Pharmacology Review

Caitlin Doede
Pharmacology: the study of interation of chemical substances with living systems,
including cells, tissues, and organisms
Biologics: naturally produced in animal or humans- antibodies
5 major groups:

Pharmacokinetics
o Study of drug movement through the body including how a drug gets
to the site of action, and how the body handles the medication
o BY THE PROCESS OF ABSORBTION, DISTRIBUTION, METABOLISM, AND
EXCRETION
Pharmacodynamics
o Actions of the drug on a specific target organ, including mechanism of
action, receptor interactions, dose response and therapeutic and toxic
reactions
Pharmacotherapeutics
o Dealing with the use of drugs in prevention, diagnosis and treatment
Pharmacogenetics
o Genetic factors that influence an organisms response to a drug
Toxicology
o The effects poisons and pollutants and the effects drugs have on living
cells
o Posology
Dosages of meds and drugs

Drug Names:
All drugs have:

Chemical name
o Chemical make up of a drug
Generic name (ALWAYS LOWER CASE)
o Contains therapeutic chemicals
o Reduced cost
Trade (brand) name (ALWAYS UPPER CASE)
o Registered trademark
o Patent last 20 years

Abbreviations:
ac before meals q every pc after meals Rx prescription
AM morning qd every day PM afternoon qs a sufficient
quantity
Bid twice a day h hour stat at once tab tablet
Cap capsule hs at bedtime sig write on label qtts drops
Dis dispense q8h every 8 hours tid 3 times a day NR
no refills
Prn as needed qid 4 times a day po orally mL millilitre
Prescription writing:

Drug Schedules:

Black box warning:

FDA, appears on prescription drugs

Warning that the drug carries a risk of serious or even life-threatening
adverse effects
Bioequivalence:

Pharmaceutical equivalent or alternative that does not show differences in

the rate of extent of absorption (BETWEEN GENERIC AND BRAND NAME)
Route of administration:

Enteral

Parenteral 100% bioavaiability

Topical

Controlled release:

Release the active ingredient slowly over 12 hours or more

Some drugs bind to blood proteins, others leave quickly

- An unbound drug is distributed to tissues and its level in the blood decreases
- Blood proteins gradually release the drug bound to them
Some drugs accumulated in certain tissues preventing the blood levels of the drug
from decreasing rapidly
Some drugs accumulate in fatty tissues and leave so slowly that the drug is still in
the bodys blood stream for several days
Drugs are metabolised in the liver
- A drug that has been metabolised by enzymes are known as a METABOLITE
- Cytochrome P-450 enzymes control the rate at which drugs are metabolised
o Drugs can affect the enzyme causing it to be more or less effective
 - Also the side for biotransformation
Prodrugs
- Are administered in an inactive form and becomes active once that are
metabolised

The acidity of urine, which is affected by diet, drugs, and kidney disorders, can
affect the rate at which the kidneys excrete some drugs.
- Some drugs are eliminated through the bile
Most common route of absorption is the small intestine
- Drugs can be coated so that they pass through the stomach because they are
too harsh to be absorbed there
The greater the blood flow to an organ, the greater the rate of
distribution of the drug
The greater the dose administer the larger the blood concentration will be
Half life:
- Time it takes for a drug to fall to 50% of original value
- It takes about 4-5 lives for a drug to be considered eliminated from the body.
At this point, steady state is reached
Loading dose:
- High dose of a drug given initially to rapidly establish therapeutic plasma
drug concentration
Maintenance dose:
- Lower doses used to maintain a desired drug level
Drugs are either nonselective, selective or highly selective
Agonist- a drug that combines with a receptor to initiate a response- ENHANCES
a function/ produce MAXIMAL response
Antagonist a drug that binds to a receptor but has no positive response
BLOCKERS / produce SUBMAXIMAL response
Potency Dose/amount of a drug required to produce an effect relative to a
given standard
Efficacy ability to produce a therapeutic effect regardless of the dose
o BOTH DESCIBE THE SUCCESS OF DRUG THERAPY
CNS
- Brain and spinal cord
- Receives sensory message from peripheral system
PNS
1. Autonomic nervous system (INVOLUNTARY)
- There are no postganglionic fibers innervating adrenal medulla
- Epinephrine- ADRENERGIC AGONIST DRUG
a. Sympathetic FLIGHT/FIGHT
i. ACETLYCHOLINE (preganglionic/cholinergic) released every
PREGANGLIONIC NEURSON = excitation of
adrenergic(catecholamines) post neursons and initiated release
of NOR EPINEPHRINE(postganglionic/noradrenergic) (released
from adrenal gland)
ii. 2 types of adrenergic receptors
Adrenergic
1. Alpha a influences blood pressure and blood flow/found
on blood vessels of heart /excitatory-EXCEPT intestinal
relaxation
2. Alpha b causes inhibition of NE release / inhibitory-
EXCEPT stimulant effect on the heart
3. Beta 1 CARDIAC tissue-increase heart rate/s
4. Beta 2- LUNGS-relaxation of smooth muscle epinephrine
most potent
5. Beta 3- located on FAT cells and produces breakdown of
lipids
 b. Parasympatheic REST/DIGEST
i. SLUDD-

salivation,
lacrimation,
urination,
digestion,
defecation
2. Somatic nervous system
(VOLUNTARY)
a. Muscarinic receptors:
i. Located in sweat glands, skeletal
muscles, eyes, gut,
penis, lung
ii. Stimulated by Ach and casuses and increase in secretion
b. Nicotinic receptors:
i. Located in skeletal muscle and cNS
ii. contraction of skeletal muscle and neurotransmission in the
CNS
Most organs of the body are innervated by neurons of both the sympathetic and
parasympathetic divisions of the ANS
- ONLY ORGANS NOT INNERVATED BY BOTH ARE SWEAT GLANDS-sympathetic
cholinergic pathway/postganglionic, SMOOTH MUSCLE OF THE HAIR
FOLLICLES, ADRENAL MEDULLA-sympathetic/preganglionic, BLOOD VESSELS
OF THE SKIN- sympathetic/postganglionic