2. Nursing and Pharmacology
• Medications offer a variety of potential
benefits to the patients
• Yet medications also have the potential to
do harm, even when administered properly
• Harm is likely to be exacerbated if they are
administered incorrectly!
3. • One of nurse’s
primary role is the
safe administration of
medications
how to administer
intended effects
unintended effects
• Without adequate
understanding of
drugs and their effects
on the body, Nurses
are unable to meet
their professional and
legal responsibilities
to their patients
4. • Pharmacology is the study of the actions of drugs
• Drug: Any substance or product that is used or
intended, to modify or explore physiological systems
or pathological states for the benefit of the recipient.
(WHO)
• Knowledge from the pharmacology classes enable the
nurse to understand
– how drugs act in the body
– therapeutic effects
– When, how and for whom medications are best used
– anticipate and recognize potential side effects or toxicities
5. Drug classifications
• According to their action
– Bronchodilators
– Diuretics
– Antibiotics
• According to their chemical characteristics
– Beta-lactam antibiotics
– Sulfonamides
6. Drug Nomenclature
• Every drug has three names.
1.Chemical Name
2.Nonproprietary Name (Generic Name)
3.Proprietary name (Trade/Brand Name)
7. Chemical name: describes the chemical
constitution of drug
– Gives exact chemical composition of the drug
8. Nonproprietary name: (Official Name) It is
assigned by the United States Adopted
Name (USAN) council. It is uniform all
over world.
Generic Name:
-Typically derived from chemical name
– Usually shorter
9. Proprietary name: It is given by the
pharmaceutical manufacture.
• Trade Name
– Name registered by the manufacturer
– trademark symbol®
– only be used by the single manufacturer
– Same drug may have several trade names
(depending on number of manufacturers)
10. Chemical Name Generic Name Trade Name
2-Acetoxybenzoic acid ASPIRIN Disprin®
(Acetyl Salicylic acid) Bayer’s Asprin®
Ecospirin®
Aspro Clear®
N,N-Dimethylimido Metformin Riomet®
dicarbonimidic diamide Fortamet®
Glumetza®
Obimet®
Gluformin®
Diaformin®
16. 1.ALKALOIDS
• Nitrogenous hetrocyclic bases.
• Insoluble in water.
• Form salts with acids, which are soluble in
water.
Ex: Drug Plant
Atropine Atropa belladona
Quinine Cinchona bark
17. 2.Glycosides
• These are combinations of sugar with
other organic structures.
O Glycoside
Ex: Cardiac glycosides Digitoxin, Digoxin are
obtained from Fox glove leaves (Digitalis
purpurea).
Glucose Non sugar
18. 3.OILS
• Generally 3 types of oils are used for
medical purposes.
i) Essential oils (Volatile oils)
ii) Fixed oils.
iii) Mineral oils
19. i) Essential oils (Volatile oils)
• Obtained from leaves or flower petals by
steam distillation.
• Have aroma
• Steam volatile
• No food value (caloric)
• Do not form soaps with alkaloids
• They do not rancid on prolong stay
20. Uses:-
• Carminatives:- For expulsion of gas from
stomach. Ex:-Ginger, eucalyptus oil. (act as
irritant to gastric mucosa)
• Antiseptic:- Mouth washes.
• Flavouring agents:- Peppermint oil
• Pain relieving agents:- Clove oil for toothache
Acts as counter irritant
21. ii) Fixed oils
• Obtained by solvent extraction of crushed seeds.
• Triglycerides.
– Saturated from Animal
– Unsaturated from Plant
• Non volatile
• Have caloric value
• Form soaps with alkaloids
• Become rancid on prolong stay
22. • Ex: Ground nut oil
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Uses:
• Castor oil as a purgative
23. iii) Mineral oils
• Obtained by dry distillation of wood.
Ex:- Liquid paraffin (hydrocarbon derived
from petroleum)
Uses:-Lubricant laxative to promote
defecation.
24. 4) Resins
• These are polymers of volatile oils and
insoluble in water.
• Ex: Benzoin resin
Use:
• Hikers and athletes use benzoin tincture to
accelerate the formation of calluses in the
feet, which will prevent the painful blisters
25. 5) Gums
• Secretary products of plants
• These are dispersible in water and form
adhesive mucilaginous colloids
Ex:- Gum acacia
Uses:-
Emulsifying or suspending agents.
26. 6) Tannins
• Non nitrogenous phenolic derivatives from
plant.
• Soluble in water.
• Ex:- Astringents (precipitate surface
proteins)
27. ANIMAL SOURCE
• Obtained from animal
Drug Animal
Heparin Leech
Insulin Pork pancreas
Thyroxin Thyroid
Vit. B12 Liver extract
Cod liver oil
Anti toxic sera
28. MICROORGANISM SOURCE
• Bacteria and Fungi are important sources
of many life saving drugs.
Drug Microorganism
• Penicillin Penicilium notatum
• Chloramphenicol Streptomyces venezuelace
• Griseofluvin Pencillin grisofullivum
• Streptomycin Streptomyces griseus
• Neomycin Streptomyces fradiae
29. MINERAL SOURCE
• Use in pharmacotherapy
Mineral Use
• Ferrous sulfate(FeSo4) Anaemia
• Magnesium sulfate(MgSo4) Purgative
• Sodium bicarbonate (NaHco3) Antacid
• Magnesium Hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) Antacid
30. SYNTHETIC
• Presently majority of drugs are obtained
synthetically
• Some of the drugs which were earlier
obtained from plants are synthesized in
lab today .
Advantage
• Quality can be controlled
• Process is easier and cheaper
• More potent and safer
• Large scale production
32. Semi Synthetic
• These are mainly obtained by changing
the chemical structure of naturally
obtained drugs.
• Ex: Atropine bromide
Penicillin substrates
33. Human Source
• HCG Pregnant women
• Regular insulin Human
• Urokinase Human kidney cells
34. GENETIC ENGINEERING
• Relatively new methodology, involves the
blending of discoveries from molecular biology,
rDNA technology, DNA alteration, Gene splicing,
immuno pharmacology.
Ex:-
Hepatitis-B
Human insulin
