Understanding Pharmacology Essentials for Medication Safety: Chapte
Drug Regulation, Actions, and Responses
1. Absorption: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body into the
bloodstream
2. Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR): Same as Adverse Effect
3. Adverse Effect: A drug effect that is more severe than expected and has the
potential to damage tissue or cause serious health problems. It may also be
called a toxic effect or toxicity and usually requires intervention by the prescriber
4. Agonist: An extrinsic drug that activates the receptor site of a cell and mimics
the actions of naturally occurring body substances (intrinsic drugs)
5. Allergic Response: Type of adverse effect in which the presence of the drug
stimulates the release of histamine and other body chemicals that cause
inflammatory reactions.The response may be as mild as a rash or as severe
and life threatening as anaphylaxis
6. Antagonist: An extrinsic drug that blocks the receptor site of a cell, preventing
the naturally occuring body substance from binding to the receptor
7. Bioavailability: The percentage of a drug dose that actually reaches the blood
8. Black Box Warning: A notice that a drug may produce serious or even life-
threatening effect in some people in addition to its beneficial effects
9. Brand Name: A manufacturer-owned name of generic drug;
Also called "trade name" or "proprietary name"
10. Contraindication: A personal or health-related reason for not administering a
specific drug to a patient or a group of patients
11. Cytotoxic: Drug action that is intended to kill a cell or an organism
12. Distribution: (Drug Distribution)
The extent that a drug absorbed into the bloodstream spreads into the three body
water compartments
13. Drug: Any small molecule that changes any body function by working at the
chemical and cell levels
14. Drug Therapy: The planned use of a drug to prevent or improve a health
problem
15. Duration of Action: The length of time a drug is present in the blood at or
above the level needed to prodice an effect or response
16. Elimination: The removal of drugs from the body accomplished by certain
body systems
17. Enteral Route: Movememnt of drugs from the outside of the body to the
inside using the gastrointestinal tract
, .
18. First-Pass Loss: Rapid inactivation or elimination of oral drugs as a result of
liver metabolism
19 Generic Name: National and international public drug name created by the
United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council to indicate the usual use or chemical
composition of a drug
20. USAN: United States Adopted Names
21. Half-Life: Time span needed for one half of a drug dose to be eliminated
22. High-Alert Drug: A drug that has an increased risk for causing patient harm if
it us used in error
23. Intended Action: Desired Effect (main effect) of a drug on a specific body
cells or tissues;
Same as Therapeutic Response
24. Loading Dose: The first dose of a drug that is larger than all subsequent
doses of the same drug;
Used when it takes more drug to reach steady state than it does to maintain it
25. Mechanism of Action: Exactly how, at the cellular level, a drug to reach
steady state than it does to maintain it
26. Medication: Any small molecule that changes any body function by working at
the chemical and cell levels (same as a drug)
27. Metabolism: (Drug Metabolism)
Chemical reaction in the body that changes the chemical shape and content of a
drug, preparing the drug for inactivation and elimination
28. Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC): The smallest amount of drug
necessary in the blood or target tissue to result in a measurable intended
action
29. Over-The-Counter (OTC): Drugs that are approved for purchase without a
prescription
30. MEC: Minimum Effective Concentration
31. OTC: Over-The-Counter
32. Parenteral Route: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body to the
inside of the body by injection (intra-arterial, intravenous, intramuscular,
subcutaneous, intradermal, intracavitary, intraosseous, intrathecal)
33. Peak: Maximum blood drug level
34. Percutaneous Route: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body to the
inside through the skin or mucous membranes
,35. Pharmacodynamics: Ways in which drugs work to change body function
36. Pharmacokinetics: How the body changes drugs;
Drug Metabolism
37. Pharmacology: The science and study of drugs and their actions on living
animals
38. Physiologic Effect: The change in body function as an outcome of the
mechanism of action of a drug
39 Potency: The strength of the intended action produced at a give drug dose
40. Prescription: An order written or dictated by a state-approved prescriber for
a specific drug therapy for a specific patient
41. Prescription Drugs: The legal status of any drug that is considered unsafe
for self-medication or has a potential for addiction and is only available by a
prescription written by a state-approved health care professional
42. Receptors: Physical place on or in a cell where a drug can bind and interact
43. Side Effect: Any minor effect of a drug on body cells or tissues that is not the
intended action of a drug
44. Steady State: Point at which drug elimination is balanced with drug entry,
resulting in a constant effective blood level of a drug
45. Target Tissue: The actual cells or tissues affected by the mechanism of
action or intended actions of a specific drug
46. Transdermal: Type of percutaneous drug delivery in which the drug is applied
to the skin, passes through the skin, and enters the bloodstream
47. Trough: The lowest or minimal blood drug level
48. Vaporized: Changing of a drug from a liquid form to a gas or mist that can be
absorbed into the body by inhalation
49. Drug Therapy Overview pg 2
A _______ is any small molecule that changes a body function by working at
the chemical and cell levels.: Drug
50. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 2
List some everyday drugs:: Caffeine
Alcohol
Nicotine
, .
51. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 2
Some people use the term ______ for substances that are used to treat health
problems and the term _____ for substances that are harmful or can be
abused.
However, these terms mean the same thing, any either can be misused:
Medication
Drug
52 Drug Therapy
Overview pg 3
When a plan to prevent or improve a health problem includes the use of
drugs, it is called:: Drug Therapy
53. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 3
Drug Therapy includes these factors::
1.) Identifying the specific health problem
2.) Determining what drug or drugs would best help the problem
3.) Deciding the best delivery method and schedule
4.) Ensuring that the proper amount of the drug is given
5.) Helping the patient become an active participant in his or her drug therapy
54. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 3
The prescriber's role in drug therapy is to:: Select the order specific drugs.
55. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 3
State-approved prescribers may include::
Physicians
Dentists
Podiatrists
Advanced Practice Nurses
Drug Regulation, Actions, and Responses
1. Absorption: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body into the
bloodstream
2. Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR): Same as Adverse Effect
3. Adverse Effect: A drug effect that is more severe than expected and has the
potential to damage tissue or cause serious health problems. It may also be
called a toxic effect or toxicity and usually requires intervention by the prescriber
4. Agonist: An extrinsic drug that activates the receptor site of a cell and mimics
the actions of naturally occurring body substances (intrinsic drugs)
5. Allergic Response: Type of adverse effect in which the presence of the drug
stimulates the release of histamine and other body chemicals that cause
inflammatory reactions.The response may be as mild as a rash or as severe
and life threatening as anaphylaxis
6. Antagonist: An extrinsic drug that blocks the receptor site of a cell, preventing
the naturally occuring body substance from binding to the receptor
7. Bioavailability: The percentage of a drug dose that actually reaches the blood
8. Black Box Warning: A notice that a drug may produce serious or even life-
threatening effect in some people in addition to its beneficial effects
9. Brand Name: A manufacturer-owned name of generic drug;
Also called "trade name" or "proprietary name"
10. Contraindication: A personal or health-related reason for not administering a
specific drug to a patient or a group of patients
11. Cytotoxic: Drug action that is intended to kill a cell or an organism
12. Distribution: (Drug Distribution)
The extent that a drug absorbed into the bloodstream spreads into the three body
water compartments
13. Drug: Any small molecule that changes any body function by working at the
chemical and cell levels
14. Drug Therapy: The planned use of a drug to prevent or improve a health
problem
15. Duration of Action: The length of time a drug is present in the blood at or
above the level needed to prodice an effect or response
16. Elimination: The removal of drugs from the body accomplished by certain
body systems
17. Enteral Route: Movememnt of drugs from the outside of the body to the
inside using the gastrointestinal tract
, .
18. First-Pass Loss: Rapid inactivation or elimination of oral drugs as a result of
liver metabolism
19 Generic Name: National and international public drug name created by the
United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council to indicate the usual use or chemical
composition of a drug
20. USAN: United States Adopted Names
21. Half-Life: Time span needed for one half of a drug dose to be eliminated
22. High-Alert Drug: A drug that has an increased risk for causing patient harm if
it us used in error
23. Intended Action: Desired Effect (main effect) of a drug on a specific body
cells or tissues;
Same as Therapeutic Response
24. Loading Dose: The first dose of a drug that is larger than all subsequent
doses of the same drug;
Used when it takes more drug to reach steady state than it does to maintain it
25. Mechanism of Action: Exactly how, at the cellular level, a drug to reach
steady state than it does to maintain it
26. Medication: Any small molecule that changes any body function by working at
the chemical and cell levels (same as a drug)
27. Metabolism: (Drug Metabolism)
Chemical reaction in the body that changes the chemical shape and content of a
drug, preparing the drug for inactivation and elimination
28. Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC): The smallest amount of drug
necessary in the blood or target tissue to result in a measurable intended
action
29. Over-The-Counter (OTC): Drugs that are approved for purchase without a
prescription
30. MEC: Minimum Effective Concentration
31. OTC: Over-The-Counter
32. Parenteral Route: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body to the
inside of the body by injection (intra-arterial, intravenous, intramuscular,
subcutaneous, intradermal, intracavitary, intraosseous, intrathecal)
33. Peak: Maximum blood drug level
34. Percutaneous Route: Movement of a drug from the outside of the body to the
inside through the skin or mucous membranes
,35. Pharmacodynamics: Ways in which drugs work to change body function
36. Pharmacokinetics: How the body changes drugs;
Drug Metabolism
37. Pharmacology: The science and study of drugs and their actions on living
animals
38. Physiologic Effect: The change in body function as an outcome of the
mechanism of action of a drug
39 Potency: The strength of the intended action produced at a give drug dose
40. Prescription: An order written or dictated by a state-approved prescriber for
a specific drug therapy for a specific patient
41. Prescription Drugs: The legal status of any drug that is considered unsafe
for self-medication or has a potential for addiction and is only available by a
prescription written by a state-approved health care professional
42. Receptors: Physical place on or in a cell where a drug can bind and interact
43. Side Effect: Any minor effect of a drug on body cells or tissues that is not the
intended action of a drug
44. Steady State: Point at which drug elimination is balanced with drug entry,
resulting in a constant effective blood level of a drug
45. Target Tissue: The actual cells or tissues affected by the mechanism of
action or intended actions of a specific drug
46. Transdermal: Type of percutaneous drug delivery in which the drug is applied
to the skin, passes through the skin, and enters the bloodstream
47. Trough: The lowest or minimal blood drug level
48. Vaporized: Changing of a drug from a liquid form to a gas or mist that can be
absorbed into the body by inhalation
49. Drug Therapy Overview pg 2
A _______ is any small molecule that changes a body function by working at
the chemical and cell levels.: Drug
50. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 2
List some everyday drugs:: Caffeine
Alcohol
Nicotine
, .
51. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 2
Some people use the term ______ for substances that are used to treat health
problems and the term _____ for substances that are harmful or can be
abused.
However, these terms mean the same thing, any either can be misused:
Medication
Drug
52 Drug Therapy
Overview pg 3
When a plan to prevent or improve a health problem includes the use of
drugs, it is called:: Drug Therapy
53. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 3
Drug Therapy includes these factors::
1.) Identifying the specific health problem
2.) Determining what drug or drugs would best help the problem
3.) Deciding the best delivery method and schedule
4.) Ensuring that the proper amount of the drug is given
5.) Helping the patient become an active participant in his or her drug therapy
54. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 3
The prescriber's role in drug therapy is to:: Select the order specific drugs.
55. Drug Therapy
Overview pg 3
State-approved prescribers may include::
Physicians
Dentists
Podiatrists
Advanced Practice Nurses
