100% Accuracy | 2025/2026.
Drug
any chemical that can affect living processes
Pharmacology
the study of drugs and their interactions with living systems
Clinical pharmacology
the study of drugs in humans
Pharmacotherapeutics
the use of drugs to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease or to prevent pregnancy
-the medical use of drugs
3 most important characteristics of a drug
1. effectiveness
2.safety
3.selectivity
Other properties
-Reversible action
-predictability
-ease of administration
-freedom from drug interactions
-low cost
-chemical stability (can we store it?)
-possession of a simple generic name
factors that determine the intensity of drug responses
-administration
-pharmacokinetics
-pharmacodynamics
-sources of individual variation (characteristics unique to each patient)
Pharmacokinetics prossess
1. drug absorption
2.drug distribution
3.drug metabolism
4.drug excretion
Pharmacokinetics process
determines how much of an administered dose gets to its sites of action
,Pharmacodynamics proccess
determines the nature and intensity of the response
-impact of drugs on the body
Pharmacologic classification
describes how the drug acts
Therapeutic classification
describes what is being treated by the drug
Rights of Drug Administration
1. right drug
2.right patient
3.right dose
4. right route
5. right time
-right assessment
-right documentation
-right evaluation
-education
-patients right of refusal
The preadministration assessment
is to gather data needed for
1. evaluation of therapeutic and adverse effects
2. identification of high-risk patients
3. assessment of the patient's capacity for self-care
The analysis and diagnosis phase
1. judging the appropriateness of the prescribed therapy
2. identifying potential health problems treatment might cause
3. characterizing the patient's capacity for self-care
Planning
1. defining goals
2. establishing priorities
3. establishing criteria for evaluating success
Evaluation
1. therapeutic responses
2.adverse reactions and interactions
3. patient adherence
4. patient satisfaction with treatment
Nursing Care
,-Pre-administration Assessment
-Dosage & Administration route
-Evaluating & Promoting Therapeutic Effects- is what you want to happen, happening
-Minimizing Adverse Effects
-Minimizing Adverse Interactions- does it interact with other drugs or food that they eat?
-Making PRN decisions- this is happening less because of the strict guidelines
-Managing toxicity- they can become toxic so be aware of this
Prototype Drug
a drug to which all other drugs in the class are compared
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
reviews and regulates drugs for safety and efficacy
Chemical name
Describes chemical makeup
-N-acetyl-para-aminophenol
Generic Name
Less complex than chemical name
-only one is assigned per drug
-preferred names for nurses to use
-Acetaminophen
Trade name
-proprietary or brand names
-may be more than
-may have different active ingredients
-tylenol
OTC (over the counter)
the same trade name may be used for more than one drug
Pharmacokinetics
is how the body changes the drug
Pharmacodynamics
is how the drugs change the body
Absorption
involves movement of drug from site of administration to the blood stream
-differs with route of administration
Rate of absorption
determines how soon effects will begin
Amount of Absorption
, helps determine how intense effects will be
Factors that affect drug absorption
-rate of dissolution
-surface area
-blood flow
-lipid solubility
-pH partitioning
Routes of Administration
enteral (via the gut)
parenteral (by injection)
Intravenous (IV)
-parenteral
Barriers to Absorption-none (absorption is bypassed)
Absorption Pattern-instantaneous
Advantages-rapid onset, and hence ideal for emergencies
-precise control over drug levels
-permits use of irritant drugs
Disadvantages- irreversible
-expensive
-inconvenient
-difficult to do
-risk of fluid overload
Intramuscular (IM)
-parenteal
Barriers to Absorption-capillary wall (easy to pass)
Absorption Pattern-rapid with water-soluble drugs and slow with poorly soluble drugs
Advantages- permits use of depot preparations
-permits use of poorly soluble drugs
Disadvantages- drug must be water soluble
-possible discomfort
-inconvenient
-potential for injury
Subcutaneous (subQ)
-parenteral
same as IM