Pharmacology

Pharmacology-is the study of drug action.

-More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and exogenous chemicals that alter normal biochemical function. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals.

Medication-A drug or medicine.

       -The administration of a drug or medicine. (Note that "medication" does not have the dangerous double meaning of "drug.")

Generic name-The term "generic name" has several meanings as regards drugs:

1. The chemical name of a drug.
2. A term referring to the chemical makeup of a drug rather than to the advertised brand name under which the drug is sold.
3. A term referring to any drug marketed under its chemical name without advertising.

Brand Name-is a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service, or business. A legally protected brand name is called a proprietary name.

10 Rights of Patient in Receiving Medications

1. Right Patient
2. Right Medication
3. Right Dosage
4. Right Route
5. Right Time
6. Right Documentation
7. Right Client Education
8. Right to Refuse
9. Right Assessment
10. Right Evaluation

Routes of drug administration

To obtain a general effect, the drug is usually given by oral or parenteral route. The choice depends on the drug  i.e. the existence of preparations appropriate for these uses and on the state of the patient. Emergency or the impossibility of intake by mouth makes the parenteral route necessary.

Parenteral route

A drug to be injected by parenteral route, must be sterile and little irritant. The injection requires a syringe and a needle or a device of administration already set up.

Oral route

The digestive tract goes from the mouth to the rectum. The membranes which the drug must cross are the digestive epithelium and the vascular endothelium.

Pulmonary route

It is a route of fast absorption avoiding the liver: drugs absorbed by the lungs, reach the left atrium and the left ventricle, and then the general circulation. The pulmonary route is used:

1. for local treatment: bronchial indications but with possibility of partial absorption and general effects. The forms used are aerosols conveying drugs such as antibiotics, mucolytic, beta-adrenergic mimetic, muscarinic receptor antagonists. A lot of devices like pressurized atomizers, aerosol-batchers or sprays, inhalers of dry powder are used to introduce drugs into bronchial airways.
2. for general treatment: medical gases and general anesthetics by inhalation. Oxygen, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide which are in gas form are administered naturally by pulmonary route. The anesthetics such as fluothane, liquids easily volatile, are administered by inhalation

Nasal route

It is used:

1. for local treatment with vasoconstrictive and antiallergic drugs but with possibility of absorption and general effects.
2. for general treatment: the nasal route can be used for the administration of polypeptide hormones such as desmopressin.

Cutaneous or transdermal route

The permeability of the skin to drugs depends on the drug itself, in particular its  liposolubility and on the vehicle in which the drug is introduced.

Other routes: ocular, ear and vaginal

These routes are used for local treatment but a diffusion in the body is possible, with adverse effects, for example, after prescription of ophthalmic solutions, containing beta-blockers. The drugs administered by these routes are called ophthalmic solutions for the eyes, drops for the ears, and ovules for the vagina.

Forms of Drugs

Drugs are created in many different forms that include:

Ø      Tablet

Ø      Capsule

Ø      Cream

Ø      Ointment

Ø      Lotion

Ø      Powder

Ø      Liquid

Ø      Suppositories

Ø      Transdermal

Tablets:

Contain dried powdered active drug as well as binders and fillers to provide bulk and proper tablet size. Scored tablets have an indented line running across the top. A scored tablet can be easily broken into two pieces with a knife to produce two doses.

Enteric tablets are covered with a special coating that resists stomach acid and dissolves in the alkaline environment of the small intestine to avoid irritation.

Slow-release tablets are made to provide a continuous, sustained release of certain drugs. Abbreviation for slow-release tablet is SR and for long acting tablets, the abbreviation is LA in the trade name of the drug. Example: Procan SR and Entex LA.

Caplets are easy-to-swallow coated tablets in the form of capsules.

Capsules is a drug form that comes in two varieties, soft gelatin shell made in one piece in which the drug is in a liquid form inside the shell and a hard shell made in two pieces that fit together and hold the drug, which is in a powdered or granular form.

Cream is a semisolid emulsion of oil such as lanolin or petroleum and water. The main ingredient is water. Many topical drugs are made in a cream base.

Ointment is a semisolid emulsion of oil such as lanolin or petroleum and water. Oil is the main ingredient. Many topical drugs are made in an ointment base such Kenalog ointment and specially formulated ophthalmic ointments.

Most creams and ointments are applied to the skin without precise measurement with the exception of nitroglycerin ointment used to prevent angina. Nitroglycerin is precisely measured in inches on a specially marked applicator paper which is taped to the patient's skin.

Lotion is a suspension of an active drug in a water base for external use. Example is Keri lotion.

Powder is a finely ground form of an active drug.

Liquid comes in the form of either solutions or suspensions. Solutions come in the form of elixirs, syrups, tinctures, liquid sprays and foams.

Elixirs contain an alcohol and water base with added sugar and flavoring. Example would be Tylenol elixir.

Liquid sprays contain a solution of the drug combined with water or alcohol to be sprayed by a pump or aerosol propellant.

Suspensions contain fine, un-dissolved particles of a drug suspended in a liquid base.

Suppositories contain a solid base of glycerin or cocoa butter containing the drug.

Transdermal form of drugs is relatively new. It consists of a multi-layered disk containing a drug reservoir, a porous membrane, and an adhesive layer to hold it to the skin.

Pharmacology-is the study of drug action.

-More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and exogenous chemicals that alter normal biochemical function. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals.

Medication-A drug or medicine.

       -The administration of a drug or medicine. (Note that "medication" does not have the dangerous double meaning of "drug.")

Generic name-The term "generic name" has several meanings as regards drugs:

1. The chemical name of a drug.
2. A term referring to the chemical makeup of a drug rather than to the advertised brand name under which the drug is sold.
3. A term referring to any drug marketed under its chemical name without advertising.

Brand Name-is a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service, or business. A legally protected brand name is called a proprietary name.

10 Rights of Patient in Receiving Medications

1. Right Patient
2. Right Medication
3. Right Dosage
4. Right Route
5. Right Time
6. Right Documentation
7. Right Client Education
8. Right to Refuse
9. Right Assessment
10. Right Evaluation

Routes of drug administration

To obtain a general effect, the drug is usually given by oral or parenteral route. The choice depends on the drug  i.e. the existence of preparations appropriate for these uses and on the state of the patient. Emergency or the impossibility of intake by mouth makes the parenteral route necessary.

Parenteral route

A drug to be injected by parenteral route, must be sterile and little irritant. The injection requires a syringe and a needle or a device of administration already set up.

Oral route

The digestive tract goes from the mouth to the rectum. The membranes which the drug must cross are the digestive epithelium and the vascular endothelium.

Pulmonary route

It is a route of fast absorption avoiding the liver: drugs absorbed by the lungs, reach the left atrium and the left ventricle, and then the general circulation. The pulmonary route is used:

1. for local treatment: bronchial indications but with possibility of partial absorption and general effects. The forms used are aerosols conveying drugs such as antibiotics, mucolytic, beta-adrenergic mimetic, muscarinic receptor antagonists. A lot of devices like pressurized atomizers, aerosol-batchers or sprays, inhalers of dry powder are used to introduce drugs into bronchial airways.
2. for general treatment: medical gases and general anesthetics by inhalation. Oxygen, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide which are in gas form are administered naturally by pulmonary route. The anesthetics such as fluothane, liquids easily volatile, are administered by inhalation

Nasal route

It is used:

1. for local treatment with vasoconstrictive and antiallergic drugs but with possibility of absorption and general effects.
2. for general treatment: the nasal route can be used for the administration of polypeptide hormones such as desmopressin.

Cutaneous or transdermal route

The permeability of the skin to drugs depends on the drug itself, in particular its  liposolubility and on the vehicle in which the drug is introduced.

Other routes: ocular, ear and vaginal

These routes are used for local treatment but a diffusion in the body is possible, with adverse effects, for example, after prescription of ophthalmic solutions, containing beta-blockers. The drugs administered by these routes are called ophthalmic solutions for the eyes, drops for the ears, and ovules for the vagina.

Forms of Drugs

Drugs are created in many different forms that include:

Ø      Tablet

Ø      Capsule

Ø      Cream

Ø      Ointment

Ø      Lotion

Ø      Powder

Ø      Liquid

Ø      Suppositories

Ø      Transdermal

Tablets:

Contain dried powdered active drug as well as binders and fillers to provide bulk and proper tablet size. Scored tablets have an indented line running across the top. A scored tablet can be easily broken into two pieces with a knife to produce two doses.

Enteric tablets are covered with a special coating that resists stomach acid and dissolves in the alkaline environment of the small intestine to avoid irritation.

Slow-release tablets are made to provide a continuous, sustained release of certain drugs. Abbreviation for slow-release tablet is SR and for long acting tablets, the abbreviation is LA in the trade name of the drug. Example: Procan SR and Entex LA.

Caplets are easy-to-swallow coated tablets in the form of capsules.

Capsules is a drug form that comes in two varieties, soft gelatin shell made in one piece in which the drug is in a liquid form inside the shell and a hard shell made in two pieces that fit together and hold the drug, which is in a powdered or granular form.

Cream is a semisolid emulsion of oil such as lanolin or petroleum and water. The main ingredient is water. Many topical drugs are made in a cream base.

Ointment is a semisolid emulsion of oil such as lanolin or petroleum and water. Oil is the main ingredient. Many topical drugs are made in an ointment base such Kenalog ointment and specially formulated ophthalmic ointments.

Most creams and ointments are applied to the skin without precise measurement with the exception of nitroglycerin ointment used to prevent angina. Nitroglycerin is precisely measured in inches on a specially marked applicator paper which is taped to the patient's skin.

Lotion is a suspension of an active drug in a water base for external use. Example is Keri lotion.

Powder is a finely ground form of an active drug.

Liquid comes in the form of either solutions or suspensions. Solutions come in the form of elixirs, syrups, tinctures, liquid sprays and foams.

Elixirs contain an alcohol and water base with added sugar and flavoring. Example would be Tylenol elixir.

Liquid sprays contain a solution of the drug combined with water or alcohol to be sprayed by a pump or aerosol propellant.

Suspensions contain fine, un-dissolved particles of a drug suspended in a liquid base.

Suppositories contain a solid base of glycerin or cocoa butter containing the drug.

Transdermal form of drugs is relatively new. It consists of a multi-layered disk containing a drug reservoir, a porous membrane, and an adhesive layer to hold it to the skin.