PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPY:

An Introduction
 Pharmacology
 The knowledge of :
History, source, Physical & chemical
Properties, compounding, biochemical
& physicalogical effects, mechanism
of actions, absorption, distribution,
biotransformation & excretion,
therapeutic & other uses of drugs
(Benet, 1997)

 the science of substances used to

prevent, diagnose and treat disease
( = medical pharmacology)
(Katzung, 1997)
 Pharmacognosy :
The branch of pharmacology that study
about sources of drugs.

 Pharmacy :
The scientific study about preparing,
compounding and dispensing of drugs
 Pharmacokinetics
• The study of absorption, distributions,
biotransformation and excretion of drugs
• What the body do to the drugs
• Fate of the drug in the body
• Involved in how the concentration of
drug in the body varies with time

 Pharmacodynamics
• The study of biochemical and
physiological effects of drugs and their
mechanism of action
• What the drug do to the body
Clinical pharmacology

 The scientific study of drugs in man

(WHO, 1970)

 Justified, because drugs effect :

 Often have significant interspecies
variation
 May be modified by disease
 Adequately studies only in
human beings
 Technical, legal & ethical considerations
• Limit pharmacplogical evaluation in
human subjects
• Evaluation of drugs must be based in
part on animals evaluation

Consequently needs some

knowledge of :
• Animal pharmacology &
• Comparative pharmacology
 Animal pharmacology :
the study of drugs in experimental
animal

 Comparative pharmacology :
the study that compare
pharmacology of drugs in animal
and man

to claims that animal drugs

studies can be reasonably
extrapolated to patients
Pharmacotherapeutics
 The study of the drugs use in the
prevention & treatment of disease

 Some mechanism of actions of drugs :

• Stimulate / depress biochemical or
physiological functions relief
of symptons
• Alter the course of disease
• Eliminate the pathogenic cells / organisms
 Pharmacogenetics
 Study relationship of genetics factors to
variations in drug response (Brody, 1998)
 Concerned with drugs responses that are
governed by heredity
(Laurence & Bennet, 1987)
 Inherited causal factors are :
• Biochemical – genes govern the
production enzymes
• Anatomical – mydriatics induced
glaucoma in patients with
a shallow anterior eye
chamber
 Toxicology
 The aspect of pharmacology that
deals with the adverse effect of drugs
(Benet, 1997)

 The study of effect, antidotes and

detection of poison and desription of
effects of drugs overdose (Brody, 1998)
 Concerned with :
• Drugs used in therapy
• Chemical that responsible for household,
enviromental or industrial intoxication
 Drugs
 Chemical agent that affects living process
(Benet, 1997)

 Any substance / product that is used /

intended to be used to modify / explore
physiological systems / pathological
states for the benefit of the recipient
(WHO, 1966)
 Essential drugs :
• Drugs that meet the health needs of the
majority of the populations
• Should be available in the appropriate
dosage forms and strengths at all times

 Generic drugs :
Drugs marketed by any producers under
nonproprietary ( = INN) / approved names

 Patent drugs (branded – drugs):

pharmaceutical products marketed under
brand names
Class. of drugs in market
 Non-ethical drugs sold without prescription
• Unlimited drugs (B-class) = OTC drugs
– Without cautionary labellings
– Green dot in package
• Limited drugs (W-class) = semi OTC drugs
– With cautionary labellings
– Blue dot in package
– Through Apothics/licenced drugs
stores

 Ethical drugs • sold base on prescription

• red dot in package

Potensial drugs (G-class)

Narcotics drugs (O-class)
– Under strict supervision
Develop. of clin. Pharmacology
(related factors)

1. The increasing number of new drugs

(drugs explossions)
2. The realization that the choice, safe &
effective use of drugs depend on
knowledge that can best be obtained
by systematic scientific study
3. The occurrence of several therapeutic
disasters
4. Information explossions in medicine
Scope of clin. pharmacology
1. Improvement of patient care
By promoting the safer and more effective
use of drugs
2. Increase research
Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic,
clinical trial, individual variations in drug
response, other
3. Teaching
Medical students, hospital staff, physicians
4. Services
Drugs information, TDM, DUS, ADRM, drug
adviser in some institutions