HE101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Caffeine, Erythromycin, Methylphenidate
Document Summary
What is pharmacology: study of drug properties, mechanisms of action, interactions, classes of drugs, therapeutice use. Multi-disciplinary science: principles for community pharmacy, clinical pharmacology, research. Drugs: chemical substances that have potential to alter structure and function of our bodies. All involve risk: be a critical consumer, ask questions. Drug dynamics (pharmacodynamics: where and how a drug acts on the body, therapeutic effects of drugs e. g. pain relief. Speed up or slow down biochemical reactions. Drug action affected by quantity of drug and degree of attraction (affinity) Potency - amount of drug needed to produce effect. Synergism: effects of two or more drugs exceed individual contributions e. g. alcohol. Antagonism: action of one drug blocks the action of another at a receptor site. Inhibition: effects of one drug inhibit or reduces the effect of the other. Cross-tolerance: develop tolerance to a similar drug. Drug class- group of medications based on: Type of action - receptor or body system affected.
