied into cavities or orifices (eyes, ears, nose, urinary bladder, rectum, vagina)?

Opthalmic Administration

What type of instillations are placed into conjunctival sac of eye for tx local conditions of the eye and surrounding structures -e.g.: eye irrigations, drops, ointments, and medicated disks

Sim's position and 1" past the internal sphincter

What position should your pt be in during a rectal instillation of medication and how far should you place the medication?

2

During vaginal instillation how far up should the medication be placed?

Metered-dose inhalers (MDI)

What type of inhaler is designed to produce local effects such as bronchodilatation?

Small volume nebulizers (SVN)

these are powered by high pressure air to oxygen provided by a portable compresseor, compressed gas cylinder or 50 psi wall outlet, have medication resiviours of less than 10 ml

Unit dose

drug dosage system that provides prepackaged, prelabeled, individual medications that are ready for immediate use by the patient

Individual Supply

Each patient supplied with the medication needed for a period of time