Medication- General Terms & Rules

Question 1

Timing of Medications

Onset

Answer 1

Onset = time of the drug to start working within the body

Question 2

Timing of Medications

Peak

Answer 2

Peak: time when the drug is working its best

Question 3

Timing of Medications

Duration

Answer 3

Duration: the length of time the drug has a high enough concentration to be “therapeutic”

Question 4

Timing of Medications

Half-Life

Answer 4

Half-Life: the time it takes for ½ of the drug to be eliminated

Question 5

Timing of Medications

General rule of a drug’s ½ life

Answer 5

The longer the ½ lifef, the more medication is still in the body

(longer effect)

Question 6

Goals of Drug Therapy

1. Maintain a ______(1)_____ or ______(2)______ of medication in the blood.
2. Avoid too ____(3)____ or too ______(4)____ of the drug for the patient.
3. _______what it’s suppose to do.

Answer 6

1. Therapeutic Index
2. Therapeutic Level
3. little
4. much
5. do

Question 7

Reasons for Treatment with Medications

Have a problem now that needs treatment, meds will cure problem

Answer 7

Acute needs

Question 8

Reasons for Treatment with Medications

On-going need

Ex. to keep BP under control, birth control, etc.

Answer 8

Maintenance needs

Question 9

Reasons for Treatment with Medications

Add to body’s actions

Ex: insulin, vitamins

Answer 9

Supplemental needs

Question 10

Reasons for Treatment with Medications

Keep the patient comfortable, not expecting a cure

Answer 10

Palliative needs

Question 11

Reasons for Treatment with Medications

Preventative medications

ex: antibiotics for surgery, birth control

Answer 11

Prophylactic needs

Question 12

Monitoring Medications

The more medications a patient has in his/her system at once the _______(1)_____ chance of drug _____(2)_____!

Answer 12

1. increased
2. interactions

Question 13

Monitoring Medications

Drug interactions can be _____(1)_____, ______(2)_____, or _____(3)_____.

Answer 13

1. small
2. large
3. life threatening

Question 14

Monitoring Medications

Adverse Drug Effect/ Side Effect

Answer 14

Unwanted effects, produced by the therapeutic level of the drug

Question 15

Monitoring Medications

Characterisitics of Adverse Effects/ Side Effect

Answer 15

• Usually predictable (nausea, drowsiness)
• MD probably won’t change the drug because of the side effects

Question 16

Monitoring Medications

Toxic Effects/ Poisoning

Answer 16

Avoidable side effect because the dose was too high

Question 17

Monitoring Medications

Characteristics of Toxic Effects/ Poisoning

Answer 17

• Also called an “over dose”
• Effects are usually exaggerated effect of the desired action
  
  • Will happen in all cases is the dose is high enough
  • Ex: Digoxin - slows heart rate…death

Question 18

Monitoring Medications

Additive Effects

Answer 18

Two medications with similar actions given together

Question 19

Monitoring Medications

Characteristics of additive effects

Answer 19

• Can often get by with smaller doses of each drug
  
  • Ex: Tylenol & codeine

Question 20

Monitoring Medications

Synergistic Effects

Answer 20

Two drugs given together that makes the effect greater than if alone

Question 21

Monitoring Medications

Characteristics of synergistic effects

Answer 21

• Can be good or bad!
  
  • Bad- Valium & alcohol can depress the CNS causing death
  • Good- Demerol & Vistaril together give longer pain relief

Question 22

Monitoring Medications

Anatagonistic Effect

Answer 22

Two drugs given together work against each other so the effect is less than expected

ex: Alcohol and “speed”

Question 23

Monitoring Medications

Incompatibility

Answer 23

Two drugs given (often mixed in an IV or syringe) together reach chemically to deteriorate the drugs

Question 24

Monitoring Medications

Characteristics of incompatibility

Answer 24

• May have cloudiness, precipitate (clumping) or change in color
• Ex: dextrose and human blood preservative

Question 25

Monitoring Medications

Allergic Reaction

Answer 25

A reaction that triggers the person’s immune system

Question 26

Monitoring Medications

Characteristics of allergic reaction

Answer 26

• Histamine and inflammation are triggered
• Unique to an individual
• Can be mild or life threatening

Question 27

Pharmacoeconmics

Answer 27

The study of the econmic factors influencing the cost of the drug therapy

Question 28

What is this an example of?

Performing a cost-benefit analysis of one antibiotic versus another when competing drugs are considered for inclusion in a hospital formulary.

Can a patient afford the specific medication or does another medication have the same treatment outcome data?

Answer 28

Pharmacoeconmics

Question 29

What is this?

• Accidental or Intentional?
• Ingested or Inhaled?
• Call the Poison Control Center
• Look at “Red Flags for Drug Abuse”

Answer 29

Acute poisoning

Question 30

What are the 7 parts of a drug label?

DEMAND

Answer 30

1. Directions
2. Expiration date
3. Manufacturer
4. Aministration route
5. Name of the drug
   
   1. Generic
   2. Trade
6. Dosage strength
   
   1. Amount per pill or per vial (mL)