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Basic Concepts in Pharmacology

Pharmacology studies how drugs interact with living organisms to produce therapeutic effects and their impact on biochemical functions. Key concepts include pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, and the therapeutic index, which measures drug safety. Understanding these principles is essential for determining optimal dosing and managing potential adverse reactions.

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24 views1 page

Basic Concepts in Pharmacology

Pharmacology studies how drugs interact with living organisms to produce therapeutic effects and their impact on biochemical functions. Key concepts include pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, and the therapeutic index, which measures drug safety. Understanding these principles is essential for determining optimal dosing and managing potential adverse reactions.

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deanoedwin
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Pharmacology is the study of how drugs interact with living organisms to produce a therapeutic effect,

as well as the study of how these substances affect normal or abnormal biochemical functions. Here are
some basic concepts in pharmacology:

1. Drug: A substance that produces a physiological effect when introduced into the body. Drugs
can be derived from various sources such as plants (e.g., morphine from opium poppy), animals
(e.g., insulin from pigs), minerals (e.g., iron supplements), or synthesized in the laboratory (e.g.,
aspirin).

2. Pharmacodynamics: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs on the body
and their mechanisms of action. It involves understanding how drugs interact with specific
molecular targets (e.g., receptors, enzymes) to produce their therapeutic or adverse effects.

3. Pharmacokinetics: The study of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and
eliminated by the body (often abbreviated as ADME). Pharmacokinetics determines the time
course of drug concentration in the body and influences the drug's onset, duration, and intensity
of action.

4. Receptor: A molecular target with which drugs interact to produce their effects. Receptors can
be proteins located on cell membranes, within cells, or even on extracellular structures. Drugs
can bind to receptors to either activate (agonists) or block (antagonists) their function.

5. Half-life: The time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the bloodstream to decrease by
half. Half-life is an important pharmacokinetic parameter that influences dosing frequency and
duration of action.

6. Bioavailability: The fraction of an administered drug that reaches systemic circulation


unchanged. It reflects the extent and rate of drug absorption after administration via different
routes (e.g., oral, intravenous, topical).

7. Dose-response relationship: The relationship between the dose of a drug administered and the
magnitude of its pharmacological effect. It helps determine the optimal dose of a drug for
achieving therapeutic benefits while minimizing adverse effects.

8. Drug interactions: The effects that occur when two or more drugs are administered together,
leading to alterations in their pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics. Drug interactions can
result in increased or decreased therapeutic effects or adverse reactions.

9. Adverse drug reactions (ADR): Undesirable effects that occur after administration of a drug,
which may range from mild discomfort to life-threatening conditions. ADRs can be predictable
based on the drug's pharmacological properties or unpredictable due to individual variability.

10. Therapeutic index: A measure of the safety of a drug, calculated as the ratio of the dose
required to produce a therapeutic effect to the dose that produces toxicity. Drugs with a higher
therapeutic index are considered safer than those with a lower index.

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