PHARMACOLOGY RLE (08/18/2023)
which involves the person’s breathing
 Study of chemicals (drugs) on living tissues
and how these acts on living organisms
 From the Greek words “pharmacon” and
“logo” which means drug and science
 Pharmacology is studied to prevent medical
errors which are the third cause of death in
the US
Administration of drugs
 Basic activity in nursing practice, hence
nurses should have knowledge about
pharma
Drugs — chemical substances that have an effect
on living organisms
Drug therapy — treatment with any substance,
other than food to prevent, diagnose, treat, or
relieve symptoms of a disease or abnormal
condition
Therapeutic drugs — often called medicines are
those drugs used in prevention or treatment of
diseases
Drug administration — giving of a therapeutic agent
to a patient whose aim is for the active component
of the medication to reach the target site where it is
intended to be effective
TYPES OF MEDS/DRUGS IN ACTION
— It is essential to understand the effects that
meds can have when taken by or given to clients.
Factors other than the characteristics of the
medicine can influence med actions
Therapeutic Effects — expected or
predictable physiological response a
medicine cause
Side effects — the unintended, secondary
effects a medicine can predictably cause
Adverse effects — severe responses to
meds
Toxic effects — may be derived after
prolonged intake of medication or when a
med accumulates in the blood because of
impaired metabolism or excretion
Allergic reaction — a.k.a. hypersensitivity
reactions; abnormal reaction of the immune
system to a medication (e.g., hives, rashes,
fever, congestion, runny nose, difficulty of
breathing)
Anaphylaxis — a severe allergic reaction
and/or circulation
Anaphylactic shock — severe rapidly
progressing allergic reaction resulting in a
life-threatening drop in blood pressure
*First aid for low BP — raise feet
Idiosyncratic reaction — unique, strange,
unpredictable reactions in which a client
overreacts to a medication or has a reaction
different from normal; typically associated
with enzyme or hormone deficiencies
Carcinogenicity — the ability of the drug to
induce living cells to mutate and become
cancerous
Teratogenic reactions — a drug that induces
birth defects
*Crucial stage of pregnancy is 1-3 months
FORMS AND ROUTES OF DRUG
ADMINISTRATION
DOSAGE FORM
— System/device by which the drug is
delivered in the body
 Active ingredient — responsible for the
drug's therapeutic effect
 Inert ingredient — has little to no therapeutic
value
 May also contain the following:
o Additive — inert ingredient that may
be needed for successful
preparation of the dosage form
o Binders — promotes adhesion of
active and inactive ingredients in the
tablets
o Diluents — used to increase the bulk
weight/volume of a dosage form
o Excipients — are inactive
substances used as a carrier for the
active ingredient; drivers of active
ingredients
o Preservatives — are substances that
prevent or minimize the growth of
bacteria on microorganisms in the
dosage form
TYPES OF DOSAGE FORM
 Based on the physical form
 Solid dosage form
— includes tablets, capsules, caplets,
lozenges/troches, pastilles, powders, and
granules
— ADVANTAGES:
o Increased stability
o Ease of packaging, storage, and
disposing
o Convenient
o Little or no taste/smell
o Allow for accurate dosing, the entire
dose is contained within the dosage
form, which minimizes measuring
errors
— DISADVANTAGES:
o May be difficult to swallow, have a
slow onset of action and may be
degraded
 Semisolid dosage form
— Have different compositions from liquid and
solids
— Usually intended for topical application,
applied to the skin, placed on mucous
membranes, or used in the nasal, rectal or
vaginal cavity
— E.g., ointments, creams, lotions, gels,
pastes
 Liquid dosage form
— Contain one or more active ingredients such
as solution, suspension, or emission
— Can be administered by many routes but
are often less stable than meds in solid form
— Route of administration may be oral, IV, IM,
cutaneous, SC, etc.
— ADVANTAGES:
o Allow easier dosage adjustment
o Easy to swallow
o Onset of action is faster than solid
o Easier to place down a feeding tube
— DISADVANTAGES:
o Loss of potency faster than solid
o Difficulty in masking bitter taste or
odor
o Med preservatives, provides an
excellent medium for growth of
microorganism
o There is a potential for dosing
inaccuracy
o Inconvenient
Classification of liquid dosage form:
1. Monophasic — liquid phase
o Internal use: syrup, mixtures,
linctures, elixirs, parenteral
o External use: mouth (gargles,
mouthwash), skin (lotions),
others (nasal drops, ear drops)
2. Biphasic — 2 phases: solid and liquid
o Internal use: suspension
o External use: emulsions
 Gaseous dosage form
— Inhalation dosage form: Some patients need
med delivered to the bronchial tree
(asthmatic patients)
— E.g., vapor, aerosols, powders, sprays,
solutions
 Transdermal dosage form
— Hold a specific amount of med to be
released into the skin and absorbed into the
bloodstream over time via a patch or disk
— The backing is removed and the adhesive
layer is attached to the skin
— Patches are convenient because they can
be applied without upsetting the stomach
 Based on the method/route of
administration
Oral dosage forms
Parenteral
Topical
Inhalation
Rectal/vaginal
Otic; ophthalmic; nasal
ROUTES OF DRUG ADMINISTRATION
 Path by which a drug is taken into the body
 This is determined by:
o the property of the drug
o therapeutic objective
o biopharmaceutical factor
*The absorption pattern of drugs varies between
different routes of administration
*Injection error can cause fat atrophy
 Enteral administration
— This route involves the GI tract
— Methods of administration include:
1. Oral
2. Sublingual
3. Buccal
4. Rectal
Oral
— Meds are taken orally because they intend — given when drug is destroyed in the GI tract
to have a systemic effect, reaching different — oral admin is not possible because of
parts of the body via the bloodstream vomiting
— The most used route — given when patient is unconscious/cannot
— E.g., tablets, capsules, liquids swallow
— ADVANTAGES: — ADVANTAGES:
o Convenient o Used in children
o Absorption takes place along the o Little or no FPE
whole length of the GI tract o Used in vomiting patients
o Cheap o Increased concentrations rapidly
o Tolerable achieved
— DISADVANTAGES — DISADVANTAGES:
o Sometimes inefficient o Inconvenient
o First pass effect – drugs absorbed o Absorption is slow and erratic
orally initially transported to the liver o Irritation of inflammation of rectal
via portal vein mucosa can occur
o Irritation to gastric mucosa  Parenteral route
o Effect is too slow for emergencies — Injection or infusion by means of a needle or
o Unpleasant taste catheter inserted into the body
o Can’t be used in an unconscious — TYPES:
patient o ID – into skin, 10°-15°
Buccal route o SC – subcutaneous tissue, 45°
— Drug is placed between gums and inner o IM – skeletal muscle, 90°
lining of the cheek o IV – vein, 25°
— Absorbed by the buccal mucosa (usually for o IA (intra-arterial) – arteries
yeast infection of the mouth) o IT (intrathecal) – cerebral fluids
— ADVANTAGES: o IP (intraperitoneal) – peritoneal
o Avoid first pass effect (FPE) cavity
o Rapid absorption o Intra-articular (synovial fluids) –
o Drug stability joints to relieve pain
— DISADVANTAGES:  Percutaneous route
o Inconvenient — Application of a drug directly to the surface
o Advantages lost if swallowed of the skin
o Small dose limit — Includes administration of drugs to any
Sublingual route mucous membrane, e.g., eyes, nose, ears,
— Under the tongue lungs, vagina
— ADVANTAGES: Percutaneous (topical) dosage form
o Economical — Skin: cream, ointment
o Quick termination — Eye or ear: solutions
o Avoid FPE — ADVANTAGES:
o Fast absorption o Avoids FPE
— DISADVANTAGES: o Easy application
o Unpalatable and bitter o Avoid risk and inconvenience
o Irritation of oral mucosa o Achieve efficacy by continuous drug
o Large quantity can’t be given input
Rectal route o Avoid fluctuation in drug levels
— Rectally or suppository, e.g., solutions or o Can be delivered selectively to a
ointments specific site
— drug is mixed with waxy substance that o Suitable for self-medication
dissolves or liquefies — DISADVANTAGES:
— given for local effect or systemic effect o Skin irritation
 o Poor permeability of some drugs — solid dosage forms for oral use include tabs
through the skin and capsules
o Positive allergic reactions
Supply dosage — refers to both dosage
o Enzymes may denature the drug
Total volume — full quantity contained in a
SELECTION OF ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION package, bottle, or vial
— Determined by: — total of individual items
o physical characteristics of the drug
o speed by which the drug is absorbed Directions for mixing — instructions
o need to bypass hepatic metabolism Labels alerts — warnings or special alerts e.g.,
o achieve increased concentration at keep refrigerated
particular sites
o accuracy of the dosage Controlled substances sched — improve the
administration
DRUG LABEL
— Printed information in any dietary
supplement, over-the-counter meds or
prescription drugs
— Information on a drug label:
o Brand and generic name
o Dosage strength
o Form
o Supply dosage
o Total volume
o Administration route
o Directions for mixing/ reconstituting
o Label alerts
o Name of manufacturer
o Expiration date
o Lot or control number
o National drug code
o Bar code symbols
o USP and NF
o Unit or sing-dose labels
o Combination of drugs

BRAND AND GENERIC NAME

— The brand, trade, or propriety name is the
manufacturer’s name for the frug
— Usually, the most prominent word on the
drug label (large bold type) often followed
by the registered sign ® or ™
— Generic is under the brand name (by law,
the generic name should be on all labels)
Dosage strength — dosage weight or amount of
drug provided in a specific unit of measurement
Form — identifies the structure and composition of
the drug