Chapter 1

Classify drugs by their chemcial, generic, and trade names

chemical: only 1 generic: only 1 trade: short, many. i.e. G: alprazolam T: Xanax i.e. G: acetaminophen T: Tylenol

Explain the importance of pharmacotherapy to clinical nursing practice

-Critical for clinical nursing bc if applied properly, drugs can dramatically improve pt quality of life; if applied improperly, the consequences of a drug action can cause permanent disability and even death -always the goal to select the best drug for pt: effective, safety, rapid-predictable response, no adverse/long-term effects, convenient route, taken infrequently, inexpensive/easy access, no contraindications

Compare and contrast the terms "drug," "pharmacology," and "pharmacotherapy."

-drug=any substance that is taken to prevent, cure, or reduce symptoms of a medical condition -pharmacology=the study of meds -pharacotherapy=the application of drugs for the purpose of disease prevention and treatment of suffering

Identify key events in the history of pharmacology

-herbal meds has been practiced in every culture -Babylonians, Greeks, Chinese, and Egyptians documented remedies/prescriptions -modern pharm began in early 1800s, chemists isolated active agents -20th century pharm could synthesize agents in labs, 100s made and tested quickly *remember its roots: the application of products to relieve human suffering and improving the quality of life

Compare the advantages/disadvantages of a pharmaceutical company being granted exclusivity for the development of a new drug

A: company can make money for expenses used on testing/research, can do additional research D: more expensive for patients

Identify the advantages of using prototype drugs to study pharmacology

-protype drug: the agent to which all other drugs in a class are compared -they can predict the actions/adverse effects of other drugs in their class

Assess the respobsibilities of the nurse in drug administration

Drug name and classification, intended use, mechanism of action, contraindications, adverse effects, special considerations, route, usual dose, on-set, duration, why drug was prescribed

Analyze possible differences between generic drugs and their brand-name equivalents

Generic: less expensive, not available right after drug development Brand: more expensive, exclusive for x amt of years -drug formulations not always the same, may have different inert ingredients -bioavailability: the rate/extent to which the active ingredient is absorbed from a drug product and becomes available at the site of drug action to produce its effect -critical care: brand; non-emergency: generic

Using examples, explain the difference between the pharmacologic and therapeutic methods of classifying drugs

Therapeutic: describes what is being treated by the drug Pharmacologic: describes how the drug acts i.e. T: antihypertensive, anticoagulant P: diuretic, vasodilator