Week 1 Pharmacology: Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Chapter 1 Learning Outcomes:
● Outline the major differences between prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
○ Prescription- must have order from the provider, opportunity for medication education and could be observed
over time, stronger dose of medication
○ OTC- does not require order, patient educates themselves, OTC can have serious adverse effects, no appointment
needed, saves time and money, might not choose the right drug, may have unknown reactions to other
medications
● Compare and contrast traditional drugs and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies.
○ Drugs are synthesized in a laboratory, biologics are agents naturally produced in animal cells by organisms or by
the body itself ( hormones, monoclonal antibodies, natural blood products and components, interferons, and
vaccines)
○ CAM therapies involve natural plant extract, herbs, vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements and additional
techniques outside of the realm of conventional therapeutics. ( physical therapy, manipulations, massage,
acupuncture, hypnosis, and biofeedback)
● Identify the nurse’s role in the drug approval process and in maintaining safety practices.
○ all nurses administering medications monitor for therapeutic effects and adverse reactions from the drugs they
give to their patients. Whenever a possible drug reaction is noted, the nurse is responsible for reporting the
reaction to the prescriber and appropriate health care agency personnel (e.g., risk management, pharmacist). By
monitoring for and reporting adverse effects, the nurse can ensure better postmarketing surveillance is achieved.
● Explain the basis for placing drugs into therapeutic and pharmacologic classes.
○ Therapeutic classification is to clearly state what a particular drug does clinically ( drug used for stroke / drug used
for shock)
○ Pharmacologic classification addresses a drugs mechanism of action or how a drug produces its physiological effect
in the body(Hypertension- a diuretic treats hypertension by lowering plasma volume / calcium channel blockers
treat this disorder by decreasing cardiac contractility)
● Discuss the prototype approach to drug classification.
○ is the well-understood drug model with which other drugs in its representative class are compared. By learning the
characteristics of the prototype drug, students may predict the actions and adverse effects of other drugs in the
same class
● Describe what is meant by a drug’s mechanism of action.
○ How a drug produces its physiological effect in the body
● Distinguish between a drug’s generic name and trade name.
○ Generic is assigned by the U.S adopted Name council and only has one generic name and is lower case
○ Trade name is assigned by the marketing company and suggests ownership and might have many names
○ Both drugs might have an identical formulation but have different inert ingredients. For example, if the drug is in
tablet form, the active ingredients may be more tightly compressed in one of the preparations. Public information
often focuses on generic drugs having the same active ingredients but different colors, flavors, and certain other
filler ingredients. It is the “certain other filler ingredients” where the problem may occur. It is important that
generic medications do not work differently from trade-name medications.
○ Bioavailability is the physiological ability of the drug to reach its target cells and produce its effect, bioavailability
may be affected by inert ingredients, and tablet compression
Chapter 1: Pharmacokinetics and Routes of Administration
● Pharmacokinetics refers to how medications travel through the body
○ Undergo variety of biochemical processes such as:
■ Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
, Week 1 Pharmacology: Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
● Phases of pharmacokinetics:
● Absorption: transmission of meds from the location of administration (GI tract, muscle, skin, mucous membranes, or
subcutaneous tissue) to the bloodstream
○ Most common routes: enteral (through GI tract) and parenteral (by injection)
○ Each of these routes has a unique pattern of absorption
■ The rate of med absorption determines how soon the medications will take effect
■ Amount of medication the body absorbs determines the intensity of its effects
■ Route of admin affects the rate and amount of absorption
○ Oral
■ Barriers to absorption: meds must pass through the layer of epithelial cells that line the GI tract
■ Absorption pattern: varies greatly due to
● Stability and solubility of the medication
● GI pH and emptying time
● Presence of food in the stomach or intestines
● Other concurrent medications
● Forms of meds (enteric-coated pills, liquids)
○ Sublingual, buccal
■ Barriers to absorption: swallowing before dissolution allows gastric pH to inactivate the med
■ Absorption pattern: quick absorption systemically through highly vascular mucous membranes
○ Other mucous membranes (rectal, vaginal)
■ Barriers to absorption: presence of stool in rectum or infectious material in the vagina limits tissue contact
■ Absorption pattern: easy absorption with both local and systemic effects
○ Inhalation via mouth, nose
■ Barriers to absorption: inspiratory effort
■ Absorption pattern: rapid absorption through alveolar capillary networks
○ Intradermal, topical
■ Barriers to absorption: close proximity of epidermal cells
■ Absorption pattern:
● Slow, gradual absorption
● Effects primarily local, but systemic as well, especially with lipid-soluble medications passing
through subcutaneous fatty tissue
○ Subcutaneous, intramuscular
■ Barriers to absorption: capillary walls have large spaces between cells. Therefore, there is no significant
barrier
■ Absorption pattern:
● Solubility of the med in water: highly soluble meds have rapid absorption (10 to 30 min); poorly
soluble meds have slower absorption
● Blood perfusion at the site of injection; sites with ↑ blood perfusion have rapid absorption; sites
with ↓ blood perfusion have slow absorption
○ Intravenous:
■ No barriers!!!
Chapter 1 Learning Outcomes:
● Outline the major differences between prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
○ Prescription- must have order from the provider, opportunity for medication education and could be observed
over time, stronger dose of medication
○ OTC- does not require order, patient educates themselves, OTC can have serious adverse effects, no appointment
needed, saves time and money, might not choose the right drug, may have unknown reactions to other
medications
● Compare and contrast traditional drugs and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies.
○ Drugs are synthesized in a laboratory, biologics are agents naturally produced in animal cells by organisms or by
the body itself ( hormones, monoclonal antibodies, natural blood products and components, interferons, and
vaccines)
○ CAM therapies involve natural plant extract, herbs, vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements and additional
techniques outside of the realm of conventional therapeutics. ( physical therapy, manipulations, massage,
acupuncture, hypnosis, and biofeedback)
● Identify the nurse’s role in the drug approval process and in maintaining safety practices.
○ all nurses administering medications monitor for therapeutic effects and adverse reactions from the drugs they
give to their patients. Whenever a possible drug reaction is noted, the nurse is responsible for reporting the
reaction to the prescriber and appropriate health care agency personnel (e.g., risk management, pharmacist). By
monitoring for and reporting adverse effects, the nurse can ensure better postmarketing surveillance is achieved.
● Explain the basis for placing drugs into therapeutic and pharmacologic classes.
○ Therapeutic classification is to clearly state what a particular drug does clinically ( drug used for stroke / drug used
for shock)
○ Pharmacologic classification addresses a drugs mechanism of action or how a drug produces its physiological effect
in the body(Hypertension- a diuretic treats hypertension by lowering plasma volume / calcium channel blockers
treat this disorder by decreasing cardiac contractility)
● Discuss the prototype approach to drug classification.
○ is the well-understood drug model with which other drugs in its representative class are compared. By learning the
characteristics of the prototype drug, students may predict the actions and adverse effects of other drugs in the
same class
● Describe what is meant by a drug’s mechanism of action.
○ How a drug produces its physiological effect in the body
● Distinguish between a drug’s generic name and trade name.
○ Generic is assigned by the U.S adopted Name council and only has one generic name and is lower case
○ Trade name is assigned by the marketing company and suggests ownership and might have many names
○ Both drugs might have an identical formulation but have different inert ingredients. For example, if the drug is in
tablet form, the active ingredients may be more tightly compressed in one of the preparations. Public information
often focuses on generic drugs having the same active ingredients but different colors, flavors, and certain other
filler ingredients. It is the “certain other filler ingredients” where the problem may occur. It is important that
generic medications do not work differently from trade-name medications.
○ Bioavailability is the physiological ability of the drug to reach its target cells and produce its effect, bioavailability
may be affected by inert ingredients, and tablet compression
Chapter 1: Pharmacokinetics and Routes of Administration
● Pharmacokinetics refers to how medications travel through the body
○ Undergo variety of biochemical processes such as:
■ Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
, Week 1 Pharmacology: Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
● Phases of pharmacokinetics:
● Absorption: transmission of meds from the location of administration (GI tract, muscle, skin, mucous membranes, or
subcutaneous tissue) to the bloodstream
○ Most common routes: enteral (through GI tract) and parenteral (by injection)
○ Each of these routes has a unique pattern of absorption
■ The rate of med absorption determines how soon the medications will take effect
■ Amount of medication the body absorbs determines the intensity of its effects
■ Route of admin affects the rate and amount of absorption
○ Oral
■ Barriers to absorption: meds must pass through the layer of epithelial cells that line the GI tract
■ Absorption pattern: varies greatly due to
● Stability and solubility of the medication
● GI pH and emptying time
● Presence of food in the stomach or intestines
● Other concurrent medications
● Forms of meds (enteric-coated pills, liquids)
○ Sublingual, buccal
■ Barriers to absorption: swallowing before dissolution allows gastric pH to inactivate the med
■ Absorption pattern: quick absorption systemically through highly vascular mucous membranes
○ Other mucous membranes (rectal, vaginal)
■ Barriers to absorption: presence of stool in rectum or infectious material in the vagina limits tissue contact
■ Absorption pattern: easy absorption with both local and systemic effects
○ Inhalation via mouth, nose
■ Barriers to absorption: inspiratory effort
■ Absorption pattern: rapid absorption through alveolar capillary networks
○ Intradermal, topical
■ Barriers to absorption: close proximity of epidermal cells
■ Absorption pattern:
● Slow, gradual absorption
● Effects primarily local, but systemic as well, especially with lipid-soluble medications passing
through subcutaneous fatty tissue
○ Subcutaneous, intramuscular
■ Barriers to absorption: capillary walls have large spaces between cells. Therefore, there is no significant
barrier
■ Absorption pattern:
● Solubility of the med in water: highly soluble meds have rapid absorption (10 to 30 min); poorly
soluble meds have slower absorption
● Blood perfusion at the site of injection; sites with ↑ blood perfusion have rapid absorption; sites
with ↓ blood perfusion have slow absorption
○ Intravenous:
■ No barriers!!!
