DRUG ACTION

OKTOBER 2020
DRUG –MEDICATION
Drug Action
Drug Mechanism of Action
PRIMARY EFFECT VERSUS
SEC.EFFECT
RECEPTOR AGONIST AND
ANTAGONIST
 POTENCY

ATTENTION !
 POTENCY VS EFFICACY
▪ Potency:
• denotes the amount (concentration)
of adrug needed to produce a given
effect. The less the amount oar
contration required, the more potent
the drug
• Example: EC50 is the
concentration or dise of drug that
causes 50% of maximum effect
• Determined by affinity of drugfor
receptor and number ofreceptors
available
▪ Efficacy:
• Refers to the relative ability of a
drug-receptor complex to produce a
maximum functional response. Or
maximum effect that drug can produce
regardless of dose
Agonist Dose Response Curve
 Question
A laboratory is conducting a study to assess the safety, efficacy, and
potency of a group of drugs before allowing the agents to proceed to
clinical trials. Figure A shows the dose-response curves for four different
drugs from the same class of medications (Drugs A, B, C, & D). Which of
the following is true regarding these medications

Answer
1. Drug A has greater efficacy than Drug
D
2. Drug D has greater efficacy than Drug
A
3. Drug A has greater potency than
Drug D
4. Drug D has greater potency than
Drug A
5. All four drugs (A,B,C,D) have equal
potencies
EFFICACY
 Therapeutic Windows
ALL DRUGS ARE POISONS, the benefit depend
on the dosage
Paracellus 1493 -1541
▪ Any chemical substance (natural or synthetic)
capable of producing psychological and
physiological effects is a drug, on
contrary poison is capable of causing illness
and even death when enters or absorbed.
▪ So, we can say neither all drugs are
poisonous, nor all poisonous substances
▪A are
drug is any drugs
subsance that interacts with a molecule or protein that plays a
regulatory rolein livg systems
▪A Medication is a drug intended for therapeutic benefit
THERAPEUTIC INDEX
CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
THERAPEUTIC INDEX
 Therapeutic Windows
Dose Respons
1. Area No 2. Area Curve
therapeutic This is ideal 3. Areonly toxic
therapeutic
effect and toxic effect and no drug effect
effecf toxic effecf

Therapeutic Add maedication

Toxic effect
effect without again no much
more reach
toxic effect
therapeutic
effect but toxic
Therapeuti
effect. So that
c window area there curve
(sae toxic effect
nedication
)

Toxic effect
Therapeutic Windows
Dose Respons
Curve

SAFE
MEDIACTIO
N
DANGEROUS
MEDIACTION
TOXIC