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Chapter 19. Pharmacology for the Physical Therapist

Pharmacology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of how a drug's actions affect living tissue (Table 19-1). It is important for the physical therapist to have a working knowledge of pharmacology because of the number of drugs currently on the market and the number of physical therapy patients that are likely to have been prescribed medications.

Table 19-1. Pharmacology Terms and Definitions
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Table 19-1. Pharmacology Terms and Definitions

TERM

DEFINITION

Drug

Any substance that can be used to modify a chemical process or processes in the body, for example to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, enhance a performance or ability, or to alter states of mind

The word "drug" is etymologically derived from the Dutch/Low German word "droog," which means "dry," since in the past, most drugs were dried plant parts.

Pharmacology

The science of studying both the mechanisms and the actions of drugs, usually in animal models of disease, to evaluate their potential therapeutic value

Pharmacy

The mixing and dispensing of drugs

The monitoring of drug prescriptions for appropriateness and the monitoring of patients for adverse drug interactions

Pharmacotherapeutics

The use of chemical agents to prevent, diagnose, and cure disease

Pharmacokinetics

The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes and eliminates a drug

Pharmacodynamics

The study of the biochemical and physiologic effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action at the cellular or organ level

Pharmacotherapy

The treatment of a disease or condition with drugs

Pharmacogenetics

The study of how variation in human genes leads to variations in our response to drugs and helps direct therapeutics according to a person's genotype

Toxicology

A study of the negative effects of chemicals on living things, including cells, plants, animals, and humans

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Study Pearl

Some of the beneficial effects of drugs may be enhanced by physical therapy interventions, but in other cases the interventions may have negative consequences.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

  • Directs the drug development process
  • Gives approval for marketing a new drug
  • Approves a new use for an older drug

Drug regulation is essential to ensure a safe and effective product. The purposes of drug regulation include

  • Balancing the need of the pharmaceutical companies to show a profit with the need for patients to have easy access to effective medications
  • To ensure safety and efficacy of the drugs and review product labeling
  • To regulate the manufacturing process to ensure stability in the product
  • To control public access to drugs that have the potential for abuse

Controlled Substances

Controlled substances are drugs classified according to their potential for abuse. These drugs are regulated under the Controlled Substances Act, which classifies these compounds into schedules from I to V.

  • Schedule I: these drugs are ...

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