What is a Drug?

Question 1

Describe the meaning of Potency, Selectivity and Specificity

Answer 1

• Potency: Amount of chemical required to produce an effect
• Selectivity (biological): Narrowness of a drug’s range of actions on particular receptors, cellular processes or tissues
• Specificity (chemical): Relationship between chemical structure of drug and pharmacological effects

Question 2

What are different sources of drugs?

Answer 2

• Micro-organisms
• Humans and other animals
• Mineral or mineral products
  Substances synthesised in laboratories
• Plant

Question 3

What are 3 types of drugs names?

Answer 3

• Chemical
• Approved (‘generic’)
• Trade

Question 4

What is Generic Prescribing?

Answer 4

• An addition al brand of an existing medicine
• Contains same active ingredient
• Can be manufactured and sold by other pharmaceutical companies once the patent
• The Therapeutic Goods Administration requires the generics medicines meet the same quality criteria and manufacturing standards as the original brands

Question 5

Bioequivalence

Answer 5

• Bioequivalence refers to whether the generic medicine releases the active ingredient into the bloodstream at the same rate and to the same extent as the original medicine
• Bioequivalence is demonstrated by conducting a bioavailability study

Question 6

What are OTC medicines?

Answer 6

Over the Counter medicines are medicines:

• that are not prescription medicines
• hat are not complementary medicines
• considered to to be lower risk than prescription medicines