PHARMACOLOGY OVERVIEW FOR EMS: KEY
CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS INSIDER ACCESS OF
2025/2026 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH 100% SUCCESS
RATE
Pharmacology - The science of drugs—their actions, interactions, effects, and metabolism in the
human body.
Pharmacodynamics - Understanding how drugs work.
Pharmacokinetics - How the body processes drugs.
EMS practice - Safe and effective practice in emergency medical services.
Drug behavior - The prediction of a drug's behavior under stress, disease, or altered physiology.
Drug - Any substance that produces a physiological change
Medication - A drug used to prevent, diagnose, or treat a condition
Therapeutic effect - Desired positive effect of a medication
Side effect - Predictable but undesirable effect
Adverse effect - Unexpected harmful response to a drug
Indication - Reason to give a medication
,Contraindication - Reason not to give a medication
Bioavailability - Percentage of drug that reaches systemic circulation
Onset of action - Time between administration and drug effect
Peak effect - Point at which the drug achieves maximum effect
Duration of action - Time between onset and end of therapeutic effect
Half-life - Time required for plasma concentration to reduce by half
Therapeutic index - Ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose (higher = safer)
Potency - Amount of drug needed for a given effect
Efficacy - Maximum effect a drug can produce
Agonist - Activates receptor and mimics endogenous signal
Antagonist - Blocks receptor and prevents signal
Affinity - Strength of drug-receptor binding
Tolerance - Decreased response to same dose over time
Dependence - Physiological need for a substance
, Withdrawal - Symptoms that occur when a dependent drug is removed
Absorption - How drug enters bloodstream (IV = fastest, PO = slowest)
Distribution - How drug spreads through body compartments (plasma, fat, CNS)
Metabolism - Liver enzymes (mostly CYP450) break down drug into active/inactive forms
Excretion - Drug removal (mainly kidneys → urine; also bile, sweat, lungs)
Chemical name - N-acetyl-p-aminophenol
Generic name - Acetaminophen
Trade name - Tylenol
IV - Immediate - Critical/emergency drugs
IM - Moderate - Epinephrine, ketorolac
SQ - Slow - Insulin, allergy meds
PO - Slowest - ASA, glucose, most home meds
SL - Rapid - NTG, fentanyl
CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS INSIDER ACCESS OF
2025/2026 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH 100% SUCCESS
RATE
Pharmacology - The science of drugs—their actions, interactions, effects, and metabolism in the
human body.
Pharmacodynamics - Understanding how drugs work.
Pharmacokinetics - How the body processes drugs.
EMS practice - Safe and effective practice in emergency medical services.
Drug behavior - The prediction of a drug's behavior under stress, disease, or altered physiology.
Drug - Any substance that produces a physiological change
Medication - A drug used to prevent, diagnose, or treat a condition
Therapeutic effect - Desired positive effect of a medication
Side effect - Predictable but undesirable effect
Adverse effect - Unexpected harmful response to a drug
Indication - Reason to give a medication
,Contraindication - Reason not to give a medication
Bioavailability - Percentage of drug that reaches systemic circulation
Onset of action - Time between administration and drug effect
Peak effect - Point at which the drug achieves maximum effect
Duration of action - Time between onset and end of therapeutic effect
Half-life - Time required for plasma concentration to reduce by half
Therapeutic index - Ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose (higher = safer)
Potency - Amount of drug needed for a given effect
Efficacy - Maximum effect a drug can produce
Agonist - Activates receptor and mimics endogenous signal
Antagonist - Blocks receptor and prevents signal
Affinity - Strength of drug-receptor binding
Tolerance - Decreased response to same dose over time
Dependence - Physiological need for a substance
, Withdrawal - Symptoms that occur when a dependent drug is removed
Absorption - How drug enters bloodstream (IV = fastest, PO = slowest)
Distribution - How drug spreads through body compartments (plasma, fat, CNS)
Metabolism - Liver enzymes (mostly CYP450) break down drug into active/inactive forms
Excretion - Drug removal (mainly kidneys → urine; also bile, sweat, lungs)
Chemical name - N-acetyl-p-aminophenol
Generic name - Acetaminophen
Trade name - Tylenol
IV - Immediate - Critical/emergency drugs
IM - Moderate - Epinephrine, ketorolac
SQ - Slow - Insulin, allergy meds
PO - Slowest - ASA, glucose, most home meds
SL - Rapid - NTG, fentanyl
