1

Pharmacology
Identify key events in the history of pharmacology.
i Likely began when a human first used a plant to relieve symptoms of disease.
ii Herbal medicine has been practiced in virtually every culture dating to
antiquity
iii Babylonians
iv Chinese recorded Pen Tsao
v Egyptians followed by archiving on Ebers papyrus
vi Galen Greek physician
a First recorded reference to pharmacology was by Samuel Dale in
1693, but it is thought to have begun in early 1800s
vii Freidrich Serturner firs isolated morphine from opium in 1805
viii Recognized in Estonia 1847 as a distinct discipline
ix American: John Jacob Abel Univeristy of Michigan 1890
Compare and Contrast the terms drug, pharmacology and pharmacotherapy
i Drugis any substance that is taken to prevent, cure or reduce symptoms of a
medical condition
ii Pharmacologyis most simply defined as the study of medicines.
a Ranges from how drugs are administerd
b Where they travel
c Responses that are produced
iii Pharmacotherapyapplication of drugs for the purpose of disease prevention
and treatment of suffering
iv Drugs are a form of medical intervention given to improve a patients
condition or to prevent harm. Pharmacotherapy begins when the patient
experiences signs or symptoms that cause dissatisfaction with current or future
health status.
Explain the importance of pharmacotherapy to clinical nursing practice
i --Role of nurse is to design interventions that meet the desired health goals of
the patient.
ii --Pharmacotherapy is a critical intervention
Important when caring for patients because of the potential consequences of
medication errors
Important to know
iii Name and drug class
Inded or proposed use
Effects on the body
Contraindications
Special considerations, such as how age, weight, body fat distribultion and
pathophysiologic states affect pharmacotherpeutic response.
Expected and potential adverse events
Why the drug has been prescribed for this particular patient
How the drug is supplied by the pharmacy
How the drug is to be administered, including dose ranges
What nursing process considerats related to the drug apply to this patient

Major goal of studying pahm is to eliminate medication errosrs and to limit the
number and se verity of adverse drug events because many are preventable.
Using specific examples, explain the difference between the pharmacologic and
theraperutic methods of classifying drugs
a
b
c

e
5

No perfect drug
Used to classify and therapeutic and pharmacologic
The key difference is that the therapeutic classification describes what is being
treated by the drug. The usefulness in treating a specific disease. The key is to
simply state what condition is being treated by the particular drug. Anti- often
refers to a therapeutic classification.
Pharmacologic classification describes how the drug acts. Addresses a drugs
mechanism of action or how a drug produces its effect in the body. A drugs
pharmacologic classification is more specific than its therapeutic classification
and requires an understanding of biochemistry and physiology. Pharmacologic
classifications may use a drugs chemical name.
Some can be all of the above

Identify the advantages of using prototype drugs to study pharmacology

a
b
c

It is common and useful practice to select a single drug from a class and compare
all other medications in the class to this representative medication.
By learning about the prototype drug in depth, the actions and adverse effects of
other drugs in the same class may be predicted.
The prototype is the drug to which all others in a class are compared.

Classify drugs by their chemical, generic and trade names

a Chemical names are assigned using standard nomenclature established by the
IUPAC. Only one chemical name.
b Helpful in predicting a drugs physical and chemical properties.
c Generic name of a durs is assigned by the United States Adopted Name Council.
d Only one generic name for each drug
e Trade name sometimes called the proprietary product of brand name is assigned
by the pharmaceutical company marketing the drug. The trade is intentionally
selected to be short and easy to remember so that patients will remember it.
f Drugs with more than one active generic ingredient is called a combination drug.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of a pharmaceutical company being

granted exclusivity for the development of a new drug
a Pharmaceutical company exclusive rights to name and market a drug for a certain
number of years after it is approved. During the period of exclusivity competing
companies are not allowed to market generic versions of the product
b --5 years and maybe extended for 3 years if new indication found.
c Use in pediatrics 6months

d
e
8

Orphan drugs have 7 years

Price of medication determined during exclusivity

Analyze possible differences between generic drugs and their brand-name

equivalents.
a

Generic can be cheaper than brand name

The key to comparing brand name drugs and their generic equivalents lies in
measuring the bioavailability of the two agents.
--Difference in bioavilability depends on the specific circumstances of
pharmacotherapy
Internet pharmacies changed the exclusivity game

c
d