Drugs In Society Flashcards
(11 cards)
1
Q
The beneficial use of drugs (3)
A
— to treat disease/condition
— to prevent disease
— to prevent pregnancy
2
Q
Problems with drug use (3)
A
- adverse effects
- doping
- abuse
3
Q
The 3 ways drugs/medicine are used
A
- curative - eliminate underlying condition
- supressive - do not eliminate underlying condition
- preventative - stops condition occuring
4
Q
3 reasons drugs do good
A
- life saving
- improving quality of life
- seemingly trivial (antihistamine for hayfever)
5
Q
3 ways drugs can do harm
A
- life threatening
- reduce quality of life
- seemingly trivial (drowsiness from antihistamine)
6
Q
What is the risk:benefit ratio
A
The consideration of beneficial effects of the drug against the possible risk of adverse effects such as side effects, adverse reactions and long term consequences
7
Q
The benefit risk ratio for opioids for mild pain
A
Low benefit - there are other pain relief options
High risk - addiction, overdose and death
8
Q
All drug therapies carry unavoidable risks, why is this? (7)
A
- many drugs are insufficiently selective - can affect other organs/tissues
- prolonged use can damage target organ/tissue
- unpredictable adverse effects - allergic reaction
- interactions with other drugs
- biological variability - weight/gender/age
- insufficient knowledge of disease
- imprecise dosages/ faulty batches
9
Q
How to reduce drug risk
A
- better knowledge of disease
- site-specific delivery
- site-specific effects
- informed and careful prescribing/deprescribing
- pharmacogenomics - personalised medicine based on genetics
10
Q
How long does modern drug development take
A
10+ years
11
Q
What does ADME stand for
A
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretion
