CHAPTER

5
Anatomy and Physiology
L earning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:

INTRODUCTION
Simply put, pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on the human body. As the saying goes, It takes two to tango. Drug and body interactions are a two-way street. First there is how the drug affects the body, known as pharmacodynamics; then there is how the body affects the drug, known as pharmacokinetics. Pharmacology is the study of both of these relationships.

Define what constitutes a drug. Compare the differences between legend and OTC medications. Describe the principle of pharmacology. Define and compare the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. Describe the regulatory functions of the body. Describe the basic human cell structure and cell division. Explain the basic anatomy and physiology of the major systems of the body.

ISBN: 0-536-08854-3

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The Pharmacy Technician Series: Fundamentals of Pharmacy Practice, by Mike Johnston. Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Drugs
Drugs, or medications, are substances that diagnose, cure, relieve, treat, or prevent disease. Simply, drugs affect our bodies or our bodys processes. In the practice of pharmacy, we deal with two basic types of drugs: prescription and OTC. Pharmacy technicians have to have a working knowledge of both to be effective.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Prescription drugs are those medications that can be addictive, easily abused, or are unsafe unless used under the supervision of a prescriber. The federal government lists these medicationsthus the term legend drug. Only a licensed prescriber can write prescriptions for these drugs, and these drugs can be dispensed only by a licensed pharmacist.

OTC DRUGS (OVER THE COUNTER)

OTC medications are those that the government feels are safe when the clear and concise directions on the package are followed by the average adult. Many people have the misconception that OTC medications are harmless because they do not require prescriptions. This is a very dangerous misconception. It is important that the patients profile reflect any OTC drugs he may be taking and that the pharmacist is made aware of that profile, so that proper DUR (drug utilization review) and counseling can take place and be effective. OTC drugs are also subject to the laws prohibiting pharmacy technicians from providing any advice or counseling.

A Drugs Journey through the Body

Proper medication of any patient requires careful monitoring of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of drugs. These processes are directly connected to the therapeutic effect the medication will have on the body. Other issues, such as tolerance and abuse (or dependence), are also affected by these processes.

HOW A DRUG ENTERS THE BODY

How a drug enters the body is called the route of administration. This can be through the mouth (oral), lungs (inhalant), eyes (ophthalmically), ears (otically), nose (nasal), skin (transdermal), rectum (rectally), or vaginal (vaginally); or injected through the skin in several ways (injection). It is imperative that the pharmacy technician be familiar with the routes of administration and that he prepare the medications properly.

ABSORPTION
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Regardless of how the drug enters the body, it generally cannot work until it enters the bloodstream. This process is referred to as absorption. Since
72 Chapter Five Anatomy and Physiology

The Pharmacy Technician Series: Fundamentals of Pharmacy Practice, by Mike Johnston. Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.

the most common route is oral, the medication must pass through the intestines to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Other routes of administration, such as injections, dont use the intestines and therefore skip the first pass stage.

BIOAVAILABILITY
The amount of a drug that eventually becomes available to the body, along with the rate of absorption, is known as bioavailability. Several factors can affect the bioavailability of a drug to the body. These factors include the age, sex, weight, disease state, and genetics of the patient.

DISTRIBUTION
Once the drug is in the bloodstream, how does it get to where it is needed? That process is called distribution. By this stage, the drug is in its molecular stage and can cross cell membranes.

METABOLISM
After the drug has completed its task, it must be prepared for elimination. The liver, kidney, and lungs are the biggest processors; however, other organs can and do help. Metabolism occurs when the body, using enzymes, breaks the drug down into smaller particles called metabolites that are more easily eliminated. While most metabolites are inactive, some metabolites have therapeutic properties after they go through metabolism. Some drugs, called prodrugs, can be administered in an inactive form and metabolized into an active form.

ELIMINATION
Once the medication has been reduced to metabolites, it needs to be eliminated. Feces and urine are the routes of elimination that come to mind at first, but there are several other ways a body can rid itself of waste or foreign matter. Tears, breath, and sweat are all different ways that a body handles elimination. Without elimination, the medications could build to toxic levels in the body and do significant damage, up to and including death.

WORKPLACE WISDOM

Anatomy and Physiology

The basis of anatomy and physiology is the concept of form versus function, as well as the collaborative effort of both. The anatomy is the form, and the physiology is the function. These components work together with the other mechanisms of the body, including body chemistry. A basic knowledge of body chemistry is necessary when attempting to understand the forms and functions of the human body.
Chapter Five

ISBN: 0-536-08854-3

The term anatomy is derived from the Greek word meaning dissection. It encompasses both the structure of living beings and the study of such structures. Anatomy and Physiology 73

The Pharmacy Technician Series: Fundamentals of Pharmacy Practice, by Mike Johnston. Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.