1 Foundations of Pharmacology Free Online FlashCards

What does pharmacokinetics describe?

Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to a drug, including its movement into, through, and out of the body.

What does pharmacodynamics describe?

Pharmacodynamics describes what a drug does to the body, including its mechanisms and resulting effects.

What does a therapeutic drug class identify?

A therapeutic class identifies a drug's purpose or the condition it addresses; an antihypertensive, for example, is used to lower blood pressure.

What four processes make up ADME?

ADME stands for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion—the processes that describe how the body handles a drug.

What is notable about IV drug absorption and bioavailability?

An intravenous drug enters systemic circulation directly, so it does not need to be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and has complete systemic bioavailability.

Which portion of a drug can generally leave the bloodstream and interact with targets?

The unbound portion is generally available to leave the bloodstream and interact with targets; protein-bound drug may serve as a temporary reservoir.

What can drug metabolism do to a prodrug?

Metabolism chemically alters a drug, often through liver enzymes. It can inactivate a drug or activate a prodrug.

What does a drug's half-life measure?

Half-life is the time required for a drug's concentration in the body to fall by about half under the relevant elimination conditions.

What does an agonist do at a receptor?

An agonist binds to and activates a receptor, producing a response.

How do potency and efficacy differ?

Potency is the amount of drug needed to produce a specified effect; efficacy is the maximum effect the drug can produce. Greater potency does not necessarily mean greater clinical benefit.

How can declining kidney function affect a kidney-cleared drug?

Reduced kidney function can slow the clearance of drugs normally removed by the kidneys, allowing them to remain in the body longer and potentially accumulate.

What does a pharmacologic drug class describe?

A pharmacologic class describes how a drug works. Lisinopril, for example, is an ACE inhibitor.