Unit 1
3 routes of entry for drugs
-Enteral
Oral (sublingual/buccal)
-Topical
Surface area (ointments/ ear medicine)
-Parenteral
Injectable
Intravenous
-Medications are controlled with government acts
Canadian food and drug act
This ensures products are safe and ingredients are disclosed
Food and drug regulation
Regulates information that manufacturers put on drug labels
Controlled drug and Substances Act
Prohibits the import, export, production, distribution and possession of meds that can alter the CNS
-Prescription
–
Included under the Canadian Food & Drug Act
–
Require a prescription from a physician or nurse practitioner
–
Dispensed by a pharmacist
Non- prescription (OTC)
Unscheduled drug
Self-administered
Self-monitored
Short term use
Drug names
-Chemical name
Exact description of the drug’s chemical composition and molecular structure
-Generic name
Non-property name
-Trade name
Company name with a registered trademark
Usually, the owner’s name or the manufacturer’s name
-Pharmaceutics
How different doses can influence the way a drug is absorbed
Also includes the size of particles and time release
Pharmacokinetics
What the body does to the drugs
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretion
First pass effect
The liver decreases the bioavailability of the drug when taken orally so you get less than
100% of the medication
Half life medication
Amount of time it takes for a drug level to reduce by half
Assuming the half life is 2 hours the drug level will be half of what it was every 2 hours
Ex 100mg -> 50mg -> 25 mg -> 12.5 mg
Pharmacodynamics
What the drug does to the body
Achieved through
Receptor interactions
Enzyme interactions
Non-selective interactions
Agonist vs antagonist
Agonist- drug is made to fit a receptor perfectly
Once the drug and receptor combine we get an effect
Antagonist
Meant to bind to a receptor to block it
Pharmacotherapeutics
Treatment of conditions using drugs
Acute
Used on critically ill patients
Needed to sustain life or treat disease
-therapeutic index
Ratio between the toxic and therapeutic concentration of the drug
Low THI
Small difference between a therapeutic active dose and toxic dose
Increased adverse reactions
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