Orientation to Pharmacology Chapter 1 Orientation to Pharmacology Copyright (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Orientation to Pharmacology Define the following terms Drug Pharmacology Clinical pharmacology Pharmacotherapeutics Copyright (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Properties of an Ideal Drug Effectiveness Safety Selectivity Reversible action Predictability Ease of administration Minimal drug interactions Low cost Chemical stability Possession of a simple generic name

Intensity of Drug Responses Multiple factors influencing drug response are Administration Pharmacokinetics Pharmacodynamics Individual variations

Pharmacokinetics The four major pharmacokinetic processes are Drug absorption Drug distribution Drug metabolism Drug excretion

Pharmacodynamics The impact of drugs on the body once a day has reached its site of action

Therapeutic Objective Drug therapy should provide maximal benefit with minimal harm