chapter 7: pharmacology

Question 1

the 6 rights to medication administration

Answer 1

1. right patient
2. right medication
3. right dose
4. right route
5. right time
6. right documentation and reporting

Question 2

the goal of emergency pharmacology in the prehospital setting

Answer 2

use medication to reverse, prevent, or control various diseases and illnesses

Question 3

leading cause of patient safety errors in heathcare

Answer 3

medication errors

Question 4

medication

Answer 4

a drug that has been approved by the government agency that regulates pharmaceuticals

Question 5

pharmacology

Answer 5

the study of medications and their effects and actions on the body

Question 6

chemical name

Answer 6

describes the drugs chemical makeup

Question 7

generic name

Answer 7

a general name for a drug

Question 8

trade name

Answer 8

the unique name in which the original manufacturer registers the new drug with the HPFB

Question 9

4 principle sources of medication

Answer 9

1) animal
2) plant
3) mineral
4) laboratory

Question 10

assay

Answer 10

an analysis of the drug itself to evaluate its potency

Question 11

bioassay

Answer 11

a procedure for determining the concentration, purity, and/or biologic activity of a substance by measuring the effect on an organism, tissue, cell, or enzyme

Question 12

government agencies that regulate drugs

Answer 12

• HPFB
• the office of controlled substances
• the pharmaceutical advertising advisory Board
• the marketed health products

Question 13

4 phases of clinical trials

Answer 13

phase 1:

• the new drug is tested in healthy volunteers to compare human data with those in animals
• determine safe doses of the drug
• to assess its safety

phase II:

• performed in homogenous populations of patients (50-300).
• in double blind studies one group receives the drug and the other receives the placebo.
• these studies are designed to evaluate the drugs efficacy and safety and to establish which form is the most effective dose

phase III:

• the drug is made available to a larger group of patients
• usually lasts several years
• evaluate the drugs efficacy and monitor the nature and incidence of side effects

phase IV:

• the drug company can submit a new drug submission (NDS) to the HPFB for approval to market the drug
• compare the new drug with others on the market
• examine the drugs long term efficacy and cost- effectiveness

Question 14

notice of compliance

Answer 14

indicates that the drug has been reviewed and is authorized for marketing in canada

Question 15

drug identification number

Answer 15

unique identifier for the drug

Question 16

special access program

Answer 16

allows practitioners access to the drugs currently not available on the canadian market

Question 17

2 pharmacological challenges of administering medication to a pregnant woman

Answer 17

• it can alter the mothers anatomy and physiological functions
• has the potential to directly harm the fetus

Question 18

pediatric patients

Answer 18

• medications have different effects in adults vs. children
• children can metabolize some medications much more quickly than adults
• incomplete development of the gastrointestinal tract slows absorption of oral medications and delays elimination

Question 19

geriatric patients

Answer 19

• the changes in pharmacokinetics are comparable to those in young children
• slow metabolism and gastrointestinal activity
• often taking multiple medications
• unintentionally overdose on a particular drug or forget how to take it

Question 20

2 major types of peripheral nerves

Answer 20

afferent nerves
- carry sensory impulses from all parts of the body to the brain

efferent nerves
- carry messages from the brain to the muscles and other organs in the body

Question 21

patients rights

Answer 21

• right to refuse treatment

- fully inform your patient about the care you are giving

Question 22

central nervous system

Answer 22

• control centre

- receives input, interprets the stimulus, and makes decisions and directs actions

Question 23

peripheral nervous systen

Answer 23

all nervous tissue outside of the brain and spinal cord

Question 24

autonomic nervous system

Answer 24

sends sensory impulses from internal structures through afferent autonomic nerves in the brain

Question 25

ganglia

Answer 25

grouping of nerve cell bodies located in the PNS

Question 26

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 26

responsible for the fight-or-flight response - the dominant system during periods of stress or activity - regulates hypoglycemia, hypothermia, and trauma - increases heart rate and force of contraction

Question 27

adrenergic

Answer 27

relating to nerve fibres that release norepinephrine or epinephrine

Question 28

sympathomimetic

Answer 28

effects resembling those caused by stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system ex) the effects seen after an injection of epinephrine

Question 29

sympatholytic

Answer 29

interfering with or inhibiting the effect of impulses from the sympathetic nervous system

Question 30

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 30

- the dominant system during periods of rest and relation - innervates most of the body - decreases the rate and contractility of the heart

Question 31

neurotransmission

Answer 31

process of chemical signalling between cells

Question 32

affinity

Answer 32

the attraction between a medication and its receptors

Question 33

agonist

Answer 33

a medication that stimulates a response in a receptor site

Question 34

liquid medication forms

Answer 34

- solution - suspension - fluid extract - tincture - spirits - syrup - elixir - milk - emulsion - liniments and lotions

Question 35

solid medication forms

Answer 35

- extract - powder - capsule - pulvule - tablet - suppository - ointment - patch

Question 36

gaseous medication forms

Answer 36

vapour

Question 37

local effects

Answer 37

result from the direct application of a drug to a tissue

Question 38

systemic effects

Answer 38

occur after the drug is absorbed by any route and distributed by the bloodstream

Question 39

3 routes of administration

Answer 39

- percutaneous - enteral - parental

Question 40

percutaneous routes

Answer 40

any medication that is absorbed through the skin or through a mucous membrane ex) transdermal route, sublingual route, buccal route, pulmonary route

Question 41

enteral routes

Answer 41

medications that are absorbed somewhere along the gastrointestinal tract ex) oral or rectal

Question 42

parental routes

Answer 42

- medications are administered via any route other than alimentary canal, skin, and mucous membranes - generally administered via syringe and needles - IV, IO, IM

Question 43

nicotinic receptors

Answer 43

- present in many tissues in the body - function at the neuromuscular junctions of somatic muscles - stimulation causes muscular contraction

Question 44

muscarinic receptors

Answer 44

-found throughout the body as subcomponents of the CNS and ANS

Question 45

administration effects absorption

Answer 45

- the speed with which the drug works is influenced by the route of administration - IV or IO enter the blood stream the fastest - the slowest absorption is topical

Question 46

IV route

Answer 46

- most rapidly effective - most dangerous route - drugs go directly into the bloodstream and to the target organs - known quantity over a known period - dangerous because it delivers the entire dose at once

Question 47

pharmacokinetics

Answer 47

the study of the metabolism and action of medications within the body with particular emphasis on the time required for absorption, duration of action, distribution, and method of excretion

Question 48

active transport

Answer 48

specialized proteins that span the membrane of a cell facilitate the movement of the medication inside target tissues and cells

Question 49

passive diffusion

Answer 49

medications move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration

Question 50

absorption

Answer 50

the transfer of medication from its site of administration to the specific target organs and tissues