Nomenclature of Drugs Flashcards

1
Q

What is a drug?

A
  • Substance used in diagnosis, tx or prevention of disease
  • Active ingredient contained within a medication
  • Has a specific action on physiological or biochemical processes in the body
  • If used at recommended dose, the effect produced by a drug should have relatively few side effects or adverse drug reactions (ADRs)
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2
Q

What is medicine?

A

Agents used to treat disease or injury – each medicine usually contains at least one drug

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3
Q

What is a pharmaceutical?

A

Drug or medicine that is prepared or dispensed in a pharmacy & which is used in tx of medical conditions

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4
Q

What is the international non-proprietary name?

A
  • Name that describes actual drug within the medicine – commonly used when describing a product
  • Active ingredient in the med that is decided by an expert committee & is understood internationally (INN)
  • Should be recorded on clinical records rather than brand names
  • Common stems – to identify particular drug belonging to a group of drugs w/ similar pharmacological activity
    o E.g. propranolol, atenolol, bisoprolol are b-adrenoreceptor antagonists (Beta Blockers)
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5
Q

What is the brand or proprietary name?

A
  • Name of actual product (box of tablets, bottle of drops) in which the drug or active ingredient is included
  • Uniquely identifies the particular basic principles of therapeutics combination of a drug or active ingredients
  • Legislation usually allows a pharmaceutical company a time-limited monopoly on the use of this name & therefore the supply of that particular combo of ingredients
  • The company owns a patent for that product
  • The brand, or proprietary, name is usually capitalised & can be registered (NameR) or trademark name (NameTM)
  • Name itself can be printed on container, the packaging provided with container &/or on a label on a dispensing container provided by the Pharmacist
  • The patented name owned by a particular pharmaceutical company
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6
Q

What are generics?

A
  • ‘Copies’ of a branded product after patent expiration
  • Not always identical to brand equivalent (can include/exclude other ingredients such as dyes or flavourings but active drug should be equivalent)
  • Normally the INN
  • Those sold w/o brand name, once patent for a branded product expires, other companies produce generic copies of same pharmaceutical
  • Can also be manufactured if pharmaceutical contains an ingredient that is not covered by the patent protection of original branded product
  • Specifies the drug i.e. includes the INN or NPN, & has a prefix or suffix which identifies the company producing the generic product
  • Some drugs have dual names as result of changes to spelling of original drug to make names easier
    o E.g. Chlorpheniramine renamed as Chlorphenamine, Acyclovir renamed as aciclovir, sodium cromoglycate renamed as sodium cromoglicate
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7
Q

What is the order that you should look at the BNF in for a drug a px has told you about?

A
  • Indications: drug approved use, some drugs are used “off-label”
  • Contraindications: when a drug should not be used & has potential to cause harm
  • Cautions: where precautions are required e.g. monitoring of liver function, increased risk of renal impairment, may change iris colour, monitor IOP, susceptibility to angle-closure glaucoma
  • Interactions: where drug affects activity of another drug when administered together
    o E.g. phenylephrine drops may interact w/ sympathomimetics – beta blockers, certain anti-depressants
  • Side Effects: effect of drug that is in addition to its intended effect. Can be desired (generally undesirable)
    o BNF states common, rare or very rare
    o Can occur in particular px groups
    o Can be ocular (local) or systemic
    o May need to warn a px about a side effect and what to do if it occurs SO BE AWARE!!
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