The therapeutic goods administration contributes to the safe use of medications in two ways. The first way is through regulating therapeutic goods. This is achieved by having systems in place that ensure manufacturers meet standards for producing goods, authorise supply, monitor products once they reach the market and take action if there are any defects of the product and identify illegal activities like counterfeiting and stopping it from occurring. The second way in which they contribute is through employing highly qualified individuals who make sure Australia’s therapeutic goods meet quality and safety requirements. These include doctors, scientists and biomedical engineers, as well as many other specialists. (Government, n.d.)
Pharmacokinetics explains how the drug is altered as it makes its way through the body. This takes place through absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. Absorption is the process of a substance entering the blood circulation. Distribution is the dispersion or dissemination of substances throughout the fluids and tissues of the body. metabolism is the recognition by the organism that a foreign substance is present. Excretion is the removal of the substances from the body.
(Ruiz-Garcia, Bermejo, Moss, & Casabo, 2007)
Pharmacodynamics explains how the drug affects the body. It explores the molecular mechanisms by which drugs cause biological effects
(Multimedia, Services, & Texas, 2008)
The first-pass effect is a phenomenon of drug metabolism where the concentration of a drug is greatly reduced before it experiences circulation. Rowland, Malcolm (1972). It is the fraction of drug which is not absorbed which is due to the liver and gut wall. Some drugs when consumed bypass the first pass effect. After a drug is consumed, it is absorbed by the digestive system and enters the hepatic portal system. It is carried through the portal vein into the liver and then makes its way into the body. The liver metabolizes many drugs which sometimes results in only a small amount of active drug moving from the liver to the rest of the circulatory system. This first pass through the liver significantly reduces the bioavailability of the drug. Alternative routes of administration like suppository, intravenous, intramuscular, inhalational aerosol, transdermal and sublingual avoid the first-pass effect because they allow drugs to be absorbed directly into the systemic circulation. Drugs with high first pass effect have a considerably higher oral dose than sublingual or parenteral dose. There is marked individual variation in the oral dose due to differences in the extent of first pass metabolism.
(Pond, Susan M.; Tozer, Thomas N. (1984))
glyceryl trinitrate (anginine) must be taken sublingually due to the fact that if it is taken orally, it will go through the first pass effect and as a result will not perform its function as bioavailability is 38% after sublingual and 1% after oral administration. It’s used for the treatment of chest pain presumed to be due to the heart and heart failure through acting as a nitric oxide donor from the endothelial cell in blood vessels, inducing vasodilation by relaxing the smooth muscles of the blood vessels. (Marshall, 2014)
roles and responsibilities of the doctor include establishing a trustful patient-doctor relationship, diagnosis and prognosis, complex decision-making, a multidisciplinary approach, leadership in health services and in the community and training the next generation of doctors. Patients need to be able to trust doctors and can be reassured if doctors support the patient in better understanding their condition and discussing the risk, benefit and uncertainties of various tests and treatments. Diagnosis is a key feature of a doctor as they need to respond to the illness by prioritizing and synthesizing information, forming an assessment and implementing the strategy in removing the illness. (Limited, 2015)
Roles and responsibilities of a nurse include being a caregiver, decision maker, communicator, patient advocate, teacher and management of care. A key role is being a patient advocate which entails protecting the rights of the patient. An example of this is when a patient is sick and unable to operate normally it is crucial that the nurse determines what the patient wants. A nurse is also a decision maker as they have to analyse the patient, observe the issue and carrying out interventions in order to promote the health of the client. Another role of the nurse is being a teacher which entails gving the patient an understanding of what their condition is. (LLC, 2014)
The main responsibility of a pharmacist helping the patient get healthier. Pharmacists train in all specialites of healthcare whether exposed to the public eye or not but pharmacists are important in nearly every facet of healthcare. Pharmacist responsibilities range from producing medications to monitoring patient health and progress to optimize their response to medication therapies. Pharmacists also educate patients on how to ideally use prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. Pharmacists educate and advise physicians, nurses, and other health professionals on medication therapy decisions. Pharmacists also provide expertise about the composition of drugs, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties and their manufacture and use. They ensure drug purity and strength and make sure that drugs do not interact in a harmful way.