| A | B |
|---|
| absorption | a drug is moved from site of administration to body fluids; first process during pharmacokinetics |
| adverse reaction | undesirable drug effect |
| allergic reaction | immediate hypersensitive reaction by the immune system; it presents as itching, hives, swelling, and difficulty breathing |
| anaphylactic shock | sudden, severe hypersensitivity reaction with symptoms that progress rapidly and may result in death if not treated; also called anaphylactic reaction or anaphylactoid reaction |
| angioedema | localized wheals or swellings in subcutaneous tissues or mucous membranes, which may be caused by an allergic response; also called angioneurotic edema |
| controlled substances | drugs that have the potential for abuse and dependency, both physical and psychological |
| cumulative drug effect | when the body is unable to metabolize and excrete one dose of a drug before the next is given |
| complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) | group of diverse medical practices or products not presently part of conventional medicine |
| drug idiosyncrasy | any unusual or abnormal response that differs from the response normally expected to a specific drug and dosage |
| drug tolerance | decreased response to a drug, requiring an increase in dosage to achieve the desired effect |
| excretion | elimination of a drug from the body |
| first-pass effect | action by which an oral drug is absorbed and carried directly to the liver, where it is inactivated by enzymes before it enters the general bloodstream |
| half-life | time required for the body to eliminate 50% of a drug |
| hypersensitivity | undesirable reaction produced by a normal immune system |
| metabolism | drug is changed to a form that can be excreted |
| nonprescription drugs | drugs designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be safe (if taken as directed) and obtainable without a prescription; also called over-the-counter (OTC) drugs |
| physical dependency | habitual use of a drug, where negative physical withdrawal symptoms result from abrupt discontinuation |
| prescription drugs | drugs the federal government has designated as potentially harmful unless their use is supervised by a licensed health care provider, such as a nurse practitioner, physician, or dentist |
| receptor | in pharmacology, a reactive site on the surface of a cell; when a drug binds to and interacts with the receptor, a pharmacologic response occurs |
| teratogen | drug or substance that causes abnormal development of the fetus, leading to deformities |
| toxic | poisonous or harmful |
| chemical name | scientific term that describes the molecular structure of a drug; it typically is the chemical component of the drug |
| generic name | considered the official name of a drug and is the name given to a drug that can be made or marketed by any company |
| nonproprietary name | meaning it is not owned by any specific agency |
| trade or brand name | drug name is followed by a trademark symbol ™ or a registered trademark symbol ®; selected by a specific company |
| legend drugs | prescription drugs |
| Onset of action | time between administration of the drug and onset of its therapeutic effect |
| Peak concentration | when absorption rate equals the elimination rate (not always the time of peak response) |
| Duration of action | length of time the drug produces a therapeutic effect |
| angioneurotic edema | angioedema |
| synergism | when drugs interact with each other and produce an effect that is greater than the sum of their separate actions; 1 + 1 = 3 |
| antagonistic | occurs when one drug interferes with the action of another, causing neutralization or a decrease in the effect of one of the drugs |
| polypharmacy | taking of numerous drugs that can potentially react with one another |
