1. Abdelkader Ashour, Ph.D. 1st & 2nd Lectures
Pharmacology 101
Abdelkader Ashour, Ph.D. 1st & 2nd Lectures

2. Overview Introduction -Definitions B. Basic concepts in Pharmacology
-Drug Sources
-Drug Nomenclature
B. Basic concepts in Pharmacology
-Drug-Body Interactions Drug Receptors
-Drug Receptor Interactions

3. Pharmacology, link to other biomedical principles

4. Pharmacology, Definitions
“A branch of medical sciences that study drugs and their action on living organisms”
Why do nurses study pharmacology? A sound knowledge of basic pharmacologic principles is essential if the nurse is to safely administer medications and to monitor patients who receive these medications
Drug
“Any substance that brings about a change in biologic function through its chemical actions”
Receptor
“A specific protein in either the plasma membrane or interior of a target cell with which a chemical messenger/drug combines”
Nurse: role in patient education, compliance
Mechanism of Action
“The ways by which drugs can produce therapeutic effects”
Dose
“The amount of a drug to be administered at one time”

5. Pharmacology, Definitions
Effects (therapeutic effect)
“The desired results of administration of a medication”
Side Effects (adverse effects)
“Effects that are harmful and undesired, and that occur in addition to the desired therapeutic effects”
Indications
“The reasons for administering a medication or performing a treatment”
Contra-indications
“Factor that prevents the use of a medication or treatment (e.g., Allergies)”

6. Pharmacology, Definitions
Onset
“The time it takes for the drug to elicit a therapeutic response”
Duration
“The time a drug concentration is sufficient to elicit a therapeutic response”
Nurse: role in patient education, compliance

7. The Role of Nurses in Relation to Pharmacology
Nurses play an active role in drug administration
Nurses contribute to the planning and modification of drug therapy from their assessment of patient factors and evaluation of progress or problems occurring during drug therapy
In addition to: the role in patient education and compliance
Nurses share information with other health care professionals to provide the most effective medication regimen for the patient
Nurses have to follow the “Five Rights” of Medication Administration
Right drug
Right dose
Right time
Right route
Right patient

8. Drug Sources
Plant Sources: Obtained from plant parts or products. Seeds, stem, roots, leaves, resin, and other parts yield these drugs Examples include digoxin from digitalis and morphine from opium.
Animal Sources: Glandular products from animals are used, such as insulin and thyroid.
From micro-organisms (fungi, bacteria) Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 as a product of penicillium notatum (a mold growing in his lab)
Mineral Sources: Some drugs are prepared from minerals, for example, lithium carbonate (an antipsychotic), MgSO4 (a laxative)
Synthetic Sources: Laboratories duplicate natural processes, and may modify the products. Frequently this can eliminate side effects and increase the potency of the drug.
Examples include sulfonamides, and aspirin.
Recombinant proteins: Proteins that are synthesized by expression of cloned genes in recombinant cells, such as interferons, antibodies

9. Drug Nomenclature
Chemical name  represents the exact description of the drug’s chemical composition
Generic name (non-proprietary) 
- simpler than the chemical name and derived from the chemical name itself easier to remember
Example 1: the chemical name 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole-l-ethanol is metronidazole. The word methylnitro is condensed to metro and ni-dazole is due to its imidazole ring
Example 2: Metoclopramide is the condensed form of the word methoxychloroprocainamide: where Me is retained and th is written as t; chloro is written as clo: and procainamide is written as pramide
Brand or trade name (proprietary)  is developed by the company requesting approval for the drug and identifies it as the exclusive property of that company.
Example 1: Metrogyl® is the trade name for metronidazole.
Example 2: Reglan® is the trade name for Metoclopramide.
Example 3: Amoxil® is the trade name for amoxycillin.
Example 4: Celebrex® is the trade name for Celecoxib.

10. Overview Introduction -Definitions B. Basic concepts in Pharmacology
-Drug Sources
-Drug Nomenclature
B. Basic concepts in Pharmacology
-Drug-Body Interactions Drug Receptors
- Drug Receptor Interactions

11. Drug-Body Interactions
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacokinetics (in Greek: "pharmacon" meaning drug, and "kinetikos" meaning putting in motion)
The study of the movement of drugs in the body, including the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME)
The drug should be in an adequate concentration at the site of action to produce its effects. This depends on ADME.
Pharmacodynamics
The study of the action or effects of drugs on living organisms
Pharmacokinetics vs Pharmacodynamics
What the body does to the drug
What the drug does to the body

12. Drug Receptors
Receptor/Binding site
“A specific protein in either the plasma membrane or interior of a target cell with which a ligand/drug combines”
It must be selective in choosing ligands/drugs to bind  To avoid constant activation of the receptor by promiscuous binding of many different ligands (drugs)
It must change its function upon binding in such a way that the function of the biologic system (cell, tissue, etc) is altered  This is necessary for the ligand (drug) to cause a pharmacologic effect

13. Drug Receptors
Receptor/Binding site
“A specific protein in either the plasma membrane or interior of a target cell with which a ligand/drug combines”
It must be selective in choosing ligands/drugs to bind  To avoid constant activation of the receptor by promiscuous binding of many different ligands (drugs)
It must change its function upon binding in such a way that the function of the biologic system (cell, tissue, etc) is altered  This is necessary for the ligand (drug) to cause a pharmacologic effect

14. Drug Receptors
Receptor/Binding site
“A specific protein in either the plasma membrane or interior of a target cell with which a ligand/drug combines”
It must be selective in choosing ligands/drugs to bind  To avoid constant activation of the receptor by promiscuous binding of many different ligands (drugs)
It must change its function upon binding in such a way that the function of the biologic system (cell, tissue, etc) is altered  This is necessary for the ligand (drug) to cause a pharmacologic effect
Orphan receptors are apparent receptors that have a similar structure to other identified receptors but whose endogenous ligand have not yet been identified. If a ligand for an orphan receptor is later discovered, the receptor is referred as "adopted orphan receptor".

15. Drug Receptor Interactions
The Lock and Key Model of Signal-Receptor Interaction
Ligands such as hormones or neurotransmitters (the"key") affect target cells by binding to specific receptors (the "lock”), which are often located in the cell membrane
This binding "unlocks" the cell's response, so that the hormone or neurotransmitter can exert its effects
Agonist
“A chemical messenger that binds to a receptor and triggers the cell’s response; often refers to a drug that mimics a normal messenger’s action”.
For example, pilocarpine is a muscarinic receptor agonist because it can bind to and activate muscarinic receptors
Antagonist
"A molecule that competes for a receptor with a chemical messenger normally present in the body. The antagonist binds to the receptor but does not trigger the cell’s response”
For Example, atropine is a muscarinic receptor antagonist because it can bind to muscarinic receptors but it does not trigger the cell’s response. In this way, it prevents binding of acetylcholine (ACh) and similar agonist drugs to the ACh receptor

16. Drug Receptor Interactions
Lock and key mechanism
Agonist
Receptor
Agonist-Receptor
Interaction

17. Drug Receptor Interactions
Competitive
Inhibition
Antagonist
Receptor
Antagonist-Receptor
Complex
DENIED!