Chemical name of a drug - Answers the exact description of the drug's chemical composition and
molecular structure.
Drug - Answers a chemical that interacts with a living organism and alters its activity. The term "drug" is
used interchangeably with medication.
Generic name of a drug - Answers assigned by the U.S. A.N. Council when the developing manufacturer
is ready to market the drug.
Official name of a drug - Answers Also the generic name
Brand name or Trade name of a drug - Answers what the drug is sold as in the stores.
Prescription drugs - Answers require a written order from a healthcare provider
OTC drugs - Answers Over-The_Counter drugs are non-prescription drugs which may be purchased
without a prescription and are assumed to be safe for the general population.
FDA - Answers Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human services
regulates the testing, manufacture, and sale of all medications.
Controlled substances - Answers Drugs considered to have either limited medical use or high potential
for abuse or addiction. It is illegal to possess a controlled substance without a valid prescription.
Double locking - Answers The process of keeping controlled substances in stored locked drawers within
a second locked area.
Stock Supply - Answers Bulk quntity
Unit dose - Answers the prescribed amount of drug the patient receives at a single time.
Pharmacokinetics - Answers refers to the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of a drug.
Absorption - Answers refers to the movement of the drug from the administration site into the
bloodstream.
Local effects of a drug - Answers Occur at the site of application (e.g., certain topical applications of
drugs to the skin), so no or limited absorption occurs.
Systemic effects of a drug - Answers Drug is absorbed into the bloodstream before it can be distributed
to a distant location.
Solubility of the Drug - Answers the ability of a medication to be transformed into a liquid form that can
be absorbed into the bloodstream. Absorption occurs more rapidly with highly soluble drugs.
, Water-soluble drugs - Answers Drugs must be water soluble in order to dissolve in the watery contents
of the GI tract.
Lipid soluble drugs - Answers penetrate lipid-rich cell membranes and enter the cells. A highly soluble
drug can easily pass through the blood brain barrier and effect sedation.
Enteric-coated drugs - Answers cannot be broken down by gastric acids because the coating prevents
the medication from being diluted before it reaches the intestines. (Delays the action of the drug)
Timed-release (sustained release) drugs - Answers dissolve slowly, releasing small amounts for
absorption over several hours.
Distribution - Answers the transportation of a drug in body fluids to the various tissues and organs of the
body.
Metabolism (biotransformation) - Answers the chemical inactivation of a drug through its conversion
into a more water-soluble compound or into metabolites that can be excreted from the body.
First-pass effect - Answers the process of medications being absorbed from the GI tract and circulating
through the liver before they reach the systemic circulation. Many medications can be almost
completely inactivated in passing through the liver. For this reason, oral medications are formulated
with a higher concentration of the drug than are parental medications.
Excretion - Answers when drug metabolites are removed from their sites of action and eliminated from
the body.
Onset of action - Answers the time needed for drug concentration to reach a high enough blood level for
its effects to appear.
Peak action - Answers When the concentration of medication is highest in the blood
Duration of action - Answers the period of time in which the medication has a pharmacological effect.
Therapeutic range - Answers the range of therapeutic concentrations. At onset of action, serum drug
level is minimal
Therapeutic level - Answers the concentration of a drug in the blood serum that produces the desired
effect without toxicity
Peak level - Answers occurs when the drug is at its highest concetration
Trough level - Answers occurs when the drug is at its lowest concentration,right before the next dose is
due.
Biological half-life - Answers the amount of time it takes for half o the drug to be eliminated.