Memorize the "Why is this an emergency?" list.
| Term | Plain English Definition | |------|--------------------------| | | The official chemical name (e.g., ibuprofen). | | Brand Name | The company’s marketing name (e.g., Advil). | | Half-life | Time it takes for the body to remove half of the drug. | | Bioavailability | Percentage of drug that actually enters the bloodstream. | | Therapeutic Index | Safety margin – narrow index = dangerous (e.g., Warfarin). | | Potency | How much drug is needed for an effect. | | Efficacy | The maximum effect the drug can produce. | pharmacology for dummies pdf
How the body chemically alters the drug, primarily in the liver. Memorize the "Why is this an emergency
How the drug enters the bloodstream (e.g., via the gut or an injection). Distribution: How it spreads through the body's tissues. | | Half-life | Time it takes for