1

Introduction
Pharmacology –  This chapter will
Science of drugs provide an overview of
Medication the role of drugs in
mistakes can injure ambulatory medical
or even cause death facilities
of a patient.

You will need to have a good working knowledge of the

foundations of pharmacology.
Role of a Pharmacist in
Pharmacology
You will need to:
Have knowledge of medications
Be attentive to ensure that the
physician is aware of all the
medications a patient is taking.
Ask patients about use of drugs,
alcohol, vitamins, herbal
medications, and other drugs

2
 3

Drugs and
Pharmacology
Drug - chemical
compound used to prevent,
diagnose or treat a disease
or other abnormal condition AA doctor
doctor prescribes
prescribes aa
Pharmacologist - drug
drug when
when hehe gives
gives aa
specialist in pharmacology patient
patient aa prescription
prescription to
to
be
be filled
filled by
by aa pharmacy.
pharmacy.

You are responsible to administer a drug by giving

it directly by injection, by mouth, or by any other
route to introduce the drug into a patient’s body.
 4

Categories of
Pharmacology
Pharmacognosy – study of characteristics of
natural drugs and their sources
Pharmacodynamics – study of what drugs do
to the body
Pharmacokinetics – what the body does to
drugs
Pharmacotherapeutics – study of how drugs
are used to treat disease
Toxicology – study of poisonous effects of drug
 5

Sources of Drugs
Many drugs originate
as natural products
Plants
Animals
Minerals Name this source of drug
and the drug it is used to
Bacteria or fungi make.

Foxglove to make digitoxin

 6

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

An agency of the Department of Health and
Human Services.
Regulates the manufacture and distribution of
every drug used in a given country.
Requires drug manufacturers to perform clinical
tests on new drugs before the drugs are used by
humans.
Manufacturer must continue to demonstrate the
drug’s safety and efficacy.
FDA can withdraw a drug from the market at any
time if evidence suggests that it is no longer safe
or effective.
 7

Pharmacodynamics
Study of what a drug does to the body
Includes interaction between the drug and target
cells or tissues and the body’s response to that
interaction
 8

Pharmacokinetics
The study of what the body does to a drug includes:
Absorbs – converts a drug into a form the body can use
Metabolizes – drug molecules are transformed into simpler
products
Distributes – transporting a drug from its site of
administration to its site of action
Excretes –manner in which a drug is eliminated from the
body
 9

Pharmacotherapeutics
Drug Names:
Generic – official name
International nonproprietary name
Chemical name
Trade name – brand or proprietary name

You will probably use only generic or trade names.

 10

Apply Your Knowledge

Which of the following is a generic drug name?

• Biocef
• Keflex
• Cephalexin
 11

Apply Your Knowledge -Answer

Which of the following is a generic drug
name?

 Biocef
 Keflex
 Cephalexin
 12

Pharmacotherapeutics - Drug
Categories
Categorized by:
Their action on the body Example:
Example:
General therapeutic
Antacid
Antacid –– neutralizes
neutralizes
effect
stomach
stomach acids
acids
Body system affected
 Tums
Tums
 Basaljel
Basaljel
 13

Pharmacotherapeutics – Kinds
of Therapy
 Acute – improve life  Prophylactic – prevent a
threatening or serious disease or condition
condition  Replacement – provide
 Empiric – give until chemicals missing by the
other tests prove patient
another therapy is  Supportive – for condition
appropriate
other than primary disease
 Maintenance –
 Supplemental – avoid
maintain a condition
deficiency
 Palliative – reduce the
severity of a condition or
pain
 14

Apply Your Knowledge

What is Pharmacokinetics?
 15

Apply Your Knowledge -Answer

What is Pharmacokinetics?

The study of what a drug does to the body.

 16

Pharmacotherapeutics – Toxicology
Study of poisonous effect or toxicity of
drugs
Toxic effects includes:
Adverse effect on a fetus or infant
Adverse reactions reported in clinical trials
Adverse effect in pediatric or elderly patients
 17

Sources of Drug Information

You must keep up-to-
date sources of drug
information
Physicians’ Desk
Reference (PDR)
Drug Evaluations
United States
Pharmacopeial
National Formulary
 18

Controlled Substances
A drug that is categorized as potentially
dangerous and addictive
The greater the potential the more severe
limitations on prescribing it
Controlled by federal laws
Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and
Control Act – (Controlled Substances Act) 1970
 19

Controlled Substances -
Schedules
Schedule Abuse Example
I High Heroin

II High Codeine

III Lower than II Butabarbital

IV Lower than III Chloral

hydrate
V Lower than IV Antidiarrheals
 20

Regulatory Function of FDA

Drug Manufacturing
 Controlling
• Nonprescription or Over-
The-Counter (OTC) drugs substance labeling
• Prescription drugs  Doctor registration
• Controlled substances
 S license
number use

 Renew every
three years
 21

Writing Prescriptions
Any drug not over-the-counter requires a prescription

 Four basic parts:

1. Superscription
2. Inscription
3. Subscription
4. Signature
 22

Writing Prescriptions (cont.)

Prescription Blank for a Single Medication
 23

Writing Prescriptions (cont.)

Prescription Blank for a Multiple Medications
 24

Vaccines
Special preparations made from
microorganisms
Administered to a person to
produce reduced sensitivity to or
increased immunity to an
infectious disease
 25

Antibody Formation
1. Antigen enters body
2. White cells produce
antibodies
3. Combine with antigens to
neutralize them
4. This arrests or prevents
reaction or disease
5. Vaccines stimulate
antibody formation and
reduce symptoms if
patient is exposed to
disease
 26

Apply Your Knowledge

Why are vaccines given to patients?
 27

Apply Your Knowledge -Answer

Why are vaccines given to patients?

Vaccines are administered to a person to produce

reduced sensitivity to or increased immunity to an
infectious disease.