Chapter 1
Introduction to Drugs
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Nurses’ Responsibility
• Administering drug
• Assessing for adverse drug effects
• Intervening to make the drug regimen more
tolerable
• Providing patient teaching about drugs and the
drug regimen
• Monitoring and prevention of medication errors
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Pharmacology
• Pharmacology is the study of the biological effects
of chemicals
• Health care providers focus on how chemicals act
on living organisms
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Pharmacotherapeutics
• A branch of pharmacology that uses drugs to
treat, prevent, and diagnose disease
• Pharmacotherapeutics focuses on:
– The drug’s effect on the body
– The body’s response to the drugs
• Drug effects
– Therapeutic
– Adverse
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Sources of Drugs
• Plants
• Animal products
• Inorganic compounds
• Synthetic sources
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Plants
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Animal Products
• Animal products are used to replace human
chemicals
• Used less frequently due to genetic engineering
• Synthetic preparations are considered safer
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Inorganic Compounds
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Synthetic Sources
• Genetic engineering is used to alter bacteria to
produce chemicals that are therapeutic and
effective
• Changes in chemical structure can make drugs
more potent, more stable, and less toxic
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Drug Evaluation
• Preclinical trials
– Chemicals tested on laboratory animals
• Phase I studies
– Chemicals tested on human volunteers
• Phase II studies
– Drug tried on informed patients
• Phase III studies
– Drug used in vast clinical market
• Phase IV studies
– Continual evaluation of the drug
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Legislation
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Pregnancy Categories
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Controlled Substances
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Drug Names
• Chemical name
• Generic name
• Trade name
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Drug Name
• Chemical name
– (+/-)-2-(p-isobutylphenyl) propionic acid
• Generic name
– Ibuprofen
• Trade name
– Motrin®, Advil®
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Types of Drugs
• Over-the-counter drugs
• Prescription drugs
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Over-the-Counter Drugs
• Drugs considered very safe and useful to patients
without a prescription
• Drugs may previously have been prescription
medications (eg, loratadine)
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Concerns With OTC Medications
• OTC drugs can mask the signs and symptoms of
underlying disease
• Taking OTC drugs with prescription medications
can result in drug interaction
• Taking prescription medication incorrectly with
OTC drugs could result in serious overdose
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Sources of Drug Information
• Package insert
• Reference books
• Journals
• Internet
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