Why Pharmacology is
important in Nursing?
PHARMACOLOGY
Deals with the study of drugs and
their actions on living organisms
Pharmakon “drugs”
Logos “science”
Oswald Schmiedeberg, who was
born in what is now Latvia in 1838,
is considered the father of
pharmacology.
Studied chloroform
Kathleen B. Corcolon,RN MAN
THERAPEUTIC METHODS
Refers to the approaches to therapy to treat diseases
Treatment with Drugs Drug therapy
Treatment by Diet Diet Therapy
Treatment with natural physical forces Physiotherapy
Methods to reduce stress Psychological Therapy
1.1 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Pharmacology - study of drugs and their uses
Pharmacokinetics – absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of
drugs
Pharmacodynamics – how the body responds to the drug
Physiology – science that deals with the functions of cell, tissues, and
organs of living organisms
Pathology - the study of the origin, nature, and course of diseases.
Psychology – the science of behavior and mind
1.2 DRUG SOURCES
How many animals come from your
medicines?
The claim: Nearly three out of four
common medications include animal-
derived ingredients, (British Medical
Journal,2014)
Comes from 4 sources:
Plants, animals, mineral, chemicals
(synthetic drugs)
Insulin is extracted from the pancreas
of cats and cattles
Power Plants
• Alkaloids, the most active component in plants, react with acids to form a salt
that can dissolve more readily in body fluids. The names of alkaloids and their
salts usually end in “-ine.” : atropine, caffeine, and nicotine.
• Glycosides are also active components found in plants. Names of glycosides
usually end in “-in” such as digoxin.
• Gums give products the ability to attract and hold water. Examples include
seaweed extractions and seeds with starch.
Resins, of which the chief source is pine tree sap, commonly act as local irritants
or as laxatives.
Oils, thick and sometimes greasy liquids, ; peppermint, spearmint, and juniper.
Fixed oils, which aren’t easily evaporated, include castor oil and olive oil.
Power Animals
• Hormones from animal
tissues such as insulin
(extracted from the
pancreas of cattle and
pigs) heparin (from
lining of pigs)
• oils and fats (usually
fixed) such as cod-liver
oil
Mineral Springs
The mineral sources are used as they
occur in nature or are combined with
other ingredients.
Examples of drugs that contain
minerals are iron, iodine, and Epsom
salts.
1.3 DRUG USES
Radiopaque Dye
1.4 DRUG STANDARDS
The law states that that all preparations called by the same
drug must be of uniform strength, quality and purity
The Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines
(formerly called the Bureau of Food and Drugs) was
created under the Department of Health to license, monitor,
and regulate the flow of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical
devices, and household hazardous waste in the Philippines.
1.5 DRUG NAMES
All drugs have more than
one name, it has three to
four names.
1. Chemical name
2. Generic names/ Official
Name
3. Trade name or Brand
name
1.6 DRUG REFERENCES
It contains:
drug description
Action
Indication
Interactions
Contraindication
Side effect/adverse effects
Dosage and administration
2. Pharmacokinetics
2.1 Pharmacokinetics
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretion
2.2Factors affecting Drug Action
2.3 Drug Effects
2.4 Drug Dependence
2.1Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacokinetics is the study of a drug during absorption, distribution,
metabolism and excretion (ADME)
What the body does to the drug?
A – gets drug into the blood
D – where it goes in the body
M- what happens to it
E – how it gets out
Absorption
Is the passage of drug from the site of administration into the
bloodstream
The rate of absorption is influence by the route of administration
How are drugs absorbed?
Passive transport- no energy required, drug moves from an area of
higher to lower concentration; oral drugs higher concentration in GI
to lower concentration in the bloodstream
Active Transport – requires cellular energy to move the drug from
area of lower concentration to high concentration : electrolytes
Pinocytosis – occurs when cell engulfs a drug particles: fat soluble
vitamins
Distribution
Distribution is the movement of drugs throughout the body.
The more blood flow, the more drugs are distributed in the body
Lipid soluble drugs easily cross a membrane than water soluble
as drugs travel through the body it binds with protein (albumin)
Inactive drug – bound to protein cant exert a therapeutic effect
Active drug – are free and unbound drugs
once the free drug enters the target tissue then the protein bound
drug will be released to maintain equilibrium.
Metabolism or
Biotransformation
Is a series of chemical reaction that inactivate a drug by converting
into a water soluble compound so that it can be excreted in the body.
the irreversible biotransformation of drug
Occurs under the influence of enzymes which are protein which
breaks down the drug, detoxify or eliminate substances
Usually takes place in the liver, but some to intestines, kidneys and
the blood
Excretion
Is the body's way of removing the waste products thru kidneys and
lungs and large intestines
If drugs are excreted quickly = effects are short live
Patient education:
1. Increase fluid intake
2. Avoid taking laxatives
3. Coughing and deep breathing
4. Chew gum
2.2 Factors Affecting Drug
Actions
Age
Size
Diet
Sex
Genetic factors
Diseases
Psychological factors
Route of Administration
Time of administration
2.3 Drug Effects
Is the combination of biological, physical and psychological changes that take
place in the body as a result of the drug action
Therapeutic Effect
the desired effect; refers to the response(s) after a treatment of any
kind, the results of which are judged to be useful or favorable.
Side Effect
is an undesired effect that occurs when the medication is
administered regardless of the dose.
mostly foreseen by the physician and the patient is told to be aware
of the effects that could happen while on the therapy.
Adverse Reactions
3. Pharmacodynamics
Pharmacodynamics is the study of the drug
mechanisms that produce biochemical or physiologic
changes in the body.
The interaction at the cellular level between a drug and
cellular components, such as the complex proteins that
make up the cell membrane, enzymes, or target
receptors, represents drug action.
The response resulting from this drug action is the drug
effect.
The drug effect depends on what the cell is capable of
accomplishing
4. Pharmacotherapeutics
• Pharmacotherapeutics is the use of drugs to treat disease
Factors to consider:
1. The type of therapy a patient receives depends on the severity,
urgency, and prognosis of the patient’s condition
2. A patient’s overall health as well as other individual factors can alter
that patient’s response to a drug
3. certain drugs have a tendency to create drug tolerance and drug
dependence in patients.
5. Drug Interactions
Drug interactions can occur between drugs or between drugs and
foods.
They can interfere with the results of a laboratory test or physical or
chemical incompatibilities.
The more drugs a patient receives, the greater the chances that a
drug interaction will occur.
