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Drug Therapy
Advanced pharmacology
Drug therapy: Individualized drug therapies
Patient responses to drug therapy can vary widely between individuals. For example, not all patients find their pain alleviated by the same doses of analgesics; some patients can become suicidal when taking antidepressants rather than find their symptoms eased. It is because of the varied response of individuals, based upon their physical chemistry (as well as their social and psychological needs) that individualized drug therapy is necessary. The social and psychological component, it should be noted, must not be minimized. Some diabetic patients find it very difficult to regulate their blood sugar with a highly complex insulin regime and any modifications which can be made might be extremely helpful in terms of ensuring glucose stability and compliance with treatment.
Another component of different drug response mechanisms is that of allergies. Allergies to penicillin, sulfate drugs, eggs, and other substances are amongst the long list of potentially adverse reactions patients can have with medications that are otherwise harmless to non-sufferers. Thus, the reasons for different responses amongst patients can be extremely varied and difficult to predict. Just as all persons have different genetic makeups, so patients will have different responses.
Clinical drug trials can be helpful in predicting...
For example, adolescents in particular were found to be prone to suicidal ideation after being prescribed antidepressants. "Following a thorough and comprehensive review of all the available published and unpublished controlled clinical trials of antidepressants in children and adolescents, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public warning in October 2004 about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior (suicidality) in children and adolescents treated with SSRI antidepressant medications" ("Antidepressant medications," 2014). The reasons why antidepressants have such an effect upon some adolescents is poorly understood, but the observed effect was significant enough for the FDA to take note.
Ideally, some predictive mechanism when individualizing drug therapy is desirable when possible. "There are many approaches to individualization: selecting an antibiotic based on minimum effective concentrations and bacterial sensitivity, population (sparse sample) pharmacokinetics, therapeutic drug monitoring and, more recently, pharmacogenomics. The goal of individualization is to optimize the efficacy of a drug, minimize its toxicity, or both" (Lesko, & Schmidt 2012). Observations during drug trials have long been the most common method of monitoring responses. Testing drugs on a wider age, gender, and demographic…
References
Antidepressant medications for children and adolescents. (2014). NIMH. Retrieved from:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/antidepressant-medications-for-children-and-adolescents-information-for-parents-and-caregivers.shtml
Lesko, L.J. & Schmidt, S. (2012). Individualization of drug therapy: History, present state, and opportunities for the future. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 92, 458-466.
doi:10.1038/clpt.2012.113
Drug Therapy Case Study You are on a medical unit and caring for a new admission, Ms. Polly Pharm a 65-year-old grandmother. Polly has the presenting problems of Type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and gastritis. Ms. Pharm's current medication regime is Glimepiride 2mg mane (morning) Ibuprofen 200mg tds (3x day) Lansoprazole 30mg daily One of the foremost responsibilities of a professional nurse is the proper administration of pharmaceutical drugs and prescription medications. While the correct dosage
Poor Children, the Problem of Drug Therapy and Possible Alternatives Introduction Foster children are more likely than children in the general population to have mental health issues (Polihronakis, 2008). Part of the reason for this is that foster children are in foster care because they have been neglected in their own homes, their parents are incapable of providing food, love, shelter and nourishment, and they are in need of a nurturing environment.
Clinical Decision Making Process in Regards to Drug Therapy for the Elderly The objective of this study is to examine how an undergraduate student nurse would use the clinical decision-making process in regards to drug therapy for the elderly. Included will be issues and considerations for clients from different cultural and indigenous groups. The nurse role is significantly involved in the preparation and administration of medications and therapeutic substances in elderly
"The increased dopamine flow in the frontal cortex then allows the brain to carry on its executive functions as a normal brain would, thus counteracting the effects of ADHD" (3). Treatment of ADHD: Even for individuals with the illness for whom Adderall is most commonly prescribed, "The effectiveness of ADDERALL® for long-term use has not been systematically evaluated in controlled trials," in a longitudinal fashion and is usually a part of
Large quantities of drugs have slipped across the border in large propane tanks, hazardous materials containers, canned food, and drums of jalapeno peppers. One example of the increasingly innovative ways traffickers are smuggling drugs occurred when traffickers smuggled drugs from Mexico, into the United State, and then further into Canada concealed in a special mold of porcelain toilets. Clearly, the present DEA budget is no match for the virtually
Drugs of varying sorts, whether legal or illegal. The studies in question are either quantitative, qualitative, or a mixture of both. Of course, quantitative refers to the use of numbers and statistics to draw conclusions. Qualitative studies make use of feelings, thoughts and summaries. Indeed, this is less academic and objective in nature but it can explain the "why" of things rather than just the "what." Of course, many other