Welcome back to Nursing Pharmacology, everyone. I’m Julie Bullinger-Ballow, and today we’re kicking off with the absolute basics—what is pharmacology, and where do all these drugs actually come from? So, if you’re new to this, pharmacology is, at its core, the science of drugs and how they interact with living systems. That’s straight from Lehne’s Pharmacology for Nursing Care, and honestly, it’s the best definition I’ve seen.Yeah, and it’s wild to think about how far we’ve come, right? I mean, before modern science, people were just, well, kind of winging it—trial and error, watching what animals ate, hoping for the best. Now, most drugs are made in labs, but back then, it was all about plants, minerals, and sometimes even animal products. Imagine being the first person to try willow bark for pain—brave or just desperate?Oh, totally! And, like, my nan always says, “If the birds can eat it, it can’t be that bad.” Not sure I’d trust that logic with everything, but it’s a good reminder of how much we used to rely on nature. But now, with synthetic drugs, we can make things safer, stronger, and more targeted. It’s all about that therapeutic objective, right?Exactly, Ruby. And you know, tracing a medication’s origin can actually be really important. I remember this one time in the hospital, we had a patient with a weird allergic reaction. We couldn’t figure it out until we realized the drug was derived from a plant she was allergic to. It was a total “aha” moment, and it just shows how knowing where a drug comes from can make a real difference in patient care.That’s such a good point, Julie. It’s not just trivia—sometimes it’s the key to solving a clinical mystery. And now, with most drugs being made synthetically, we can avoid a lot of those issues, but it’s still something to keep in mind, especially with patients who have unusual allergies or sensitivities.Alright, so let’s talk about where we actually get our drug info. I mean, there’s so much out there—books, the internet, pharmacists, you name it. Julie, you mentioned the PDR before, right?Oh yes, the Physicians’ Desk Reference! Back in my nursing school days, that big red book was basically glued to my hand. It had pictures of every pill, which was a lifesaver when a patient would say, “I take the little blue one for my blood pressure.” We’d flip through, find the antihypertensives, and—bam—there it was. And if a nurse found a stray pill on the floor, we could ID it by color, shape, and imprint. Super helpful.And now, of course, we’ve got package inserts, handbooks, and, honestly, pharmacists are just brilliant. If they don’t know something, they’ve got access to resources we don’t even see. But let’s be real, a lot of people just Google it. And that’s where things can get a bit dicey.Oh, for sure. I mean, I’ve seen some wild stuff online. If you’re looking up drug info, stick to sites ending in .gov, .org, or .edu. Otherwise, you might end up reading someone’s blog about how eating garlic cures everything. Not exactly evidence-based, right?Yeah, let me jump in with a quick case study. So, I once compared advice from an official drug handbook with what I found on a random website. The handbook gave clear dosing, side effects, and warnings. The website? It said the drug was “totally safe for everyone” and recommended doubling the dose for “extra effect.” That’s not just wrong, it’s dangerous. Always verify your sources, especially online.Absolutely, Eric. And don’t forget about the USPDI—the United States Pharmacopeia and Drug Information. It’s updated every five years and is totally unbiased. But really, when in doubt, ask a pharmacist. They’re the real MVPs when it comes to medication safety.So, let’s get into prescription versus over-the-counter drugs. Prescription meds—you need a healthcare provider to order them, based on a diagnosis. OTCs, you can just grab off the shelf for things like headaches or allergies, as long as you follow the directions. They’re considered safe if you use them as directed, but that’s a big “if.”And then there’s the idea of the “ideal drug.” It’s got to be effective, safe, and selective. Effectiveness is obvious—does it work? Safety means it’s got a wide therapeutic index, so there’s a big gap between a helpful dose and a harmful one. Selectivity is about getting the effect you want without a bunch of side effects. Like, Benadryl works for allergies but makes you drowsy, so it’s not very selective. Zyrtec or Claritin are better in that sense—they don’t knock you out.Yeah, and the golden rule is always maximum benefit with minimum harm. Like, Zofran is great for nausea, but you gotta watch for side effects like dizziness—especially if someone’s at risk of falling. And with chemo, you’re weighing the benefit of killing cancer cells against the risk of things like bone marrow suppression. It’s always a balancing act.Right, and when it comes to drug classification, we usually start with the body system—like cardiovascular or respiratory—but that’s pretty broad. It’s more helpful to look at the drug’s action. For example, lisinopril is a cardiovascular drug, but more specifically, it’s an antihypertensive. Albuterol is a respiratory drug, but it’s really a bronchodilator. The more specific, the better for understanding what the drug actually does.And then there’s polypharmacy. My gran’s got this massive list of meds—some from her GP, some from her specialist, and a couple she just picked up at the chemist. It’s a lot to keep track of, and sometimes the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand’s doing, you know? That’s where things can get risky—adverse reactions, unnecessary prescriptions, all that. Electronic pharmacy records help, but you still need good communication between everyone involved.Yeah, it’s a real challenge. The more drugs, the more chances for interactions or mistakes. That’s why nurses and pharmacists play such a crucial role in keeping everything coordinated and safe.Well, that’s a wrap for today’s episode on the foundations of pharmacology. We’ve covered a lot, but there’s so much more to dig into. Thanks for joining us, Eric and Ruby—always a pleasure.Thanks, Julie. Looking forward to next time. Take care, everyone.Yeah, cheers, you two! And thanks to everyone listening—don’t forget to tune in for our next episode. Bye for now!

Episodes

Foundations of Pharmacology