Understanding Pharmacology: Drugs, Dosages, and Administration

1. PHARMACOLOGY

2. TERMS • SYSTEMIC—AFFECTS THE ENTIRE BODY • LOCAL—AFFECTS A SMALL AREA • PARENTERAL-MEDICATION GIVEN WITH A NEEDLE • SUBLINGUAL—UNDER THE TONGUE • WHEAL—WHELP—RAISED RED AREA • ANTIGONISTIC—ONE DRUG INTERFERS WITH OR COUNTERACTS ANOTHER

3. TERMS CONTINUED • POTENTIATE—SOMETHING THAT INCREASES THE EFFECTS OF A DRUG • PDR—PHYSICIAN’S DESK REFERENCE---LISTS MEDICATIONS, USES, SIDE EFFECTS ETC • USP-UNITED STATES PHARMACAPEA—LIST ALL DRUGS APPROVED BY FDA • TOPICAL—MEDICATIONS APPLIED TO SKIN

4. TERMS CONTINUED • LETHAL DOSE—DOSAGE WHICH WILL CAUSE DEATH • MINIMAL DOSAGE—SMALLEST DOSAGE WHICH WILL GIVE DESIRED EFFECTS • MIXIMAL DOSAGE—HIGHEST DOSAGE WHICH CAN BE GIVEN SAFELY

5. FIVE RIGHTS OF DRUG ADMINISTRATION • RIGHT PATIENT • RIGHT TIME • RIGHT DOSAGE • RIGHT DRUG • RIGHT ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION • A SIXTH HAS BEEN ADDED • RIGHT DOCUMENTATION

6. GENERIC VS BRAND • GENERIC IS USUALLY THE CHEMICAL MAKE UP OF THE DRUG • ASPIRIN—ACETAMETAPHEN-IBPROPHEN • BRAND IS THE NAME GIVEN TO A DRUG BY THE COMPANY—HAS AN R WITH CIRCLE IN IT –BAYER, TYLENOL, ADVIL

7. TYPES OF ORAL MEDS • PILLS-COATED POWDERS • TABLETS –COMPRESSED POWDERS • CAPSULES—GELATIN FILLED WITH MEDICATION • SYRUPS—SUGAR BASED MEDS • POWDERS—USUALLY DISOLVED IN LIQUID

8. THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN ORDERING MEDS • AGE • DIAGNOSIS • CONDITION • WEIGHT • POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS

9. THREE SYSTEMS OF MEDS • APOTHOCARY—GRAIN, DRAM, MINIUM • HOUSEHOLD—OUNCE, TEASPOON, TABLESPOON, PINT, QUART • METRIC—METER , LITER, GRAM

10. LAWS • HARRISON NARCOTIC ACT 1914—LIMITS DISTRIBUTION OF ADDICTIVE DRUGS • FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG AND COSMETIC ACT—DETERMINES SAFETY OF DRUGS BEFORE MARKETING, LABELING OF FOOD AND DRUGS • DURHAM-HUMPHREY AMENDMENT 1952—LIMITS NUMBER OF REFILLS

11. DRUG APPROVAL • DEVELOPMENT IN LABORATORY • ANIMAL TESTING • SUBMIT TO FDA FOR APPROVAL FOR HUMAN TESTING • HUMAN TESTING—5 OR MORE YEARS—DOUBLE BLIND STUDIES • APPROVAL FOR MARKETING • FROM BEGINNING TO END 10-15 YEARS

12. DRUG INFORMATION • PDR • USP • PACKAGE INSERTS • ADVERTISING • INTERNET

13. DRUG SOURCES • PLANT • ANIMAL • CHEMICAL • MINERAL

14. ADMINISTRATION ORAL • POSTIVE—EASY TO TAKE , PAINLESS, • NEGATIVE—SLOW TO ABSORB, SOME HAVE TROUBLE SWALLOWING SUBLINGUAL EASY TO TAKE NOT MANY MEDS CAN BE GIVEN THIS WAY

15. ROUTES SUBCUTANEOUS—UNDER SKIN TAKES EFFECT QUICKLY PAINFUL INTRAMUSCULAR—IN MUSCLE INTRAVENOUS—IN VEIN TOPICAL –TO SKIN—PAINLESS—SLOW ACTING RECTAL—IN RECTUM—SLOW TO ABSORB

16. SIDE EFFECTS/ADVERSE REACTIONS • SIDE EFFECTS—USUALLY MILD BUT ANNOYING RESPONSES TO DRUGS • ADVERSE REACTIONS—MORE SEVERE SYMPTOMS OR PROBLEMS THAT CAN DEVELOP BECAUSE OF A DRUG

17. ROLE OF NURSE • ENSURE 5 RIGHTS • KNOW ACTIONS, SIDE EFFECTS, AND ADVERSE REACTIONS • OBSERVE FOR COMPLICATIONS AND ALLERGIES • TEACH PATIENT ABOUT MEDS

18. BID—2 TIMES A DAY TID—3 TIMES A DAY QID—4 TIMES A DAY PC—AFTER MEALS AD LIB—AS DESIRED PRN –AS NEEDED C—WITH CC-CUBIC CENT. DC—DISCONTINUE GR-GRAIN GTT—DROP NOCT -AT NIGHT IV -INTRAVENOUS NPO-NOTHING BY MOUTH ML-MILLILITER OD –RIGHT EYE OS-LEFT EYE OU—RIGHT EYE R—RECTAL RX—PRESCRIPTION S—WITHOUT SOS-ONE DOSE IF NEEDED FE—IRON KCL-POTASSIUM CLORIDE NA-SODIUM HS –HOUR OF SLEEP IM -INTRAMUSCULAR DEFINE

19. MEDICATIONS • ANTIBIOTIC—FIGHTS BACTERIAL INFECTION—PENICILLIN • ANTINEOPLASTIC—CANCER DRUGS—TAXOL • HORMONES—REPLACE DEFICIENCIES—ESTROGEN—BIRTH CONTROL PILLS • STIMULANTS—SPEED UP BODY PROCESSES --CAFFIENE

20. MEDS • DEPRESSANTS—SLOW BODY PROCESSES—PHENOBARBITAL • ANALGESICS—RELIVE PAIN—NARCOTICS(MORPHINE, DEMEROL) , NON NARCOTIC –ASPIRIN, MOTRIN • ANESTHETIC—STOPS SENSITATION—NOVICAINE • ANTICONVULSANT—STOPS SEIZURES—DILANTIN, TEGRETOL

21. MEDS • TRANZUILIZERS—RELIEVE NERVOUS TENSION—VALIUM • ANTIDEPRESSANTS—RELIEVE DEPRESSION—TAKE 2-3 WEEKS TO WORK—ZOLOFT, PROZAC • VASODILATORS—MAKE BLOOD VESSELS LARGER—NITREGLYCERIN • ANTIHYPERTENSIVE—LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE—ALTACE, DIURIL, LOPRESSOR

22. MEDS • COAGULANTS—CLOT BLOOD—VITAMIN K • ANTICOAGULANTS—SLOW BLOOD CLOTTING—COUMADIN • ANTITUSSIVE—STOP COUGHING—CODIENE—VICKS FORMULA 44 • EXPECTORANTS—LIQUIFY SECRETIONS SO THEY CAN BE COUGHED UP --ROBITUSSIN

23. MEDS • ANTACIDS—RELIEVE STOMACH ACID—ROLAIDS, MAALOX • ANTIEMETIC—PREVENTS VOMITING-PHENERGAN, VISTIRAL • EMETICS—CAUSE VOMITING-IPECAC • CARTHARTICS—CAUSE BOWEL MOVEMENT—X-LAX, DUCOLAX • DIURETIC—GET RID OF BODY FLUIDS--LASIX

24. DANGERS OF ANTIBIOTICS • RESISTANCE OF ORGANISMS TO THE ANTIBIOTICS • ALLERGIC REACTIONS

25. DEPRESSANT DRUGS • BED RAILS UP • BED IN LOW POSITION • CALL LIGHT IN PLACE • NO SMOKING • CHECK RESPIRATIONS

26. COUNTING NARCOTICS • UNDER DOUBLE LOCK • NURSE COMING ON DUTY AND NURSE GOING OFF DUTY MUST COUNT AT END OF EACH SHIFT • WHEN REMOVED FROM DRAWER MUST SIGN OUT –DATE, TIME , AMOUNT , PATIENT, DR. –IF ALL NOT USED MUST DESTROY WITH TWO WITNESSES

27. SIDE EFFECTS OF IRON • BLACK BOWEL MOVEMENTS • IRRITATES STOMACH—TAKE WITH FOOD • LIQUID DISCOLORS TEETH

28. ANTICOAGULANTS • OBSERVE FOR SIGNS OF BLEEDING BRUISING BLOOD IN URINE OR BM BLOOD WHICH BRUSHING TEETH USE ELECTRIC RAZOR FOR SHAVING

29. ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK • SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION • THROAT SWELLS—INTERFERS WITH BREATHING • DEATH WILL OCCUR IF NOT TREATED

30. THE END