Basic Pharmacology Terms

Pharmacology studies the effects that medications have on biological systems. Medications are classified according to their common effects and operations.

Pharmakinetics studies how medications move throughout the body. When a medication mimics a natural substance produced by the body, it is called a drug agonist. An example of this is the diabetes medication, Byetta. A drug antagonist does as the name implies. It blocks a reaction from occuring. An example of a drug antagonist is Suboxone, a medication that blocks the effects of opiates.

Pharmacodynamics studies the relationship between the drug concentration and its resulting effects. The two main things a pharmacy tech needs to know are:

• Mechanism of action refers to how a medication produces a pharmacological effect.
• Adverse reaction refers to negative side effects from use of medication.

Types of Interactions

Drug-Drug occurs when one drug interferes with another drug’s effectiveness. An example is Naproxen, an anti-inflammatory, may prevent Furosemide, a diuretic, from ridding the body of excess fluid.

Drug-Food occurs when a medication is disrupted by a certain food. An example of this is grapefruit juice interfering with Lipitor, a cholesterol medication.

Drug-Disease occurs when a medication exacerbates a pre-exisiting condition. An example is ibuprofen could possibly constrict airways, which could be detrimental to a person with asthma.