Drug Classification Possession of a controlled substance for

• Therapeutic Usefulness personal use is at least a misdemeanor

-Therapeutic Classification on the first offense
• Mechanism of Action
-Pharmacologic Classification Used interchangeably with “drug of abuse” but
some drugs of abuse are not illegal, e.g.,
• Legality
caffeine.
-Legal
-Illegal
Controlled Substances Act, 1970
THERAPEUTIC USEFULNESS Established legal definitions for drugs
 what a particular drug does clinically Set up five schedules for classification of drugs
 simple and penalties for each

Five Schedules:
 Schedule I drugs
carry the most
severe penalties;
considered to
have a “high
potential for
abuse” and have
“no accepted
medical use”
 Schedule II
MECHANISM OF ACTION drugs have a high potential for abuse
how a drug produces its but have an accepted medical use
effect in the body  Schedules III – V have an accepted
more specific; complex; requires medical use and decrease in potential
understanding of biochemistry and for abuse
physiology

Controlled Substances
What is a controlled substance?
“Controlled substance” is a legal term
referring specifically to substances controlled by
federal or state laws
  Experimental user
 Recreational user
 Situational user
 Intensive user
 Dependent user

DRUG DEPENDENCE
reliance on a substance that has reached that
level that its absence will cause
an impairment in function

PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE
when someone has taken drugs in quantity for a
time and comes to rely on the use of them in
order to feel and for their
body to function normally

PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE
when the user experiences an overwhelming
desire to continue
with the drug experience

TOLERANCE
a state in which a person no longer responds to
the drug in the way that
person initially responded

DRUG USE
 the consumption of drugs
 a person who uses drugs
either legally or illegally
DRUG MISUSE
 indiscriminate use of a chemical
substance for purposes other than DRUG ADDICTION
for which it is intended chronic, relapsing brain disease that is
DRUG ABUSE characterized by compulsive drug seeking and
 repeatedly and willfully using a drug use despite harmful consequences
in a way other than prescribed or
socially sanctioned

Typology of Drug Abuser


Vulnerability
Why do some people become addicted while
others do not?
What factors suggest vulnerability to drug
abuse and addiction? Vulnerability is a product
of the interaction of a person’s genes,
environment, and developmental age. These
interactions are complex and difficult to tease
apart.
Vulnerability to addiction differs from person
to person. The more risk factors an individual
has, the greater the chance that taking drugs
will lead to abuse and addiction.
DRUG NAMES
• Chemical…states its chemical
composition and molecular structure
• Generic…usually suggested by the
manufacturer
• Official…as listed in the Pharmacopoeia
(I.P., B.P., U.S.P.)
• Brand…the trade or proprietary name
Chemical Name
precise description of the drug’s
chemical composition
name by which a chemist knows it
atomic/molecular structure of drug
assigned using standard nomenclature
established by the International Union
of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
a drug has only 1 chemical name
Generic/Non-proprietary Name
given before a drug becomes official
original designation given to the drug
when the drug company applies for
approval patents
universally accepted; protected by law
there is only one generic name for each
drug
Official Name
the name under which it is listed in one
of the official publications
Trade/Brand/Proprietary/Product Name
name given by the drug manufacturer
name given by the drug company that
developed it
1st letter is capitalized and followed by
the symbol R or TM
chosen by the drug company and is
usually a registered trademark owned
by that specific manufacturer
Example: Amphetamine
Chemical- dl-2 amino-1 phenylpropane
Generic- dl-amphetamine
Trade- Benzedrine
Street- speed, bennies, whites, etc.~
Example: Valium
Chemical- 7-chloro--1-methyl-5-phenyl-3H-
1,4-benzodiazepin-2[1H]-one
Generic- diazepam
Trade- valium
Street- tranks, downers, blues, yellows

TYPES OF DOCTOR’S ORDER

• Standing Order
• Single Order
• Stat Order
• PRN Order
Standing Order = carried out until the
specified period of time or until it is
discontinued by another order
Single Order = carried out for one
time only
STAT order = carried out once or
immediately
PRN order = carried out as the
patient requires or as necessary
(when needed)