INTRODUCTION TO

PHARMACOLOGY
Definition
• The study of drugs
• The study of the biological effects of chemicals.
Pharmacotherapeutics (Clinical
Pharmacology)
• The branch of pharmacology that deals with drugs,
chemicals that are used in medicine for the
treatment, prevention, and diagnosis of disease in
humans.
• Addresses two key concerns: 1) the drug's effects in
the body, and 2) the body's response to the drug
Nursing responsibilities:
1. Administering drugs
2. Assessing drug effects
3. Intervening to make the drug regimen more
tolerable.Nursing
4. Providing patient teaching about drug and drug
regimens
5. Monitoring the overall patient care plans to
prevent medication errors
Nature of Drugs:
• Physical nature - • Chemical nature -
determines how the interaction of the drug
drug is administered in with receptors and
the body; affected by enzymes in the body
the route of with simple alteration
administration. in chemical structures
(eg., acetylcholine ->
metacholine ->
carbachol)
Drug Size
• Ideally however, a drug has a molecular weight
between 100 and 1000.
• The higher the drug size the lower the diffussion to
the cellular membranes
• The drug size must high enough to be unique to a
receptor (this determines the lower limit of drug
size, 100 MW – a drug ideally should not be lower
than this), but must be low enough to still be able
to move properly to the target cells
Drug Reactivity and Drug
Receptor Bonds
• Three types: a) covalent, b) electrostatic, and c)
hydrophpbic
• What is important is not the actual nature of the
chemical bond, but the strength of the bond, and
it’s significance to the drug-receptor interaction.
• Specific, short-acting effects --> low reactivity drug
• Powerful, long-lasting effects --> high reactivity
drug
Drug shape
• Preparations such as oral, injectables, inhalations,
topical, etc.
• Important in medication administration and
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Additional information...
• Drug Evaluation
• Drug Names
• Pregnancy Categories
• Drug Schedules (Controlled Substances)
Rational Drug Design
• Tablet
• Capsule
• Lozenges
• Syrup
• Tincture
• Injectables
• Topical
• Suppositories