Drugs Lesson 1 Using Medicines Wisely

Do Now List 3 medicines you have used and briefly describe the intended use of each. How might those medicines cause you harm?

MEDICINES-DRUGS THAT ARE USED TO TREAT OR PREVENT DISEASES AND OTHER CONDITIONS. Drugs- Substances other than food that change the structure or function of the body or mind.

Medicine Safety (FDA) A potential new medicine is discovered Experiments are done on animals FDA reviews findings, if approved it is tried on humans in a trail. If safe and effective, FDA gives an approval Once approved, the medicine can be made available for physicians to prescribe or for consumers to purchase.

Releasing Medicines to the Public Prescription medicines- medicines that can be sold only with a written order form from a physician. The medicine might be very strong or potentially harmful if directions aren’t followed. Over-the-counter medicines (OTC)- medicines that are safe enough to be taken without a written order from a physician. Many may still cause harm if not used properly.

Types of Medicines 1)Medicines to prevent diseases- Vaccine-a preparation of dead or weakend germs that cause the immune system to produce antibodies. Antibodies- proteins that attack and kill or disable specific germs that cause disease. *we receive certain vaccines when we are babies like whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A+B

2) Medicines to fight infection. Antibiotics- medicines that reduce or kill harmful bacteria in the body. Each type of antibiotic fight a certain bacteria 3) Medicines to relieve pain- When the body feels pain, pain messages travel along the nerves and spinal cord to the brain. Pain medicines like aspirin and Tylenol block these signals so the pain message don’t reach the brain. 4) Others- specific medicines for things like high blood pressure, diabetes, and allergies.

How medicines enter the body Ingestion-pills, tablets, or capsules absorbed through the stomach into the bloodstream Injection-From a needle the medicine goes directly into the bloodstream. Inhalation- When liquid medicine is changed into a fine mist. Inhaler Absorption-creams and ointments absorbed through the skin.

Danger of medicine use Side effects-any effect of a medicine other than the one intended. Ex. Headache, nausea Tolerance-a condition in which a person’s body becomes used to the effect of a medicine and needs greater amounts of it in order for it to be effective. Overuse of medicines-if medicines are overused, they can loose the ability to fight diseases. (penicillin) Mixing medicines- can be dangerous to people including medicines having a stronger effect, unexpected effect, or poisonous effect