NUR 325 Health and Illness
One Exam 1 Blue Print
Fall 2020
10-12 Pharmacology Concepts: Introduction , Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacokinetics,
Safety: Pharmacology Made Easy 4.0 (ATI) Introduction to Pharmacology
Understanding Prescriptions
Define and describe brand vs generic names for drugs
• Brand name: drugs commercial name, capitalized
• Generic: the name given by the company who developed the drug, not capitalized
What are the different types of oral medication forms? Which absorbs the fastest? Slowest?
• From fastest to slowest:
o Liquid
o Suspension
o Powder
o Capsule
o Tablet
o Coated tablet
o Enteric coated tablet
What are the three ways that a drug can be delivered parenterally? Which is absorbed the fastest?
• Intravenously- fastest
• Subcutaneously
o Absorption varies: rapid if water soluble & if good circulatory flow
o Onset of action varies
• Intramuscular
o Absorption varies: rapid if water soluble & if good circulatory flow
o Onset of action varies
Pharmacokinetics:
Define and describe absorption and factors affecting it.
• Absorption= movement from administration site to various tissues
Define and describe "first pass effect"
• A phenomenon in which a drug gets metabolized at a specific location in the body that results
in a reduced concentration of the active drug upon reaching its intended site of action
• impacts how much of the drug actually makes it into circulation
• Body receives less of drug than actually taken
Which factors affect distribution to different parts of the body?
• Areas with a rich supply of blood (liver, kidneys, and heart) get more of the drug
• Bones receive less because of little blood supply
• Areas with natural barrier, like the brain, won’t receive a high level of the drug
1
,Define and describe metabolism, where does it primarily take place?
• A change in the drug that may make it more or less potent, soluble, or inactive
• the liver
Define and describe "half-life."
• The time it takes for a drug to decrease in amount by half
• Affected by liver and kidney function
What must be considered about drug levels in the body if a patient has decreased liver and/or kidney
function?
• The patient will not be able to metabolize the drug as well
• Liver/kidney failure or toxicity
Define onset, peak, and duration
• Onset: amount of time to demonstrate a therapeutic response
• Peak: amount of time to achieve a full therapeutic effect
• Duration: amount of time the drugs therapeutic affect lasts
Define and describe peak and trough levels. Why and when is this important?
• Peak: the point in time when the medication is at the highest level
• Trough: the point in time when the medication is at the lowest level
• They are important to know to determine whether you are maintaining a therapeutic
level throughout day
• Important to know to avoid drug cumulative effect
Pharmacodynamics:
Be able to differentiate between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
• Pharmacokinetics: the chemistry/physics behind the drug
o Absorption: movement from administration site to various tissues
o Distribution: movement of a drug by the circulatory system to the intended site of action
o Metabolism: a change in the drug that may make it more or less potent, soluble,
or inactive- usually occurs in the liver
o Excretion: elimination; feces, urine, sweat, exhaled air
• Pharmacodynamics: the biochemical changes that occur in the body as a result of taking a drug
o Agonists: drugs that bind with a receptor and increase the typical response
o Antagonists: drugs that bind with a receptor and either blocks or inhibits a
typical response
o Competitive antagonists: compete with an agonist for a receptor site. If given in
large doses will decrease the response of an agonist.
o Noncompetitive antagonists: blocks an agonist receptor site. If given in large doses
can completely block the response of an agonist
2
, Define "adverse drug reactions"
• Occur when a medication is given at the appropriate dose
o Nontherapeutic
o Unintended
o May be predictable or unpredictable
o Varies in severity; mild to life threatening
Define "therapeutic effects"
• Drugs intended purpose
Understanding Essential Drug
Information Describe "Off-label"
• When a physician gives you a drug that the FDA has approved to treat a condition different
than your own
• Legal and common practice
Describe the most severe type of adverse drug reaction and how the patient could present in this case
(clinical manifestations)
• Most severe= an allergic reaction
• Reaction can range from itching/rash/hives to anaphylactic shock
• Previous exposure increases sensitivity to the drug and may produce more severe reaction
upon second exposure to the drug
• Symptoms of anaphylactic shock:
o Swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, and throat
o Difficulty breathing; wheezing
o Rapid heart rate and extremely low blood pressure
• Symptoms may lead to cardiac arrest
Define and describe tolerance, cumulative effect, and toxicity.
• Drug tolerance: the bodies decreased response to a drug over a period of time or repeated use
• Cumulative effect (drug sensitivity): occurs when the body is unable to excrete an existing
dose of medication before another dose is administered
o May be caused by a metabolic change in the body (liver/kidney)
• Drug toxicity: excessive doses result in a negative physiologic effect
o Can be a result of impaired drug excretion/metabolism
o Important to monitor drug serum levels
o May cause irreversible damage; potentially life threatening
Differentiate between precautions and contraindications
• Precautions: Only use these drugs when necessary, and when the benefit outweighs the risk.
• Contraindications: the potential to cause a serious or life-threatening adverse drug reactions
in relation to a specific factor
o Specific food, combination of certain medications, certain populations
• “A contraindication means that a vaccine should not be administered. A precaution identifies
a situation in which a vaccine may be administered if the benefit is judged to outweigh the
risk.”
3
One Exam 1 Blue Print
Fall 2020
10-12 Pharmacology Concepts: Introduction , Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacokinetics,
Safety: Pharmacology Made Easy 4.0 (ATI) Introduction to Pharmacology
Understanding Prescriptions
Define and describe brand vs generic names for drugs
• Brand name: drugs commercial name, capitalized
• Generic: the name given by the company who developed the drug, not capitalized
What are the different types of oral medication forms? Which absorbs the fastest? Slowest?
• From fastest to slowest:
o Liquid
o Suspension
o Powder
o Capsule
o Tablet
o Coated tablet
o Enteric coated tablet
What are the three ways that a drug can be delivered parenterally? Which is absorbed the fastest?
• Intravenously- fastest
• Subcutaneously
o Absorption varies: rapid if water soluble & if good circulatory flow
o Onset of action varies
• Intramuscular
o Absorption varies: rapid if water soluble & if good circulatory flow
o Onset of action varies
Pharmacokinetics:
Define and describe absorption and factors affecting it.
• Absorption= movement from administration site to various tissues
Define and describe "first pass effect"
• A phenomenon in which a drug gets metabolized at a specific location in the body that results
in a reduced concentration of the active drug upon reaching its intended site of action
• impacts how much of the drug actually makes it into circulation
• Body receives less of drug than actually taken
Which factors affect distribution to different parts of the body?
• Areas with a rich supply of blood (liver, kidneys, and heart) get more of the drug
• Bones receive less because of little blood supply
• Areas with natural barrier, like the brain, won’t receive a high level of the drug
1
,Define and describe metabolism, where does it primarily take place?
• A change in the drug that may make it more or less potent, soluble, or inactive
• the liver
Define and describe "half-life."
• The time it takes for a drug to decrease in amount by half
• Affected by liver and kidney function
What must be considered about drug levels in the body if a patient has decreased liver and/or kidney
function?
• The patient will not be able to metabolize the drug as well
• Liver/kidney failure or toxicity
Define onset, peak, and duration
• Onset: amount of time to demonstrate a therapeutic response
• Peak: amount of time to achieve a full therapeutic effect
• Duration: amount of time the drugs therapeutic affect lasts
Define and describe peak and trough levels. Why and when is this important?
• Peak: the point in time when the medication is at the highest level
• Trough: the point in time when the medication is at the lowest level
• They are important to know to determine whether you are maintaining a therapeutic
level throughout day
• Important to know to avoid drug cumulative effect
Pharmacodynamics:
Be able to differentiate between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
• Pharmacokinetics: the chemistry/physics behind the drug
o Absorption: movement from administration site to various tissues
o Distribution: movement of a drug by the circulatory system to the intended site of action
o Metabolism: a change in the drug that may make it more or less potent, soluble,
or inactive- usually occurs in the liver
o Excretion: elimination; feces, urine, sweat, exhaled air
• Pharmacodynamics: the biochemical changes that occur in the body as a result of taking a drug
o Agonists: drugs that bind with a receptor and increase the typical response
o Antagonists: drugs that bind with a receptor and either blocks or inhibits a
typical response
o Competitive antagonists: compete with an agonist for a receptor site. If given in
large doses will decrease the response of an agonist.
o Noncompetitive antagonists: blocks an agonist receptor site. If given in large doses
can completely block the response of an agonist
2
, Define "adverse drug reactions"
• Occur when a medication is given at the appropriate dose
o Nontherapeutic
o Unintended
o May be predictable or unpredictable
o Varies in severity; mild to life threatening
Define "therapeutic effects"
• Drugs intended purpose
Understanding Essential Drug
Information Describe "Off-label"
• When a physician gives you a drug that the FDA has approved to treat a condition different
than your own
• Legal and common practice
Describe the most severe type of adverse drug reaction and how the patient could present in this case
(clinical manifestations)
• Most severe= an allergic reaction
• Reaction can range from itching/rash/hives to anaphylactic shock
• Previous exposure increases sensitivity to the drug and may produce more severe reaction
upon second exposure to the drug
• Symptoms of anaphylactic shock:
o Swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, and throat
o Difficulty breathing; wheezing
o Rapid heart rate and extremely low blood pressure
• Symptoms may lead to cardiac arrest
Define and describe tolerance, cumulative effect, and toxicity.
• Drug tolerance: the bodies decreased response to a drug over a period of time or repeated use
• Cumulative effect (drug sensitivity): occurs when the body is unable to excrete an existing
dose of medication before another dose is administered
o May be caused by a metabolic change in the body (liver/kidney)
• Drug toxicity: excessive doses result in a negative physiologic effect
o Can be a result of impaired drug excretion/metabolism
o Important to monitor drug serum levels
o May cause irreversible damage; potentially life threatening
Differentiate between precautions and contraindications
• Precautions: Only use these drugs when necessary, and when the benefit outweighs the risk.
• Contraindications: the potential to cause a serious or life-threatening adverse drug reactions
in relation to a specific factor
o Specific food, combination of certain medications, certain populations
• “A contraindication means that a vaccine should not be administered. A precaution identifies
a situation in which a vaccine may be administered if the benefit is judged to outweigh the
risk.”
3
