Chapter 1

Introduction to Drugs

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 Nurses’ Responsibility

• Administering drug
• Assessing for adverse drug effects
• Intervening to make the drug regimen more
tolerable
• Providing patient teaching about drugs and the
drug regimen
• Monitoring and prevention of medication errors

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 Pharmacology

• Pharmacology is the study of the biological effects

of chemicals

• Health care providers focus on how chemicals act

on living organisms

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 Pharmacotherapeutics

• A branch of pharmacology that uses drugs to

treat, prevent, and diagnose disease
• Pharmacotherapeutics focuses on:
– The drug’s effect on the body
– The body’s response to the drugs
• Drug effects
– Therapeutic
– Adverse
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Sources of Drugs

• Plants

• Animal products

• Inorganic compounds

• Synthetic sources

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 Plants

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 Animal Products

• Animal products are used to replace human

chemicals

• Used less frequently due to genetic engineering

• Synthetic preparations are considered safer

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Inorganic Compounds

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 Synthetic Sources

• Genetic engineering is used to alter bacteria to

produce chemicals that are therapeutic and
effective

• Changes in chemical structure can make drugs

more potent, more stable, and less toxic

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 Drug Evaluation
• Preclinical trials
– Chemicals tested on laboratory animals
• Phase I studies
– Chemicals tested on human volunteers
• Phase II studies
– Drug tried on informed patients
• Phase III studies
– Drug used in vast clinical market
• Phase IV studies
– Continual evaluation of the drug
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 Legislation

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Pregnancy Categories

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Controlled Substances

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 Drug Names

• Chemical name

• Generic name

• Trade name

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 Drug Name
• Chemical name
– (+/-)-2-(p-isobutylphenyl) propionic acid

• Generic name
– Ibuprofen

• Trade name
– Motrin®, Advil®

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 Types of Drugs

• Over-the-counter drugs

• Prescription drugs

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 Over-the-Counter Drugs

• Drugs considered very safe and useful to patients

without a prescription

• Drugs may previously have been prescription

medications (eg, loratadine)

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 Concerns With OTC Medications

• OTC drugs can mask the signs and symptoms

of underlying disease

• Taking OTC drugs with prescription medications

can result in drug interaction

• Taking prescription medication incorrectly with

OTC drugs could result in serious overdose

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Sources of Drug Information

• Package insert

• Reference books

• Journals

• Internet

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