PHARMACODYNAMICS AND PATHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES IN

NURSING CARE

FINAL EXAM
Answer the following comprehensively.
2. Physicians and nurses are one in providing healthcare services for the ailing
population. Aside from the use of pharmaceutically approved medicines, an
alternative treatment such as herbal medicines/paramedics is gaining popularity/
acceptance. At the vantage point of your experience as healthcare providers,
discuss some issues and problems in relation to the cost and effectiveness of
theses two treatments (herbal and pharmaceutical medicines).
There are several problems that continue to plague the Philippine health care
system. The cost of branded drugs in the Philippines is 22 times more than international
reference prices while generic drugs are 4 times more. Despite price reductions due to
legislations such as the Cheaper Medicines Act of 2008, as well as the Generics Act of
1988, those in the lower-income brackets still cannot afford these medicines. Access to
medicines and care from physicians and other healthcare professionals is especially
challenging for geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas wherein the people are
physically or economically inaccessible.
Herbal products are the mainstay treatment among patients with limited access
to conventional medicines and those seeking holistic modalities for health and wellness.
There has been an increased global interest in traditional systems of medicine and
herbal medicinal products not only in response to the health care needs of developing
countries, where access to modern medicine is rare or nonexistent, but also in affluent
nations, where the use of herbal medicines is now readily accepted by large segments
of the population.
As the global use of herbal medicinal products continues to grow and many more
new products are introduced into the market, public health issues, and concerns
surrounding their safety are also increasingly recognized. Although some herbal
medicines have promising potential and are widely used, many of them remain untested
and their use also not monitored. This makes knowledge of their potential adverse
effects very limited and identification of the safest and most effective therapies as well
as the promotion of their rational use more difficult. It is also common knowledge that
the safety of most herbal products is further compromised by lack of suitable quality
controls, inadequate labeling, and the absence of appropriate patient information.
Pharmaceutical medicines are tightly regulated by the food and drug
administration. Quality control is ensured and must undergo inspection before it is sold
to the public. The ingredients in a medicine are all listed so you know what you are
getting. Pharmaceutical medicines have gone through scientific tests and have been
proven to be effective. These medicines have been used for decades to cure life-
threatening condition and different diseases. But because they are chemically made,
some people can react negatively. Some can even damage the organs if taken long-
term.
Both herbal and pharmaceutical medicines have their pros and cons.
Pharmaceutical drugs have the advantage of being controlled. Despite containing
chemicals, they undergo strict testing to ensure it is fit for human consumption. Herbal
medicines can contain unknown compounds and may vary in purity and potency
depending on the manufacturer. They are not as standardized and tested as OTC and
prescription medicines. Herbal medicines can also take longer to be effective compared
to pharmaceutical medicines which often work faster. There is a time and place for
pharmaceutical drugs and herbal medicines. When in doubt, consult with your doctor to
know which herbal supplement and pharmaceutical medicine will help your condition
and health.
It is essential then, that herbal medicine research design and conduct be
scientifically and ethically sound, while also taking into account the medical philosophies
and practices that accompany the use of traditional herbal medicine. The integration of
herbal medicines into mainstream clinical practice will only be possible if the researches
performed, both non-clinical and clinical, are as robust as those for pharmaceutical
medicine. There is also a need to strengthen studies on the environmental determinants
influencing the effectiveness of herbal products. Adverse events, including drug-herb
interaction must also be monitored to promote a safe integration of efficacious herbal
medicine into conventional medical practices. It has also become essential, therefore, to
furnish the general public including healthcare professionals with adequate information
to facilitate better understanding of the risks associated with the use of these products
and to ensure that all medicines are safe and of suitable quality. Health practitioners
should become more aware of these issues to recommend to their patients only the
exact products that have been consistently proven to be safe and have efficacy in
clinical trials.