PATH 122 Notes
WEEK 1:
Introduction to Pharmacology
1. State the definition of
o Pharmacology:
• The broadest term for the study/science of drugs
• Study of how drugs are administered, where they travel to, and the actual response they produce in the body
o Therapeutics:
• Prevention & treatment of diseases
o Pharmacotherapeutics:
• The treatment of pathological conditions through the use of drugs
• Administration of drugs to prevent/treatment disease to reduce suffering
o Drug:
• Any chemical that affects the physiological processes of a living organism
• Chemical agent capable of producing biological responses within the body
2. Outline the major differences between prescription and over the counter drugs.
o Prescription:
• Person must receive a written order from a health care professional with the legal authority to write the
prescription
• Advantage: HCP can:
▪ Examine the patient
▪ Order the correct drug, dosage and frequency for the condition of the patient
▪ Teach the patient about the drug
o OTC:
• Medications that are legally available without a prescription & does not require an order from a health care
professional
• Advantage:
▪ Can be obtained more easily than prescription drugs
▪ No appointment with a HCP is required, saving time and money
• Disadvantage:
, ▪ Choosing the correct drug may be challenging
▪ Drugs may react with foods, herbal products, prescription and medications and/or other OTC drugs
▪ Some drugs may impair ability to function safely, and patient may not be aware of this
▪ Self-treatment may ineffective and the patient’s condition may progress
3. Discuss classification systems of drugs:
o Therapeutic classification:
• Focuses on the clinical use of drugs to prevent/treat diseases
• Drugs are categorized into pharmacological classes according to their physiological functions and primary disease
states treated
• Example:
▪ Treat an elevated blood pressure = antihypertensive drugs
▪ Treat chest pain = antianginals drugs
▪ Manage pain = anti-inflammatory drugs
▪ Inhibit action of platelets = antiplatelet/anticoagulant drugs
▪ Promote loss of water through the urinary system = diuretic drugs
o Pharmacological classification:
• Mechanism of action of the drug or how the drug produces its effect in the human body
• Example:
▪ State the mechanism of action of diuretics OR how does a diuretic lower blood pressure (ex. furosemide)
❖ Increases the amount of water excreted in the urine & acts by blocking the reabsorption of sodium in
four major sites in the nephron
▪ State the mechanism of action of a calcium channel blocker OR how does a calcium channel blocker lower
blood pressure
❖ Lowers blood pressure by prevent calcium from entering the cells of the heart and arteries
4. Explain what is meant by a prototype drug.
o Drugs which represent other drugs in the same classification
o Drug model by which other drugs within the same classification can be compared
o Example: penicillin V is the prototype drug in the penicillin classification
• If you know the MOA, adverse effects, etc. of penicillin V, then you will be able to predict the action, adverse
effects, etc. of other drugs within the penicillin classification
5. Explain the difference between a drug’s chemical name, generic name and trade name and identify common examples.
o Chemical name:
, • Describes the chemical composition & molecular structure of a drug
• Long & complex names
o Generic name:
• Much shorter & simpler than the chemical name
• Not protected by trademark
• First letter of the generic name is not capitalized
o Trade name:
• Assigned by the company, first letter is capitalized
6. Explain the difference between brand-name drugs and their generic equivalents.
• The key comparison is to measure bioavailability of both preparations
o Bioavailability: the amount of drug absorbed into the systemic circulation and therefore available to the target cells
to produce an effect
7. Identify the various routes of drug administration and explain the characteristics, time to onset and drug loss,
advantages/disadvantages of each route of administration.
Route Advantages Disadvantages
Intravenous (IV) - Provides rapid onset (drug - Higher cost, Inconvenience
delivered immediately) - Greater likelihood of
- Allows more direct control infection
of drug level in blood - Risk of fluid overload
- Gives option of larger fluid
volume, therefore diluting
irritating drugs
- Avoids first-pass
metabolism
Intramuscular (IM) - Good for poorly soluble
drugs
- Provides immediate onset of
action
Subcutaneous
Oral
, • Enteral route: drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation through the mucosa of the stomach or small/large intestine.
o Rate of absorption can be altered by many factors
• Parenteral route: route of administration other than the GI, commonly refers to injection
o Fastest route by which a drug can be absorbed
8. Define the term “pharmacokinetics”.
• Pharmacokinetics: study of the movement of drugs throughout the body (ADME)
9. Discuss the four processes of pharmacokinetics:
o Absorption: moves the drug from the point of administration to the body fluids via active transport, passive transport,
pinocytosis
o Distribution: the systemic circulation distributes drugs to various body tissues. Distribution depends on protein binding,
blood flow, and solubility. The drug comes into contact with albumin or remain free, only free circulating particles can
produce a therapeutic effect.
o Metabolism (biotransformation): the body changes the drug to be more or less active and excretable. Most are metabolized
by the liver or kidneys, lungs, plasma, and intestinal mucosa
o Excretion: elimination of the drug from the body after the liver renders it inactive it is then excreted by the kidneys via
urine.
10. Define and explain the clinical significance of the following terms related to plasma drug levels:
o Minimum effective concentration: the amounts of drugs require to produce a therapeutic effect.
o Toxic concentration: the level of drugs that will result in serious adverse effects.
o Therapeutic range: the plasma drugs concentration between the minimum effect and the toxic concentration.
11. Define and examine the clinical implications of each of the following:
o Onset of drug action: the amount of time it takes to produce a therapeutic effect after drug administration.
o Peak plasma level: occurs when the medication has reached its’s high concentration in the bloodstream.
o Duration of drug action: the amount of time it takes for a drug to maintain its’ desired effect until termination of action.
• Variables that can affect duration of drug action:
▪ First pass effect can affect the duration of drug taken orally (drug first travel to the liver where they are
inactivated before getting to the target cells.
▪ Food-drugs or drug-drug can affect duration of drug action.
o Plasma half-life: length of time for a medication to decrease its concentration in the plasma by one-half after
administration.
• The greater the half-life, the longer it takes the medication to be excreted.
• Less frequent doses for people with kidney & liver issues
WEEK 1:
Introduction to Pharmacology
1. State the definition of
o Pharmacology:
• The broadest term for the study/science of drugs
• Study of how drugs are administered, where they travel to, and the actual response they produce in the body
o Therapeutics:
• Prevention & treatment of diseases
o Pharmacotherapeutics:
• The treatment of pathological conditions through the use of drugs
• Administration of drugs to prevent/treatment disease to reduce suffering
o Drug:
• Any chemical that affects the physiological processes of a living organism
• Chemical agent capable of producing biological responses within the body
2. Outline the major differences between prescription and over the counter drugs.
o Prescription:
• Person must receive a written order from a health care professional with the legal authority to write the
prescription
• Advantage: HCP can:
▪ Examine the patient
▪ Order the correct drug, dosage and frequency for the condition of the patient
▪ Teach the patient about the drug
o OTC:
• Medications that are legally available without a prescription & does not require an order from a health care
professional
• Advantage:
▪ Can be obtained more easily than prescription drugs
▪ No appointment with a HCP is required, saving time and money
• Disadvantage:
, ▪ Choosing the correct drug may be challenging
▪ Drugs may react with foods, herbal products, prescription and medications and/or other OTC drugs
▪ Some drugs may impair ability to function safely, and patient may not be aware of this
▪ Self-treatment may ineffective and the patient’s condition may progress
3. Discuss classification systems of drugs:
o Therapeutic classification:
• Focuses on the clinical use of drugs to prevent/treat diseases
• Drugs are categorized into pharmacological classes according to their physiological functions and primary disease
states treated
• Example:
▪ Treat an elevated blood pressure = antihypertensive drugs
▪ Treat chest pain = antianginals drugs
▪ Manage pain = anti-inflammatory drugs
▪ Inhibit action of platelets = antiplatelet/anticoagulant drugs
▪ Promote loss of water through the urinary system = diuretic drugs
o Pharmacological classification:
• Mechanism of action of the drug or how the drug produces its effect in the human body
• Example:
▪ State the mechanism of action of diuretics OR how does a diuretic lower blood pressure (ex. furosemide)
❖ Increases the amount of water excreted in the urine & acts by blocking the reabsorption of sodium in
four major sites in the nephron
▪ State the mechanism of action of a calcium channel blocker OR how does a calcium channel blocker lower
blood pressure
❖ Lowers blood pressure by prevent calcium from entering the cells of the heart and arteries
4. Explain what is meant by a prototype drug.
o Drugs which represent other drugs in the same classification
o Drug model by which other drugs within the same classification can be compared
o Example: penicillin V is the prototype drug in the penicillin classification
• If you know the MOA, adverse effects, etc. of penicillin V, then you will be able to predict the action, adverse
effects, etc. of other drugs within the penicillin classification
5. Explain the difference between a drug’s chemical name, generic name and trade name and identify common examples.
o Chemical name:
, • Describes the chemical composition & molecular structure of a drug
• Long & complex names
o Generic name:
• Much shorter & simpler than the chemical name
• Not protected by trademark
• First letter of the generic name is not capitalized
o Trade name:
• Assigned by the company, first letter is capitalized
6. Explain the difference between brand-name drugs and their generic equivalents.
• The key comparison is to measure bioavailability of both preparations
o Bioavailability: the amount of drug absorbed into the systemic circulation and therefore available to the target cells
to produce an effect
7. Identify the various routes of drug administration and explain the characteristics, time to onset and drug loss,
advantages/disadvantages of each route of administration.
Route Advantages Disadvantages
Intravenous (IV) - Provides rapid onset (drug - Higher cost, Inconvenience
delivered immediately) - Greater likelihood of
- Allows more direct control infection
of drug level in blood - Risk of fluid overload
- Gives option of larger fluid
volume, therefore diluting
irritating drugs
- Avoids first-pass
metabolism
Intramuscular (IM) - Good for poorly soluble
drugs
- Provides immediate onset of
action
Subcutaneous
Oral
, • Enteral route: drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation through the mucosa of the stomach or small/large intestine.
o Rate of absorption can be altered by many factors
• Parenteral route: route of administration other than the GI, commonly refers to injection
o Fastest route by which a drug can be absorbed
8. Define the term “pharmacokinetics”.
• Pharmacokinetics: study of the movement of drugs throughout the body (ADME)
9. Discuss the four processes of pharmacokinetics:
o Absorption: moves the drug from the point of administration to the body fluids via active transport, passive transport,
pinocytosis
o Distribution: the systemic circulation distributes drugs to various body tissues. Distribution depends on protein binding,
blood flow, and solubility. The drug comes into contact with albumin or remain free, only free circulating particles can
produce a therapeutic effect.
o Metabolism (biotransformation): the body changes the drug to be more or less active and excretable. Most are metabolized
by the liver or kidneys, lungs, plasma, and intestinal mucosa
o Excretion: elimination of the drug from the body after the liver renders it inactive it is then excreted by the kidneys via
urine.
10. Define and explain the clinical significance of the following terms related to plasma drug levels:
o Minimum effective concentration: the amounts of drugs require to produce a therapeutic effect.
o Toxic concentration: the level of drugs that will result in serious adverse effects.
o Therapeutic range: the plasma drugs concentration between the minimum effect and the toxic concentration.
11. Define and examine the clinical implications of each of the following:
o Onset of drug action: the amount of time it takes to produce a therapeutic effect after drug administration.
o Peak plasma level: occurs when the medication has reached its’s high concentration in the bloodstream.
o Duration of drug action: the amount of time it takes for a drug to maintain its’ desired effect until termination of action.
• Variables that can affect duration of drug action:
▪ First pass effect can affect the duration of drug taken orally (drug first travel to the liver where they are
inactivated before getting to the target cells.
▪ Food-drugs or drug-drug can affect duration of drug action.
o Plasma half-life: length of time for a medication to decrease its concentration in the plasma by one-half after
administration.
• The greater the half-life, the longer it takes the medication to be excreted.
• Less frequent doses for people with kidney & liver issues
