Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their actions on the body. Drugs are chemicals used to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease. This document outlines general principles of pharmacology, including drug names, classifications, routes of administration, and factors that can influence drug response. It emphasizes the importance of understanding pharmacokinetics and following legal and safety guidelines when providing patient care using medications.

1. GENERAL
PRINCIPLES OF
PHARMACOLOGY

2. Part 1 Topics
 Drug Names
 Sources of Drug Products
 Drug Classifications
 Food & Drug Administration
 Medication Administration
 Properties of Drugs

3. Pharmacology is the study
of drugs and their actions
on the body.

4. Drugs are chemicals used to
diagnose, treat, and prevent
disease.

5. Legal
 Knowing and obeying the laws and
regulations governing medications
and their administration is an
important part of a paramedic’s
career.
 These include federal, state, and
agency regulations.

6. Federal…
 Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906
 Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914
 Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic
Act of 1938
 Comprehensive Drug Abuse
Prevention & Control Act of 1970

7. State vs. Local Standards
 They vary widely.
 Always consult local protocols
and with medical direction for
guidance in securing and
distributing controlled
substances.

8. Names of Drugs
 Chemical…states its chemical
composition and molecular structure.
 Generic…usually suggested by the
manufacturer.
 Official…as listed in the
U.S. Pharmacopeia.
 Brand…the trade or proprietary name.

9. Names of Drugs
7-chloro-1, 3-dihydro-1,
Chemical Name
methyl-5-phenyl-2h-1
Generic Name diazepam
Official Name diazepam, USP
Valium®

10. Sources of Drug Information
 United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
 Physician’s desk reference (PDR)
 Drug information
 Monthly prescribing reference
 AMA drug evaluation

11. Components of a Drug Profile
 Name  Routes of
 Classification Administration
 Mechanism of  Contraindications
Action  Dosage
 Indications  How Supplied
 Pharmacokinetics  Special
 Side Effects Considerations

12. Names
 Most Frequently Include Generic
and Trade Names

13. Classification
 The broad group to which a
drug belongs. Knowing
classifications is essential to
understanding the properties
of drugs.

14. Mechanism of Action
 The way in which a drug causes
its effects; its pharmacodynamics.

15. Actions of Drugs
 Drugs that Act by Binding to a
Receptor Site
 Drugs that Act by Changing Physical
Properties
 Drugs that Act by Chemically
Combining with Other Substances
 Drugs that Act by Altering a Normal
Metabolic Pathway

16. Indications
 Conditions that enable the
appropriate administration
of the drug (as approved by
the FDA).

17. Pharmacokinetics
 How the drug is absorbed,
distributed, and eliminated;
typically includes onset and
duration of action.

18. Pharmacokinetics
 Absorption…a drug must find its
way to the site of action.
 Distribution…a drug must then be
distributed throughout the body.

19. Pharmacokinetics
 Biotransformation…the process
of breaking down, or metabolizing,
drugs.
 Elimination…drugs must
eventually be excreted
from the body.

20. Side Effects/Adverse Reactions
 The drug’s untoward or
undesired effects.

21. Routes of Administration
 How the drug is given.

22. Contraindications
 Conditions that make it
inappropriate to give the drug.
 …means a predictable harmful
event will occur if the drug is
given in this situation.

23. Dosage
 The amount of the drug that
should be given.

24. How Supplied
 This typically includes the
common concentration of the
available preparations; many
drugs come in different
concentrations.

25. Drug Routes (1 of 2)
 Enteral:
 Deliver medications by absorption
through the gastrointestinal tract.
 Oral, orogastric/nasogastric, sublingual,
buccal, rectal.

26. Drug Routes (2 of 2)
 Parenteral:
 Delivers medications via routes other
than the GI tract.
 Include intravenous, endotracheal,
intraosseous, umbilical, intramuscular,
subcutaneously, inhalation, topical.

27. Enteral – examples
(1 of 2)
 Oral (PO) — good for self-administering
drugs.
 Orogastric (OG) / Nasogastric (NG) —
alternate method to providing PO
medications.
 Sublingual (SL) — excellent absorption
without problems of gastric acidity.

28. Enteral – examples
(2 of 2)
 Buccal — between the cheek/gum.
Similar to sublingual.
 Rectal (PR) — reserved for
unconscious or vomiting patients.

29. Parenteral – examples
(1 of 3)
 Intravenous (IV) — preferred route in
emergencies.
 Endotracheal (ET) — alternate route
in emergencies for select
medications.
 Intraosseous (IO) — alternative use in
emergencies, mostly in pediatrics.

30. Parenteral – examples
(2 of 3)
 Umbilical — provides alternate
access in newborns.
 Intramuscular (IM) — slower
absorption than IVs.
 Subcutaneous (SQ) — slower
absorption than IM.

31. Parenteral – examples
(3 of 3)
 Inhalation — very rapid absorption
via the lungs.
 Topical — delivers drugs directly to
the skin.

32. Most emergency
medications are given
intravenously to avoid drug
degradation in the liver.

33. Drug Forms
 Solid Forms:
 Such as pills, powders, suppositories,
capsules.
 Liquid Forms:
 Such as solutions, tinctures,
suspensions, emulsions, spirits, elixirs,
syrups.

34. Solid Forms
 Pills—drugs shaped spherically to be
swallowed.
 Powders—not as popular as they once were.
 Tablets—powders compressed into disk-like
form.
 Suppositories—drugs mixed with a waxlike
base that melts at body temperature.
 Capsules—gelatin containers filled with
powders or tiny pills.

35. Liquid Forms (1 of 2)
 Solutions—water or oil-based.
 Tinctures—prepared using an alcohol
extraction process.
 Suspensions—preparations in which
the solid does not dissolve in the
solvent.
 Emulsions—suspensions with an oily
substance in the solvent.

36. Liquid Forms (2 of 2)
 Spirits—solution of a volatile drug
in alcohol.
 Elixirs—alcohol and water solvent;
often with flavoring.
 Syrups—sugar, water, and drug
solutions.

37. Special Considerations
 Pregnant Patients
 Pediatric Patients
 Geriatric Patients

38. Pregnant Patients
 Ask the patient if there is a possibility
that she could be pregnant.
 Some drugs may have an adverse
effect on the fetus of a pregnant
female.
 Teratogenic drug…is a medication
that may deform or kill the fetus.

41. Providing Patient Care Using
Medications (1 of 4)
 Know the precautions and
contraindications for all medications
you administer.
 Practice proper technique.
 Know how to observe and document
drug effects.

42. Providing Patient Care Using
Medications (2 of 4)
 Maintain a current knowledge in
pharmacology.
 Establish and maintain professional
relationships with other healthcare
providers.
 Understand pharmacokinetics and
pharmacodynamics.

43. Providing Patient Care Using
Medications (3 of 4)
 Have current medication references
available.
 Take careful drug histories including:
 Name, strength, dose of prescribed medications;
 Over-the-counter drugs;
 Vitamins;
 Herbal medications;
 Allergies.

44. Providing Patient Care Using
Medications (4 of 4)
 Evaluate the patient’s
compliance, dosage, and
adverse reactions.
 Consult with medical direction
as needed.

45. Know the 6 Rights of Medication
Administration
 Right Medication
 Right Dosage
 Right Time
 Right Route
 Right Patient
 Right Documentation

46. Responses to Drug Administration
(1 of 5)
 Side Effect—unintended response
to a drug.
 Allergic Reaction—hypersensitivity.
 Idiosyncrasy—drug effect unique to
an individual.

47. Responses to Drug Administration
(2 of 5)
 Tolerance—decreased response to
the same amount.
 Cross Tolerance—tolerance for a drug
that develops after administration of
a different drug.
 Tachyphylaxis—rapidly occurring
tolerance to a drug.

48. Responses to Drug Administration
(3 of 5)
 Cumulative effect—increased effectiveness
when a drug is given in several doses.
 Drug dependence—the patient becomes
accustomed to the drug’s presence in his
body.
 Drug interaction—the effects of one drug
alter the response to another drug.
 Drug antagonism—the effects of one drug
block the response to another drug.

49. Responses to Drug Administration
(4 of 5)
 Summation—also known as additive
effect, two drugs with the same effect
are given together — similar to 1+1=2.
 Synergism—two drugs with the same
effect are given together and produce
a response greater than the sum of
their individual responses — similar
to 1+2=3.

50. Responses to Drug Administration
(5 of 5)
 Potentiation—one drug enhances
the effect of another.
 Interference—the direct
biochemical interaction between
two drugs; one drug affects the
pharmacology of another drug.

51. Factors Affecting Drug Response
 Age  Time of Administration
 Body Mass  Pathology
 Sex  Genetics
 Environment  Psychology

52. Part 1 Summary
 Drug Names
 Sources of Drug Products
 Drug Classifications
 Food & Drug Administration
 Medication Administration
 Properties of Drugs