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absorption
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the transmission of a drug from the site of administration to the bloodstream
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adverse drug reaction
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an undesirable, unexpected, and potentially dangerous response to a drug that occurs at therapeutic drug dosages
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affinity
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the strength of attraction of a drug to a receptor site; drugs with high affinity have a strong attraction to the receptor
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agonist
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a drug that interacts with a receptor, causing a response
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antagonist
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a drug that blocks a receptor, thus blocking an agonist from binding to the receptor and activating it
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bioavailability
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the drug concentration available to bind to receptors at its target tissue or site of action; a subcategory of absorption
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body surface area
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the total surface area of the human body; to be used as a tool in the calculation of dosing medications
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cutaneous
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relating to the skin
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deltoid
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a muscular area located above the armpit and 2 to 3 fingerbreadths below the acromion process used for small intramuscular injections (less than 1 mL of medication)
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dependence
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when the body has a physiological or psychological need for a drug
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distribution
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the transportation of medication to the sites of action via bodily fluids; it is influenced by the ability to travel to the site of action through the bloodstream
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duration of action
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the length of time that a drug’s concentration is sufficient to cause a therapeutic response
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enteral
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the administration of medication via the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
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excretion
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the elimination of drugs from the body, primarily through the kidneys
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first-pass effect
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a phenomenon in which an oral drug gets metabolized at a specific location in the body that results in a reduced concentration of the active drug upon reaching its site of action
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half-life
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the time it takes for the serum drug concentration to be reduced by 50%
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health literacy
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an individual’s ability to obtain, understand, and make appropriate decisions based on information to promote their health and wellness
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indication
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the reason why a drug might be given
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intramuscular
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the administration of a drug into a muscle
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intravenous (IV)
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the administration of a drug directly into a vein
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intrinsic activity
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the maximal effect that can be produced by a drug
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ligand
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a molecule that binds to a receiving protein molecule or receptor
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mechanism of action
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the way a drug produces its effects on the body, or the way a drug works
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medication reconciliation
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the process of identifying and verifying the most accurate list of medications that a client is taking, including the drug name, dosage, frequency, and route that the client is taking
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metabolism
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where a drug is changed into a less active or an inactive form by the action of enzymes—usually in the liver—and then is excreted in the stool or urine; metabolism prepares a drug for excretion from the body
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minimum effective concentration (MEC)
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the minimum concentration of a drug that produces an intended therapeutic effect
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onset of action
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the time at which a drug produces a therapeutic effect after drug administration
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parenteral
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the administration of medication anywhere other than the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
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partial agonist
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drugs that function as either agonists or antagonists depending upon the level of the surrounding full agonist
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peak
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the time during which a drug has the maximum serum concentration
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pharmacodynamics
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the way a drug interacts with receptors, target cells, body systems, and organs to produce effects, or what the drug does to the body
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pharmacokinetics
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the movement of a drug through the body, or what the body does to the drug
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receptor
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a reactive site on the surface or inside of a cell; often what happens with a drug is that it attaches itself to a receptor to elicit a therapeutic response
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side effect
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secondary effects produced by a drug at therapeutic doses
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subcutaneous
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the administration of a drug into the adipose (fat) tissue
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therapeutic effectiveness
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the drug is doing what the drug is supposed to do—the most important quality a drug should have
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therapeutic index
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the ratio of the dose of a drug that produces a therapeutic effect to the dose that causes toxicity; sometimes known as the therapeutic window
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tolerance
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a condition where the body adapts to a substance (drug) after repeated administration, and gradually, over time, the body requires higher doses to achieve the same initial effect (often seen in opioid use)
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toxicity
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excessive amounts of a serum drug level in the body, usually seen when the body’s normal mechanism for metabolizing or excreting a drug is compromised
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transdermal
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topical administration of a drug through a patch on the skin
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ventrogluteal
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a muscular area below the iliac crest on the lateral aspect of the thigh considered to be the safest, most preferred site for intramuscular injections