Pharm Notes Chapter One
The main goal of pharmacology therapy: focus on patient and improve quality of life Pharmacology is the study of how medications are administered and how they work in the body. Substances that are applied for therapeutic purpose, categories are: o Drugs or medicine o Biologics and biosimilar drugs o Complementary and alternative medicine therapies Therapeutic Class -> what the drug relieves Pharm Class -> how it works in the body A drug has to be have been around for 17years before other companies can start making a generic equivalent (including time spent in clinical trials). Why patients make take OTC vs. Prescription drugs: o Easier access o No appointment with health care physician needed o Saves time and money $$$ Drawbacks: - Hard to gauge what drug will help : Insufficient patient knowledge of drug interactions Disease has a chance of worsening/spreading Checking the bioavailability is good way to weigh a trade drug vs. a generic Even if the difference is small, it can still harm the patient ex. terminal illness "Negative formality list" - pharmacist cannot dispense as generic Things to consider with pharm-economics: o Benefit in $ o Effectiveness in health improvement o Can the benefit be seen in multiple patients? o Both qualitative and quantitative data Drug can only have one chemical or generic name but may have many trade names Generic drugs tend to be less expensive that trade drugs Generic vs. Trade name o Formulations may be different but dosages are the same o Difference in bioavailability Biologics are usually very expensive Factors that may influence drug response in patients: o Gender o Body Mass o Genetics Chemical name of a drug is used when it is short and easy to remember Gender does not have any affect on bioavailabil