Drugs & The Body Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is a drug?
A chemical agent (other than food) that affects living organisms
* causes physical or emotional change in a person
What are two common groups of drugs and their 4 subsets?
pharmaceuticals and social drugs
Pharmaceuticals = OTC or prescription
Social drugs = Illegal (cocaine, heroin, etc) vs Legal (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana)
What is a second definition for a drug?
molecules that interact with specific molecular components (target receptor) of an organism to cause biochemical and physiological changes to that organism
Describe the physical nature of drugs.
They can be carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, inorganic molecules, organic molecules, metals, lithium, different elements, solid, liquid, or gaseous
What are many organic drugs weak acids or bases?
pH differences in different parts of the body may alter the degree of ionization. If drugs are charged, they do not cross the membranes well/easily
What are the three different types of drugs?
natural, synthetic chemicals, biological
Why is the shape of a drug important?
Drugs are complimentary to their target site. If the exact shape is not correct, the drug has no effect.
Define pharmacology.
The branch of medicine concerned with the uses, effects, and modes of action of drugs
Describe pharmacodynamics.
how a drug affects the body
deals with the drug and its mechanism
Describe pharmacokinetics
effect of the body on the drug
deals with absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
Describe pharmacogenetics.
study of genetic influences on responses to drugs.
discovering a person’s rxn to a drug before it is given
Describe pharmacoepidemiology.
study of drug effects at the population level
Describe pharmacotheraputics.
use of drugs in the treatment of disease
What is the generic name for tylenol?
acetaminophen
What are the 3 different ways to classify a drug?
pharmaceutical classification
addictive classification
behavioral classification
How did the pharmaceutical industry first begin?
Started as a dye industry when dye was accidentally discovered by Paul Ehrlich
What are the different ways drugs are discovered?
accidentally
serendipitously (working on one drug and discover another - Alexander Fleming PCN)
Traditional - taking what we know about chemical structure and transforming it.
How long does it take for a drug to get from discovery to profit?
about 23 years
What is the cost of typical modern drug development?
$2.7 billion
How is efficacy and safety/toxicity of a drug first tested?
on animal models
What are the 2 main reason drugs fail?
- safety
* efficacy
