NURS 6521 Week 2 Case Study: Advanced pharmacology

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Week 2 Case Study



Paul Sepanski

Walden Uiversity

NURS-6521N Advanced Pharmacology

Dr. Karla Foster

December 8, 2024

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Week 2 Case Study

Scenario 1

Why are cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) important in drug metabolism?

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are crucial in drug metabolism as they facilitate the

biotransformation of lipophilic compounds into more water-soluble metabolites for excretion.

These enzymes are found predominantly in the liver and intestines and are responsible for the

metabolism of approximately 75% of drugs. They influence drug efficacy, toxicity, and

interactions by altering drug concentrations in the bloodstream (Zhao et al., 2021).

The majority of medications are metabolized by what CYP enzyme? CYP3A4 is the

most prevalent and significant enzyme in drug metabolism, metabolizing nearly 50% of all

marketed drugs (Zhao et al., 2021). Other important CYP enzymes include CYP2D6, CYP2C9,

and CYP2C19.

Medication Identification: Using the Medscape Pill Identifier:

 Imprint: ATO 40

 Shape: Oval

 Color: White

 Form: Tablet

 Scoring: None

The identified medication is Atorvastatin 40 mg (Pill Identifier (Drug & Pill Finder) -

Medscape Reference, n.d.).

What CYP enzyme metabolizes this medication? Atorvastatin is primarily metabolized

by CYP3A4 (Lipitor, Atorvaliq (Atorvastatin) Dosing, Indications, Interactions, Adverse Effects,

and More, n.d.).