- Absorption
The process by which the drug enters the blood stream - Active uptake
Absorption of drugs and nutrients by means of a chemical reaction as opposed to diffusion - Activity
This is where the drug acts upon the body - Adverse drug reaction
Any response to a drug that is noxious and unintended and that occurs at doses used in man for prophylaxis, diagnosis or therapy - Akathisia
Restlessness - An assault
The apprehension that there will be an unlawful touching - Anorexia
Loss of appetite - Arrhythmias
Deviations from the normal rhythm of the heart - Ataxia
Shaky movements and an unsteady gait - Battery
Touching without consent - Blood-brain barrier
The semi-permeable membrane which keeps circulating blood separate from the tissue fluids surrounding the brain - Cardiac arrhythmia
Abnormal heart beat - Cerebral perfusion
Blood supply to the brain - Delirium
Mental disorder characterised by illusions, disorientation,hallucinations and sometimes agitation - Distribution
Where the drug goes in the body after absorption.This depends on the nature of the drug. Some drugs tendto accumulate in fatty tissue, some in muscle, some bind to plasma proteins in the blood, some remain free in the blood plasma. Most do a mixture of the above. - Drug compliance
How closely to the prescriber's intentions a medication is actually taken - Dysarthria
Speech disorder - Dysphagia
Swallowing difficulties - Dystonia
Abnormal face and body movements - Enteric coating
This is a special coating on the outside of a tablet or capsule that does not dissolve in acid - Excretion
Where the drug or the "metabolites" of the drug leave the body. This is usually undertaken by the kidneys. - Extrapyramidal (anti-dopaminergic) side effects
Otherwise known as Parkinsonism. Characterised by: tremor, rigidity, povity of movement, difficulty swallowing, loss of facial tone, and stooped, shuffling gait - Formulation
Type of preparation. E.g. Tablets, capsules,suspensions & solutions - Glomerular filtration rate
the rate at which blood is filtered through the kidneys - Hang-over effects
Drug effects lasting into the following day - Hepatic
Concerning the liver - Homeostatic mechanisms
The processes by which the internal systems of the body are maintained in balance - Hyponatraemia
Low sodium levels - Hypothermia
Low body temperature - Inanition
Exhaustion caused by lack of nutrients in the blood - Induction
Speeding up - Intracellular fluid
Liquid contained within the cells of the body - Ionised
Electrically polarised. Substances that are ionised tend to be water soluble - Lipid solubility
Solubility in fatty tissues - Metabolism
This is the breakdown of the drug by the body usually undertaken by enzymes in the liver. Some drugs are designed so as to become active after they have been metabolised. These are called "pro-drugs". - Organic changes
Physical and structural alteration - Palpitations
An awareness of the heartbeat - Paradoxical excitement
Agitation caused by administration of a sedative - Peak plasma level
The highest concentration that a drug reaches in the blood - pH
Level of acidity. Less than 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral, more than 7 is alkaline - Pharmacodynamics
What the drug does to a body - Pharmacokinetics
What the body does to a drug - Polypharmacy
Multiple drug prescribing - Prophylaxis
Prevention - Prostatism
Enlargement of the prostate gland - Receptor - a, b1 and b2
Different types of adrenaline receptor sites inthe body - Renal
Concerning the kidneys - Steady state
The plasma level oscillating between the same maximum and minimum with each successive dose - Sub-therapeutic
Below the dose required to have a medicinal benefit - Syncope
Fainting - Tachycardia
Quickened pulse - Tardive dyskinesia
Involuntary, abnormal movements - Therapeutic index
The difference between the minimum plasma level for the drug to be clinically effective and the plasma level at which the drug becomes toxic - Thermoregulation
Control of temperature - Tubular secretion
The process by which the blood is filtered by the kidneys and reabsorption - Xerostemia
Dry mouth
