Nurs 251 -Module 1 Study Guide Pharmacology -Portage Learning

Module 11.1: An Introduction to Pharmacology ConceptsPharmacology is the study or science of drugs . What is a drug? A drug is any chemical that affects the physiologic processes of a living organism . Commonly, the term drug refers to any medication that is used for diagnosing, curing, or treating disease.Drug EffectsDrugs have many different effects on the body including the following: (1) therapeutic effects, (2) side effects, (3) adverseeffects, and (4) toxic effects. Therapeutic effect is the desired drug effect to alleviate some condition or symptom .Side effects are the drug effect other than the therapeutic effect that are usually undesirable but not harmful.Adverse effect is a general term for undesirable and potentially harmful drug effects .Toxic effects are undesirable drug effects that implies the drug is p oisoning the body and can be harmful or even life-threatening.Clinically, it is important to recognize the difference between these different ways drugs can affect the body. A simple side effect could be something as harmless as mild nausea after taking a medication that can be managed by taking it with food. The drug therapy can continue without a problem. However, a dverse effects need to be assessed to determinewhether there is