PHARM EXAM Chapter 1 STUDY NOTES
•What is an Ideal drug?
oDrugs have to be effective, safe, selectivity
•Effectiveness: Most important property a drug can have. Elicits the responses
for which it is given. Does what we want it to do and doesn't cause a lot of side
effects, also should be reversible (if side effects need to be able to stop them) US law
requires that all new drugs be proved effective prior to release.
•Has to be affordable and easy to take, easy name to remember
•Safety: safe drug cannot produce harmful effects even when administered in
high doses and for long time. All drugs have ability to cause injury (esp. with high
doses and prolonged use.) Chances of adverse effects can be reduced by proper
drug selection and proper dosing.
▪Certain anti-cancer drugs at usual dosage can increase risk of
serious infection
▪Opioid analgesics at high doses can cause fatal respiratory depression.
▪Aspirin and other related drugs in high doses can cause potentially
fatal gastric ulceration, perforation and bleeding.
•Selectivity: drug that elicits only the response for which it is given. No such
thing as a wholly selective drug because all drugs have side effects.
•Reversible action: important that effects be reversible. Important for all but antibiotics
because we want toxicity to microbes to endure
•Predictability: Can't always know how drug and patient will interact because each patient
is unique. Maximize chances of desires responses by tailoring therapy to individual.
•Ease of Administration: Convenient route and number of doses per day should be low.
oEase can enhance patient adherence and can decrease risk.
•Freedom from Drug Interaction: because of potential for drug interaction, it must be
monitored when a patient is taking several drugs.
•Low cost: idea drug is ideally easy to afford.
•Chemically stability: some drugs lose effectiveness during storage or lose effectiveness when
put in solution.
•Possession of simple generic name: makes it easy to recall and pronounce for the
common person.
The idea: maximum benefit, minimal harm.
•Nurse's Responsibility (Pre-administration Assessment)
oCollecting baseline data
•Needed to evaluate therapeutic responses and adverse effects
oIdentifying high-risk patients
•Liver and kidney impairment
•Genetic factors
•Drug allergies
•Pregnancy
•Older adult/pediatric age group
•Tools: Patient history, physical exam, and lab results
oAssessing Patient's Capacity for Self-care
oContraindication (you can't have that drug---allergy)
