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Chapter 9Understanding Drugs
and Medicines
Analgesic• A medicine that relieves pain
Stimulant• A drug that increases alertness
Vaccine• A medicine that prevents infection in
people exposed to infectious agents
OTC• Over the Counter• A medicine available without a prescription
Prescription Medicine• A drug that required a written
order from a doctor because it treats serious health conditions or is a very powerful medicine
Sedative• A medicine that causes Sleepiness
Addiction• A condition in which a person cannot
control his or her drug use.
Active Ingredient• A chemical that gives a drug its action
Drugs of Abuse VS Medicines
• Drugs of abuse have no medical purpose, while medicines treat, prevent, or cure illnesses
Medicines
• People may have – Allergic reactions– Anaphylactic shock (Anaphylaxis is a severe,
potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you're allergic to)
– Side effects
Testing of Medicines•Test on cell cultures•Test on animals•Tests on healthy humans•Clinical Trials
Medicines
• Before taking medicines prescribed by your doctor you should:– Ask the doctor if you can take a generic form of
the medicine– Ask the doctor if there any side effects– Ask the doctor what to do if a side effect occurs
Chemical Messengers• Help the brain process information and affect
emotions are released at synapses
Medicines•Must be safe to use•Must be effective•Must have only minor side effects
Drug Origins• Natural sources• Laboratories
OTC Medicines• Decide what works best for you• Read the list of uses to find out if
the medicine will relieve your symptoms• Decide whether you want generic
or brand name medicine
Methods used to administer medicines
• Implanted pumps• Inhalers• Injections• Oral• Transdermal patches• lotions
Addiction•Avoid drugs
Drug Withdrawal• The unpleasant symptoms
drive the addict to take more of the drug to relieve the symptoms
Experimentation with Drugs• Can lead to more regular pattern of
abuse• Pleasure can lead to repeated use
resulting in tolerance and then physical dependence• Adolescent brains are more vulnerable to
the effects of drugs than adult brains are
Test Tomorrow Chapter 9
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