Pharmacology HESI study guide Drug classification is based on (ANS - Structure and therapeutic use
What are the 3 most important characteristics of a drug?
(ANS –
- effectiveness - A drug should elicit the appropriate and intended response.
- safety - Drugs should not only be effective, but also safe for the patient. This
includes drugs that require a high dose and prolonged use.
- selectivity - Drugs can elicit many different responses; selectivity refers to the
drug only eliciting the response for which it is given.
Properties of drugs
(ANS - Reversible action: A drug should have an appropriate start and end time.
This means that the effects of the drug will wear off. However, there are some cases where we would want the drug not to have a reversible action (e.g.antibiotics).
Ease of administration: When administration is simple, patient compliance is
greater.
Freedom from drug interactions: Drugs interact with each other. This can result in one drug causing the other to become more or less potent.
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Low cost: Producing an affordable drug is ideal since some drugs are significantly expensive and can become a financial burden to the patient.
Chemical stability: Some drugs lose effectiveness during storage.
What is it called when groups of drugs have similar effects and actions on the body?(ANS - Drug classification
Pharmacology (ANS - the study of drugs and their interactions with all living things, not just humans
Clinical pharmacology (ANS - the study of the effects of drugs in humans.
Pharmacokinetics (ANS - the study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs.
Pharmacotherapeutics (ANS - Studies the therapeutic use of a drug to prevent or treat disease, or to prevent pregnancy.
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Pharmacodynamics (ANS - Studies what a drug does to the body once it has reached the target site or sites. What the body does with the drug. Involves receptor binding, post-receptor effects and chemical reactions
What is the process of drug movement throughout the body that is necessary to achieve drug action?(ANS - Pharmacokinetics
Once a drug has reached its sites of action, what processes determine the nature and intensity of the response?(ANS - Pharmacodynamics
Which warning label on a medication bottle does the nurse recognize that reflects chemical stability?(ANS - "Keep refrigerated."
Some chemicals are more or less stable under certain conditions, such as temperature or type of solution. A warning to keep a drug refrigerated identifies this property.
Which property of a drug affects the health care provider's ability to manage adverse effects?(ANS - Reversibility
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Reversibility is the characteristic that causes the effects of a drug to subside over time. Health care providers who know when drug effects subside can better manage adverse effects.
A patient asks the nurse what it means when a prescribed drug is described as being "selective." What will the nurse tell this patient?(ANS - The drug only elicits the response for which it is given.
Drugs can elicit many different responses; selectivity refers to the drug only eliciting the response for which it is given.
A patient will need to take a hypertension medication daily for an indefinite period.When an antihypertensive drug is selected for this patient, which property should be considered to help improve compliance?(ANS - Drug cost
Expense can be a significant factor when a patient has to take a drug for a long time, and can cause a financial burden. Patients are more likely to adhere to a drug regimen if the drug is affordable.
Which statement indicates understanding regarding the objective of drug therapy?(ANS - "The goal is to provide maximum benefit with minimum harm."
Because all drugs have side effects, and because desired effects are often unpredictable, the goal is to balance these concerns by providing maximum benefit with minimal harm.
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