Pharmacology - Answers Study of medications and their actions
Drug - Answers Substance used as a medicine for diagnosis, treatment, cure, mitigation, or prevention of
disease or a condition
5 Main Drug Sources - Answers 1. Plants
2. Animals - Hormones
3. Minerals
4. Laboratory Synthesis
5. Biotechnology
1. Pharmacodynamics - Answers Study of the interaction of the drug molecules that target cells of living
tissue
Agonists - Answers A drug enhances the effect of another substance
Example of Agonist - Answers In treating Parkinsons Disease, the drug Levodopa can cause Dyskinesias
that inhibits a persons ability to function.
Synergist - Answers Agonists that when combined with another drug produces a stronger or more
powerful effect
Example of Synergist - Answers - Lidocaine is an anesthetic agent that has the advantage of a rapid onset
of action
- Epinephrine (Adrenaline) vasocontricts arteries and delays the resorption of Lidocaine, almost doubling
the duration of anesthesia
Additive - Answers Agonists that alter some aspect of the action of the original agent
Excipients - Answers - Pharmaceutical additive
- Inactive ingredients used to make up a medication
- Dyes, flavors, binders, fillers, lactose, sucrose, etc
, What do excipients help? - Answers A drug to disintegrate into particles small enough to reach the
bloodstream more quickly
What do excipients prevent? - Answers A drug from dissolving too early - protecting against stomach
ache
Antagonists - Answers Prevents an agonists from causing its effects
- Interact selectively with receptors but do not lead to an observed effect
Indications - Answers Listing of the medical conditions that the medication is known to treat
Contraindications - Answers List of circumstances/medical conditions under which the medication
should NOT be used
Onset - Answers Time required from administration of a drug until its action becomes evident
Duration - Answers Overall time the medication presents its effects
Therapeutic Effect - Answers Dose of medication used to produce the desired result without producing
harmful effects
Adverse EEffect - Answers An undesirable and potentially harmful effect that can lead to organ damage
or failure, or death
2. Pharmacokinetics - Answers Entire process of the drug within body
1. Absorption
2. Distribution
3. Biotransformation
4. Excretion
1. Absorption - Answers Process where the substance is taken into the bloodstream
Passive Transport - Answers Process of drug absorption into the bloodstream by capillaries
What is Absorption influenced by? - Answers 1. Type of drug
2. Dosage
3. Route of administration