Introduction to Pharmacology

FACULTY
Professor & HoD
Dr. Nusrat Jafery
MBBS; MPhil; PhD

2
Assistant Professors
Dr. Ayesha Aftab
MBBS; MPhil

Col Azmat
MBBS; MPhil Pharmacology,

3
 Demonstrators

 Dr Nauman Nawaz

 Dr Imran Afzal
PHARMACOLOGY

5
 Pharmacology ―Phamakon‖ & ―Logy‖
Pharmacon: A drug
Logy: ―to study‖
Drug ―Drogue‖ (drug herb)
Substance or mixture of substances to prevent,
diagnose, mitigate or cure.
WHO: A substance, product, material used or
intended to be used to modify or explore the
physiological system or pathological state for the
benefit of recipient.

6
THERAPEUTICS

7
PHARMACOLOGY
Study of the effects of drugs on the
function of living systems

8
PHARMACOLOGY
Study of substances that interact with
living systems through chemical processes,
especially by binding to regulatory
molecules and activating or inhibiting
normal body processes
 beneficial therapeutic effect on some
process within the patient or
 toxic effect on regulatory processes in
parasites infecting the patient
9
 MEDICAL
PHARMACOLOGY
Science of substances used to prevent,
diagnose, and treat disease

10
 Pharmacology
Pharmacology is a branch of medicine which deals with
drugs.
Pharmacon – drugs
Logos – studies/ knowledge
Pharmacology can be defined as “the study of the effects
of drugs on the function of living organisms”. In a
broader sense,
Pharmacology deals with the actions, mechanism of
action, clinical uses, adverse effects and the fate of drugs
in the body.
 Purpose of Drug Therapy
 “… to prevent, control or cure various disease
states.”
 To achieve this, the right drug dose must be
delivered to the tissues
 Every doctor must know…
 speed of onset of drug action
 intensity of drug effect

 duration of drug action

 Why Do We Study
Pharmacology?
 The effective use of drugs in the clinical
practice of medicine requires a
 thorough understanding of both the basic
concepts of pharmacology
 and the specific pharmacology of any
specific prescribed drug.
 The central goal of the Pharmacology and
Therapeutics course is two-fold.
 First, to provide students with a solid grounding in
the basic concepts and scientific understanding of
Pharmacology, including the following areas:
 pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug
metabolism and drug-drug interactions.
 Second, to provide students with a comprehensive
introduction to the fundamental Pharmacology and
uses of the major classes of clinically important drugs
currently used in medical practice.
 Pharmacokinetics
Kinesis means movement.
Is what the body does to the drug.

The magnitude of the pharmacological effect of a

drug depends on its concentration at the site of action.

 Absorption
 Distribution
 Metabolism
 Elimination
 POISONS
 Almost All drugs are poisons
 The only thing that determines if a drug
provides a benefit or kills a patient is how we
administer it ( dose, route, age ,etc )
 Examples : sodium nitoprosside IV ( drug ) ,
orally very toxic
 1 tablet of acetaminophen ( panadol ) treatment
of headache , 10-12
tablets ( liver failure if not treated )
 Drug is called medicine when used in proper
dosage form for safe administration. All
medicines are drugs but all drugs are not
medicines.
 Essential Drug Concept: those drugs
which satisfy health care needs of the
majority of the population, be available at all
times in adequate amounts, in appropriate
dosage forms and at reasonable cost.
 In order for a drug to be effective it has to be
administered by an appropriate route (i.e. oral,
intravenous or intramuscular etc) capable

 of achieving a sufficiently high enough

concentration within its target tissue(s) in a
chemical form that allows it to interact with its
biological target to achieve its desired effect.
 While drugs are intended to have a selective
beneficial action, there is always the risk that a drug
may have unanticipated, undesirable, and in
some cases, harmful, side effects.
The effective use of drugs in the clinical practice of
medicine requires a
 thorough understanding of both the basic concepts of
pharmacology and the specific pharmacology of any
specific prescribed drug.
Specific Forms of Adverse Effects
• Hypersensitivity
• Extension of pharmacological effect .
• Idiosyncratic reactions
• Iatrogenic reactions
• Teratogenic
• Interactions with other drugs
– Synergism ( 1+1 = 5 )
– Antagonism ( 1+1 = zero )
– Potentiation (1+1 = 1.5 )
 Categories of drug according to
safety in pregnancy
 A—No risk demonstrated to the fetus in any
trimester.
• B—No adverse effects in animals—no human
studies
• C— animal studies show adverse reactions
Only given after risks to the fetus is considered
D—Definite fetal risks. Only given in life
threatening situations
• X—Absolute fetal abnormalities
 Sources of Drugs
 Natural – Plants, microorganisms,
animals, minerals.
 Synthetic.
 Semi-synthetic.
 Biosynthetic.
 Gene based therapy (Gene therapy
 Pharmacodynamics
Is what the drug does to the body.
Interaction of drugs with cellular proteins, such as
receptors or enzymes, to control changes in
physiological function of particular organs.
 Drug-Receptor Interactions
 Binding
 Dose-Response
 Effect
 Signal Transduction
 Mechanism of action, Pathways
 Pharmacogenetics
Area of pharmacology concerned with unusual
responses to drugs caused by genetic differences
between individuals.
Responses that are not found in the general
population, such as general toxic effects, allergies, or
side effects, but due to an inherited trait that produces
a diminished or enhanced response to a drug.
 Differences in Enzyme Activity
 Acetylation polymorphism

 Butylcholinesterase alterations

 Cytochrome P450 aberration

 Pharmacopoeia
 An official book published by authorized body in a
country containing description of commonly used
drugs with their sources,properties, uses, doses, purity
and potency. It is revised every five years. Drugs
contained in pharmacopoeia are
official drugs.
 P.I – International pharmacopoeia.
 B.P. – British pharmacopoeia.
 U.S.P. – United states pharmacopoeia.
 General Concepts
Drug Dose
Administration

Disintegration
Pharmaceutical of Drug

Pharmacokinetics Absorption/distribution
metabolism/excretion

Pharmacodynamics Drug/Receptor
Interaction

Pharmacotherapeutics Drug Effect

or Response
How are Drugs
Administered?
 Routes of Drug Delivery
Parenteral
Inhaled
(IV)
Oral

Transdermal

Parenteral
(SC, IM)
Topical

Rectal
 What Happens After Drug
Administration?
Drug at site
of administration
1. Absorption
Drug in plasma 2. Distribution

3. Metabolism Drug/metabolites
in tissues

4. Elimination
Drug/metabolites
in urine, feces, bile