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Medical Science
Grade 10-12
Pharmacology Basics Cheat Sheet
A printable reference covering drug names, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, dosage calculations, routes, adverse effects, and medication safety for grades 10-12.
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Pharmacology is the study of how medicines work in the body and how they are used safely to treat disease. This cheat sheet helps students understand drug actions, dosing, routes of administration, side effects, and safety checks. These basics are important for anyone studying health science, nursing, medicine, pharmacy, or emergency care. Knowing the language of pharmacology makes medication information easier to read and apply.
Key Facts
- Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to a drug through absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, often remembered as ADME.
- Pharmacodynamics describes what a drug does to the body, including receptor binding, therapeutic effects, and toxic effects.
- The basic dose formula is dose to give = desired dose / available dose x quantity.
- The oral route is convenient but usually has slower onset because the drug must pass through the digestive system before reaching the bloodstream.
- The intravenous route delivers medicine directly into the bloodstream and usually has the fastest onset.
- A drug's half-life is the time required for the amount of drug in the body to decrease by 50%.
- Therapeutic index compares a drug's effective dose to its toxic dose, and a narrow therapeutic index means careful monitoring is needed.
- The six rights of medication administration are right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, and right documentation.
Vocabulary
- Pharmacology
- Pharmacology is the study of drugs, including how they work, how the body processes them, and how they are used safely.
- Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacokinetics is the study of how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body.
- Pharmacodynamics
- Pharmacodynamics is the study of how a drug affects the body and produces its effects.
- Therapeutic Effect
- A therapeutic effect is the intended helpful effect of a medication, such as lowering fever or reducing pain.
- Adverse Effect
- An adverse effect is an unwanted or harmful reaction caused by a medication.
- Contraindication
- A contraindication is a condition or situation in which a drug should not be used because it may cause harm.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing generic and brand names is wrong because one drug can have several brand names but only one generic name, which can lead to duplicate dosing.
- Ignoring units in dosage calculations is wrong because mixing mg, g, mL, and tablets can produce a dose that is too high or too low.
- Assuming all routes work at the same speed is wrong because IV, oral, inhaled, topical, and subcutaneous drugs enter the body at different rates.
- Focusing only on the desired effect is wrong because adverse effects, allergies, interactions, and contraindications are part of safe medication use.
- Skipping the patient safety checks is wrong because even the correct drug can be unsafe if given to the wrong patient, at the wrong dose, or by the wrong route.
Practice Questions
- 1 A medication order says 500 mg, and the available tablets are 250 mg each. How many tablets should be given?
- 2 A patient receives 100 mg of a drug with a half-life of 4 hours. How much drug remains after 8 hours, assuming simple half-life decay?
- 3 A liquid medication contains 125 mg in 5 mL. How many mL are needed to give a 250 mg dose?
- 4 Explain why an intravenous medication usually acts faster than an oral medication, and name one safety concern this creates.