Introduction to Pharmacology
Introduction to Pharmacology
Aim
To provide a brief introduction to applied pharmacology to the contexts of care and
determinants fo health
To outline the vast array of information that you will need to be able to access in
order for you to carry out your professional role effectively and safely as qualified
nurses.
Determinants of Health and Contexts of Care
Determinants of Health
o Individual and lifestyle
Some people do not want to take the medications prescribed
o Social and community networks
o General socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions
Newspapers/social media questioning the efficacy of certain
drugs/treatments (e.g. MMR debate)
Contexts of Care
o Home
o Primary Care
o Secondary Care
o Tertiary Care
o If a Secondary or Tertiary Care Centre prescribes something then GP’s are not
under an obligation to prescribe medication.
There are various reasons for this: e.g. costs of medication; nervous of
prescribing a drug due to their own patient experience
o Importance of the patient to be aware of what is happening – this can help
mitigate mistakes/oversights (even though it is not really the patients
responsibility)
E.g. giving them copies of the letters of the treatments/medications
that they should be undergoing
o WHO has found that between 30-50% of medication prescribed are either
taken incorrectly or not taken at all
Prescribing – Competency Framework for all
1
Introduction to Pharmacology
Aim
To provide a brief introduction to applied pharmacology to the contexts of care and
determinants fo health
To outline the vast array of information that you will need to be able to access in
order for you to carry out your professional role effectively and safely as qualified
nurses.
Determinants of Health and Contexts of Care
Determinants of Health
o Individual and lifestyle
Some people do not want to take the medications prescribed
o Social and community networks
o General socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions
Newspapers/social media questioning the efficacy of certain
drugs/treatments (e.g. MMR debate)
Contexts of Care
o Home
o Primary Care
o Secondary Care
o Tertiary Care
o If a Secondary or Tertiary Care Centre prescribes something then GP’s are not
under an obligation to prescribe medication.
There are various reasons for this: e.g. costs of medication; nervous of
prescribing a drug due to their own patient experience
o Importance of the patient to be aware of what is happening – this can help
mitigate mistakes/oversights (even though it is not really the patients
responsibility)
E.g. giving them copies of the letters of the treatments/medications
that they should be undergoing
o WHO has found that between 30-50% of medication prescribed are either
taken incorrectly or not taken at all
Prescribing – Competency Framework for all
1
