Pharmacology - Drug Related Terminology

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Synergistic effects

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Drug interactions in which the effect of a combination of two or more drugs with similar actions is greater than the sum of the individual effects of the same drugs given alone

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Additive effects

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Drug interactions in which the effect of a combination of two or more drugs with similar actions is equivalent to the sum of the individual effects of the same drugs given alone

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First-pass effect

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The initial metabolism in the liver of a drug absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract before the drug reaches systemic circulation through the bloodstream.

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Peak effect

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The time required for a drug to reach its maximum therapeutic response in the body.

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Onset of action

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The time required for a drug to elicit a therapeutic response after dosing.

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Maintenance therapy

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typically does not eradicate problems the patient may have but does prevent progression of a disease or condition. It is used for the treatment of chronic illnesses such as hypertension.

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Palliative Therapy

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The goal of palliative therapy is to make the patient as comfortable as possible. It is typically used in the end stages of an illness when all attempts at curative therapy have failed. Examples are the use of high-dose opioid analgesics to relieve pain in the final stages of cancer and the use of oxygen in end-stage pulmonary disease.

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Tolerance

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A decreasing response to repeated drug doses

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Dependence

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a physiologic or psychologic need for a drug

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Idiosyncratic

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An abnormal and unexpected response to a medication, other than an allergic reaction, that is peculiar to an individual patient.

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Duration

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The length of time the concentration of a drug in the blood or tissues is sufficient to elicit a therapeutic response.

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Generic name

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The name given to a drug by the United States Adopted Names Council. Also called the nonproprietary name. The generic name is much shorter and simpler than the chemical name and is not protected by trademark.

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Trade Name

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The commercial name given to a drug product by its manufacturer; also called the proprietary name. The presence of a trade name indicates that a particular drug is registered and that its production is restricted to the owner of the patent for that drug until the patent expires.

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Carcinogen

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Any cancer-producing substance or organism.

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Teratogenic

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Substances that can interfere with normal prenatal development and cause one or more developmental abnormalities in the fetus.

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Mutagen

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A chemical or physical agent that induces or increases genetic mutations by causing changes in DNA or ribonucleic acid (RNA).