Intro to Pharmacology

Question 1

What is pharmacodynamics?

Answer 1

The study of what a drug does to the body.

Question 2

What is pharmacokinetics?

Answer 2

The study of what the body does to a drug.

Question 3

What are the FDA’s roles?

Answer 3

Control drug development
approve marketing and uses
ensures safety and efficacy
limit access to drugs of abuse

Question 4

What is pharmacotherapeutics?

Answer 4

The study of how drugs are used to treat diseases.

Question 5

What is the dose-response relationship?

Answer 5

Relationship between the drug dose and the magnitude of its effect.

Question 6

What is the ceiling effect?

Answer 6

When increasing the dose no longer increases the response.

Question 7

What is potency?

Answer 7

The amount of a drug needed to produce a given effect.

Question 8

Where does most drug absorption occur?

Answer 8

In the small intestine.

Question 9

What is bioavailability?

Answer 9

The percentage of a drug that reaches systemic circulation.

Question 10

What is the first-pass effect?

Answer 10

Drug metabolism in the liver before reaching systemic circulation.

Question 11

What is an advantage of sublingual/buccal administration?

Answer 11

It bypasses the first-pass effect and provides faster effects.

Question 12

What is a disadvantage of oral administration?

Answer 12

Causes gastric irritation and undergoes first-pass metabolism.

Question 13

What is the main benefit of inhalation?

Answer 13

Rapid entry into systemic circulation through large lung surface area.

Question 14

What is the main risk of injection?

Answer 14

Infection from breaking the skin barrier.

Question 15

What does IV injection provide?

Answer 15

100% bioavailability and rapid effect.

Question 16

What is a subcutaneous (SubQ) injection?

Answer 16

An injection under the skin for local or slow systemic effects.

Question 17

What is an intramuscular (IM) injection?

Answer 17

Injection into muscle for localized problems like spasticity.

Question 18

What is intrathecal injection?

Answer 18

Injection into a sheath (e.g. subarachnoid space)

Question 19

What is topical administration?

Answer 19

Application to skin or mucous membranes for local effect.

Question 20

What is transdermal administration?

Answer 20

Application through skin for systemic effect.

Question 21

What organs receive the highest blood flow for drug distribution?

Answer 21

Brain
heart
liver
kidney
exercising muscle

Question 22

What factors affect drug distribution?

Answer 22

Blood flow
tissue permeability
plasma protein binding
subcellular binding

Question 23

What is biotransformation?

Answer 23

The chemical alteration of a drug in the body.

Question 24

Where does most drug excretion occur?

Answer 24

Kidneys.

Question 25

What is drug clearance?

Answer 25

The rate at which a drug is removed from the body.

Question 26

What is drug half-life?

Answer 26

Time required to eliminate 50% of the drug from the body.

Question 27

What is pharmacodynamics?

Answer 27

The study of drug effects and mechanisms of action on the body.

Question 28

What do ion channel drugs target?

Answer 28

Calcium, sodium and potassium channels

Question 29

What is the role of enzymatic-linked receptors?

Answer 29

Alter enzyme activity and cell function.

Question 30

What are examples of enzymatic drugs?

Answer 30

ACE inhibitors beta-blockers insulin

Question 31

What is a dose-response curve?

Answer 31

A graph showing the relationship between dose and response.

Question 32

What is drug selectivity?

Answer 32

The degree to which a drug affects only its target receptors.

Question 33

What is an agonist?

Answer 33

A drug that binds and activates a receptor.

Question 34

What is an antagonist?

Answer 34

A drug that blocks or inhibits a receptor.

Question 35

How does aging affect pharmacokinetics?

Answer 35

Slower metabolism, reduced distribution and excretion

Question 36

How does aging affect pharmacodynamics?

Answer 36

Increased drug sensitivity and side effects.

Question 37

What diseases impact drug metabolism?

Answer 37

Liver and kidney diseases.

Question 38

How does exercise affect drug absorption?

Answer 38

May increase or decrease absorption depending on administration route.

Question 39

What are the three names of a drug?

Answer 39

Chemical, generic and trade names

Question 40

What is an example of a generic and trade name?

Answer 40

Acetaminophen is the generic name, tylenol is the trade name

Question 41

What is the difference between OTC and prescription drugs?

Answer 41

OTC drugs are safe for public use; prescription drugs require medical supervision.

Question 42

What are controlled substances?

Answer 42

Drugs regulated due to potential for abuse and dependence.

Question 43

What happens as drug dosage increases?

Answer 43

Beneficial effects plateau and toxic effects increase.

Question 44

What is an adverse drug reaction (ADR)?

Answer 44

An unwanted or harmful reaction to a drug at normal doses.

Question 45

What is polypharmacy?

Answer 45

Taking 5 or more medications

Question 46

What are common compliance issues with medications?

Answer 46

Difficulty opening bottles, fear of choking, confusion, cost

Question 47

What is the Naranjo Scale?

Answer 47

A tool used to assess the likelihood that a drug caused an ADR.

Question 48

What is a drug allergy?

Answer 48

An immune-mediated response to a medication.

Question 49

What is rational polypharmacy?

Answer 49

Using multiple appropriate medications for legitimate medical needs.

Question 50

What is irrational polypharmacy?

Answer 50

Use of excessive or inappropriate medications.