Term | Definition |
Absorption | the process by which a drug is taken
into the body and moves from the site of administration
into the blood. |
Adverse effect | are undesired, potentially harmful
side effects of drugs. |
agonist | are drugs that bind to or have an affinity
(attraction) for a receptor and cause a particular response |
antagonist | Drugs
that bind to a receptor and prevent a response |
bioavailability | indicates the degree to
which the drug molecule reaches the site of action to exert
its effects. |
biotechnology | the concepts of genetic engineering
and recombinant DNA technology. |
biotransformation | In the liver, the
chemical composition of a drug is changed by |
bolus | fast inffusion of medication |
contraindication | reasons against
giving a particular drug |
distribution | Drug molecules eventually diffuse out of the blood-stream to the site of action i |
duration | The time between onset and disappearance of
drug effects |
emulsion | in which the medication is contained in a mixture of water and oil bound together with an emulsifier. |
enteral | indicates that the medication is taken into the gastrointestinal
tract, primarily by mouth (orally). |
excretion | Medications taken into the body are eliminated in the
process called |
hypersensitivity | is an adverse effect resulting
from previous exposure to the drug or a similar drug. |
idiosyncratic effect | rare and unpredictable
adverse reactions to drugs. Most idiosyncratic drug reactions are thought to occur in people with some genetic abnormality, causing either an excessive or an inadequate
response to a drug. |
indication | The reason or purpose for giving a medica-
tion |
local effect | work at the site of application |
onset | The time
between administration of a drug and the first appearance of effects is |
parenteral | any route other
than the digestive tract, the most common of which are
subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intravenous |
pharmacodynamics | examines how the action of the drug affects the body. |
pharmacokinetics | focuses on how the body
processes drugs, |
plasma protein binding | drug molecules
bind to proteins (albumins and globulins) contained in
plasma—the liquid portion of blood— |
reconstituted | to form a solution that can be administered
by injection |
side effect | predictable but unintended effect of a drug. Side effects
are rarely serious,but usually unavoidable. |
solubility | its ability to be dissolved |
solution | is a mixture of drug particles (called the sol-ute) fully dissolved in a liquid medium (called the solvent
such as water or saline). |
suspension | a form in which solid undissolved particles float (are sus-
pended) in a liquid. |
synergist | A drug that enhances the effect of another drug is |
systemic effect | throughout the entire body |
topical | are applied to the skin surface or a mucous membrane–lined cavity |
controlled substances | something you can become addicted to and that is controlled by the law |
narcotics | natural opioid drugs |
DEA | Drug Enforcement Administration:
of the Department of Justice was established
to enforce the Controlled Substances Act |
FDA | Federal Drug Administration:
inspects the facilities
where drugs are made, reviews new drug applications,investigates and removes unsafe drugs from the market,and requires proper labeling of drugs. |
The Joint Comission | evaluates and accredits approximately
16,000 health care organizations and programs in the
United States. |
OTC | over-the-counter category of medications that
did not require a prescription |
PDR | Physicians’ Desk Reference, or PDR. It provides easy access to information on several thousand medications used in medical and surgical practice. |
USP-NF | UNITED STATES PHARMACOPEIA AND
NATIONAL FORMULARY |