Introduction to Pharmacology & Medical Math

By: Cindy Quisenberry

Pharmacology - the study of drugs and their origin, nature, properties, and effects on living organisms. We need to know why drugs are given, how

they work, and what effects to expect.

ClassificationEach drug can be categorized under a broad

subcategory or subcategory. While drugs can be classified several

different ways, grouping them together according to their therapeutic use is most helpful to the healthcare professional.

Drugs that affect the body in similar ways are listed in the same classification. Drugs that have several types of therapeutic effects fit under several classifications.

Generic Name – common or general name assigned to the drug by the United States Adopted Name (USAN) Council; differentiated from the trade name usually by initial lowercase letter

Trade Name – The name by which a pharmaceutical company identifies its product; is copyrighted and used exclusively by that company; can be distinguished from the generic name by capitalized first letter and is often shown on labels and references with the symbol after the name (for “registered” trademark)

Generic & Trade Names

Generic & Trade Names

Sources of DrugsPlants & AnimalsMicroscopic OrganismsSynthetic Bioengineering

Pharmacotherapeutics – the study of the effects of drugs and examine the mechanism of action, describes the effects produced by a drug, determines what dose of a drug is needed to produce the desired effect, determines what dose a drug produces toxic effects.

Routes of Medication Administration

Buccal & Sublingual

Inhalation

Intravenous

Intravenous

IVPB

IVP

HL

Injection

Topical

Transdermal Patch

Suppositories

Medical MathMedical Measurements – see handout

Want to try a little dosage calculation?