_____________________________________________________________________Chapter 2 Pharmacological Principles 1

02 Pharmacological Principles

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Define common terms used in pharmacology.
2. Discuss the application of pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics in drug therapy.
3. Explain the properties of various drug dosage forms and identify the advantages and disadvantages
of the dose forms and drug delivery systems used in drug therapy.
4. Discuss the relevance of the four facets of pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism,
excretion) to professional nursing practice, as related to drug therapy, for a variety of patients and
health care settings.

TEACHING FOCUS
 Nurses need a sound understanding of basic pharmacological principles to appreciate the effects—
both positive and negative—that drugs can have on a patient’s health.
 A genuine understanding of pharmacology must include the basic principles of
pharmacotherapeutics (the treatment of pathological conditions through the use of drugs), as well
as the roles of pharmacokinetics (the study of what the body does to the drug), pharmacodynamics
(the study of what the drug does to the body), and pharmacognosy (natural drug sources).

READING

Pharmacological Principles
 pp. 14-29(start at pharmaceutics and end at end of pharmacodynamics)
 pp. 30- 33 (start at Prophylactic Therapy and Empirical Therapy and end at pharmacognosy)

LEARNING ACTIVITY

A 65-year-old man is admitted to the medical-surgical unit with a compound fracture of his femur after
and he is awaiting surgery. He also has a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, acute kidney injury and heart
failure. The nurse notes that his serum albumin level is low. The physician has written admission orders.
He is to take nothing by mouth. An intravenous infusion of dextrose 5% in water at 90 mL/hr has been
ordered. The nurse reviews the patient’s medications and sees that he is on digoxin for heart failure as
well as Pantoprazole for gastroesophageal reflux.

1. One of the drugs that has been ordered is known to reach a maximum level in the body of 200
mg/L and has a half-life of 2 hours. If this maximum level of 200 mg/L is reached at 1600 hours,
what will the drug's level in the body be at 2200 hours?
2. Explain what factors from this patient's medical history would affect the following:
a) Absorption
b) Distribution
c) Metabolism
d) Excretion
3. The physician writes an order for a dose of an intravenous antibiotic to be given before the
patient is taken to surgery. What is the reason for this order?
2 Chapter 2 Pharmacological Principles_____________________________ _______________

4. Digoxin is known to have a low therapeutic index. Explain the term "therapeutic index." Where
would you find this information in your drug guide and what precautions should nurse take
when preparing this medication?
5. What are some of the most frequently seen side effects of digoxin?
6. What are some of the most serious effects of digoxin?

Work in groups of 3 to 4, answers these questions and submit in drop box.