lOMoAR cPSD| 2590383
Pharmacology Notes
Branches of pharmacology
1. Pharacotherapeutic: ( clinical pharmacology)
It deals with relative effect of drugs in the human system for various
disorders or it deals with the effect of a drug that the Dr. orders for
treating a human patient
―The study of drug action in man .‖
2. Pharmacodynamic:
Which deal with experimental (science pertaining to theories of drug
action or it deals with the interactions between chemical components of
living system and foreign chemical including drugs that enter living
organism.
―What the drug does to the body‖
2
3. Pharmacokinetics:
Which is the study of drug’s alteration during its way through the body or
it's the study of the fate of drug in the body as it is absorbed, distributed,
bound to or localized in tissues, biotransformed and excreted.
The science concerns itself with:
1. Drug absorption and distribution.
2. Drug plasma concentration.
3. Therapeutic plasma levels.
4. Concentration of the active drug at the target site.
5. Rate of metabolism.
6. Rate of excretion.
These parameters in turn affected by:
1. Physiochmeical nature of the drug e.g. lipid
solubility.
2. Formulation of the drug.
3. Route of administration.
4. binding of the drug to plasma and/or tissue
(bioavialability)
5. Individual characteristics of the patient.
6. Concomitant diseases.
, lOMoAR cPSD| 2590383
7. Concomitant administration of food or other
drugs. Sources of drugs:
Drugs and biologic products are derived from 4 main sources:
1. Plants: examples of which are digitalis.
2. Animals and human: from which drugs such as insulin,epinephrine
are obtained.
3. Minerals or mineral products: examples such as iodine and iron.
4. Chemicals: made in laboratories. They are pure drugs and some
ofthem are simple such as sodium bicarbonate where others are
3
complex synthesis such as sulfonomides and
adrenocorticosteroids.
Active constituents of plant drugs:
The leaves, roots, seeds and other parts of plants may be dried or
otherwise processed for use as medicine and they are known as crude
drugs.
On separation of these active constituents, the resulting pure form are:
1. More potent.
2. Usually produce effects more reliable than those of
the crude drugs.
3. More poisonous and the dose must be
smaller.Common Drug Preparations: 1. Solutions
and Suspensions:
Aqueous Solutions: have one or more substance dissolved in
water e.g. Epinephrine nasal sol.
Aqueous suspensions: are preparations of finally divided drugs
either intended for suspension or already in suspension in some
suitable liquid vehicle.
Sterile suspensions are intended for intramuscular or
subcutaneous injections but they can’t be given intravenously or
intrathecally into spinal fluid.
Oral suspensions are NOT sterile and must NOT be injected.
N.B.: - Suspensions tend to settle slowly and should be CHAKED
WELL before use to provide uniform distribution of the drug.
Elixir: clear fluid containing water and alcohol designed for oral
use, usually has a sweetener added.
Syrup: medication dissolved in a concentrated sugar solution.
, lOMoAR cPSD| 2590383
4
2. Dosage Forms:-
Capsules, controlled- release or sustained- release capsules, tablets, pills
and troches are used to provide a drug or mixture of drugs into definite
doses and avoid the inconvenience of preparing the dose from dry
powder.
- Capsules and coated tablets are a convenient way of giving
drugs that have unpleasant taste.
Capsules:- are solid dosage form for oral use medication in a powder, liquid
or oil form are incased in gelatin shell, capsule colored to avoid mistakes in
product identification.
Tablet: Powered dosage form compressed into hard disks or
cylinders. In addition to primary drug, they contain binders (adhesive to
allow powder to stick together) and disintegrates (to promote tablet
dissolution).
NOTES
1- Some gelatin capsules and tablets may be coated with substances
thatresist the action of gastric juice so that will not disintegrate until they
reach the alkaline secretions of the intestine.
2- Sustained – release dosage forms contain small particles of the
drugcoated with materials that require a varying amount of time to
dissolve. This provides for a long continuous period of absorption and
effect. Pill: Solid dosage form containing one or more drug. Recently,
they were replaced by tablets.
Ampoules and vials: Ampoules and vials contain powder or liquid drug
usually intended for injection.
5
Disposable Syringes: Disposable syringes containing single dose of drug
preparations are widely used.
Large volume intravenous Solutions:- In glass, flexible plastic or
semi-rigid plastic usually of 250, 500, 100 ml e.g. 0.9% sodium
chloride.
Intermittent IV. Solution: These solutions are similar to the I.V. solutions
except they come in smaller volumes.
3-Additional Formulations:-
Drops: are aqueous solutions that anesthetize, soothe or medicate eyes,
ears, or nose.
, lOMoAR cPSD| 2590383
Installations: are aqueous solution instilled into the body cavities or wound
and allowed to dwell there in contact with tissue.
Foams and aerosols: are powders or solutions for spraying skin as topical
anesthesia to soothe or protect or inhalation for bronchodilation.
4- Others:
Lotions: Liquid suspensions or dispersions used for external applications
e.g. calamine lotion.
Creams: aqueous and oily emulsions to soothe skin.
Ointments: semisolid preparations of medical substances in some type
of base such as petrolatum lanolin used for their soothing or
bacteriostatic effect. Ophthalmic ointment: Are sterile (e.g.
Synthomycin) ophthalmic ointment.
Pasts: Ointment- like preparations suited for only external
application. e.g. Zinc oxide past.
6
Suppositories:- are mixtures of drugs with a firm base that can be
molded in shapes suitable for insertion manually or with an applicator
into body cavity or orifice e.g. Aminophylline supp. N.B. : they
should be kept cool.
Drug Absorption, Distribution metabolism and Excretion
Absorption: Is the process that involves the movement of drug molecules
from the site of entry into the body to the circulating fluid. The process
begins at the site of administration and is essential (to the subsequent
processes, distribution, metabolism and excretion). Absorption as a
process varies according to the route of administration, dosage form and
the dose of the drug. Factors Affecting Drug Absorption:-
1- Nature of the absorbing surface (cell membrane), through
which the drug must traverse.
• The drug molecule may pass through a single layer of
cells(intestinal epithelium) faster than several layers of cells
(skin).
• Size of the absorbing surface.
N. B.: The more extensive the absorbing surface, the
greater theabsorption and more rapid effect of the drug. 2-
Blood flow to the site of administration.
Rich blood supply (sublingual) enhances absorption whereas;
poorly vascular site (subcutaneous) delays it. For example,
Pharmacology Notes
Branches of pharmacology
1. Pharacotherapeutic: ( clinical pharmacology)
It deals with relative effect of drugs in the human system for various
disorders or it deals with the effect of a drug that the Dr. orders for
treating a human patient
―The study of drug action in man .‖
2. Pharmacodynamic:
Which deal with experimental (science pertaining to theories of drug
action or it deals with the interactions between chemical components of
living system and foreign chemical including drugs that enter living
organism.
―What the drug does to the body‖
2
3. Pharmacokinetics:
Which is the study of drug’s alteration during its way through the body or
it's the study of the fate of drug in the body as it is absorbed, distributed,
bound to or localized in tissues, biotransformed and excreted.
The science concerns itself with:
1. Drug absorption and distribution.
2. Drug plasma concentration.
3. Therapeutic plasma levels.
4. Concentration of the active drug at the target site.
5. Rate of metabolism.
6. Rate of excretion.
These parameters in turn affected by:
1. Physiochmeical nature of the drug e.g. lipid
solubility.
2. Formulation of the drug.
3. Route of administration.
4. binding of the drug to plasma and/or tissue
(bioavialability)
5. Individual characteristics of the patient.
6. Concomitant diseases.
, lOMoAR cPSD| 2590383
7. Concomitant administration of food or other
drugs. Sources of drugs:
Drugs and biologic products are derived from 4 main sources:
1. Plants: examples of which are digitalis.
2. Animals and human: from which drugs such as insulin,epinephrine
are obtained.
3. Minerals or mineral products: examples such as iodine and iron.
4. Chemicals: made in laboratories. They are pure drugs and some
ofthem are simple such as sodium bicarbonate where others are
3
complex synthesis such as sulfonomides and
adrenocorticosteroids.
Active constituents of plant drugs:
The leaves, roots, seeds and other parts of plants may be dried or
otherwise processed for use as medicine and they are known as crude
drugs.
On separation of these active constituents, the resulting pure form are:
1. More potent.
2. Usually produce effects more reliable than those of
the crude drugs.
3. More poisonous and the dose must be
smaller.Common Drug Preparations: 1. Solutions
and Suspensions:
Aqueous Solutions: have one or more substance dissolved in
water e.g. Epinephrine nasal sol.
Aqueous suspensions: are preparations of finally divided drugs
either intended for suspension or already in suspension in some
suitable liquid vehicle.
Sterile suspensions are intended for intramuscular or
subcutaneous injections but they can’t be given intravenously or
intrathecally into spinal fluid.
Oral suspensions are NOT sterile and must NOT be injected.
N.B.: - Suspensions tend to settle slowly and should be CHAKED
WELL before use to provide uniform distribution of the drug.
Elixir: clear fluid containing water and alcohol designed for oral
use, usually has a sweetener added.
Syrup: medication dissolved in a concentrated sugar solution.
, lOMoAR cPSD| 2590383
4
2. Dosage Forms:-
Capsules, controlled- release or sustained- release capsules, tablets, pills
and troches are used to provide a drug or mixture of drugs into definite
doses and avoid the inconvenience of preparing the dose from dry
powder.
- Capsules and coated tablets are a convenient way of giving
drugs that have unpleasant taste.
Capsules:- are solid dosage form for oral use medication in a powder, liquid
or oil form are incased in gelatin shell, capsule colored to avoid mistakes in
product identification.
Tablet: Powered dosage form compressed into hard disks or
cylinders. In addition to primary drug, they contain binders (adhesive to
allow powder to stick together) and disintegrates (to promote tablet
dissolution).
NOTES
1- Some gelatin capsules and tablets may be coated with substances
thatresist the action of gastric juice so that will not disintegrate until they
reach the alkaline secretions of the intestine.
2- Sustained – release dosage forms contain small particles of the
drugcoated with materials that require a varying amount of time to
dissolve. This provides for a long continuous period of absorption and
effect. Pill: Solid dosage form containing one or more drug. Recently,
they were replaced by tablets.
Ampoules and vials: Ampoules and vials contain powder or liquid drug
usually intended for injection.
5
Disposable Syringes: Disposable syringes containing single dose of drug
preparations are widely used.
Large volume intravenous Solutions:- In glass, flexible plastic or
semi-rigid plastic usually of 250, 500, 100 ml e.g. 0.9% sodium
chloride.
Intermittent IV. Solution: These solutions are similar to the I.V. solutions
except they come in smaller volumes.
3-Additional Formulations:-
Drops: are aqueous solutions that anesthetize, soothe or medicate eyes,
ears, or nose.
, lOMoAR cPSD| 2590383
Installations: are aqueous solution instilled into the body cavities or wound
and allowed to dwell there in contact with tissue.
Foams and aerosols: are powders or solutions for spraying skin as topical
anesthesia to soothe or protect or inhalation for bronchodilation.
4- Others:
Lotions: Liquid suspensions or dispersions used for external applications
e.g. calamine lotion.
Creams: aqueous and oily emulsions to soothe skin.
Ointments: semisolid preparations of medical substances in some type
of base such as petrolatum lanolin used for their soothing or
bacteriostatic effect. Ophthalmic ointment: Are sterile (e.g.
Synthomycin) ophthalmic ointment.
Pasts: Ointment- like preparations suited for only external
application. e.g. Zinc oxide past.
6
Suppositories:- are mixtures of drugs with a firm base that can be
molded in shapes suitable for insertion manually or with an applicator
into body cavity or orifice e.g. Aminophylline supp. N.B. : they
should be kept cool.
Drug Absorption, Distribution metabolism and Excretion
Absorption: Is the process that involves the movement of drug molecules
from the site of entry into the body to the circulating fluid. The process
begins at the site of administration and is essential (to the subsequent
processes, distribution, metabolism and excretion). Absorption as a
process varies according to the route of administration, dosage form and
the dose of the drug. Factors Affecting Drug Absorption:-
1- Nature of the absorbing surface (cell membrane), through
which the drug must traverse.
• The drug molecule may pass through a single layer of
cells(intestinal epithelium) faster than several layers of cells
(skin).
• Size of the absorbing surface.
N. B.: The more extensive the absorbing surface, the
greater theabsorption and more rapid effect of the drug. 2-
Blood flow to the site of administration.
Rich blood supply (sublingual) enhances absorption whereas;
poorly vascular site (subcutaneous) delays it. For example,
