Methods and rules for the use of drugs

The speed of the onset of the effect, as well as the duration and severity of the action, depends on the use of drugs. Pharmacotherapy is an important part of the treatment process. The following types of therapy are distinguished:

• substitution - makes up for the lack of biologically active substances in the body of the individual;
• pathogenetic - affects the mechanism of the disease;
• etiotropic - removes the provocateurs of the disease; symptomatic - aimed at eliminating individual symptoms.

Medicines are introduced into the body of an individual in various ways.

General rules for using drugs

The rules for the use of medicines are based on the right choice:

• the individual;
• medication;
• doses;
• time of administration;
• method of administration.

The introduction of drugs to a patient in medical institutions is carried out by a nurse. The undesirable reaction that occurs on the drug depends on the characteristics of the patient and the sensitivity of his organs and tissues.

There are certain rules of use, which, with some exceptions, are the same both in a medical institution and when taken at home. Let us consider in more detail the procedure for the use of drugs in a hospital. The actions of the nurse are as follows:

• Giving drugs to patients is always on time.
• Read the label three times before giving the medicine to the patient.
• Make a note and medical history, namely, indicate the time, date, trade name of the drug, dose, and also the route of administration.
• When administering the medicine several times during the day, it is imperative to observe the time interval.
• Medicines prescribed during meals are given with food. Before meals - 15 minutes before eating. After eating - 15 minutes after the patient ate. On an empty stomach - at least 20 and a maximum of 60 minutes before breakfast. 30 minutes before bedtime, sleeping pills are given. Infusions, potions, decoctions and syrups are poured into graduated beakers. After use, they must be disinfected. Alcohol extracts and tinctures are measured in drops. For each name of the drug take a separate pipette.

Often in inpatient facilities, medical workers pre-arrange the medicines necessary for patients for medical use in trays divided into separate cells, each of which shows the patient's last name, first name and patronymic, as well as the room number. The disadvantages of this distribution order are as follows:

• There is no control on the part of the physician over the administration of sick drugs. They may forget to accept them, throw them away, etc.
• The time regimen is not respected, that is, the conditions for taking medications are not maintained - after or during meals, etc.
• High probability of errors during layout.
• The patient may not understand which drug is in the tray.

Features of the use of medicines for children

The use of many medicines, in accordance with official instructions, is permitted from a certain age. The reason is that appropriate studies have not been conducted due to the difficulty of testing them in children and newborns. When prescribing drugs to a child, the doctor must take into account age, weight and dosage form. In addition, taking some of the approved medicines can lead to serious consequences. For example, the use of antibiotics in the first months after birth leads to persistent dysbiosis, enzymatic deficiency, pseudomembranous enterocolitis.

Medicines for the medical use of herbal origin should also be prescribed with caution, since they can provoke irritation of the mucous membrane, and with prolonged use, cause changes at the gene level. In addition, allergic manifestations are considered the most common side effect. When choosing a dosage form for children, it is desirable to take into account their preferences. Children's forms often contain pleasant flavors, which greatly facilitates the reception and does not cause dissatisfaction on the part of the small patient.

The use of drugs in the elderly and senile

Elderly and senile age requires the use of low doses, as patients of these age groups often experience adverse reactions. It is rather difficult to predict the results of therapy in such patients. The main goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate painful signs and improve the quality of life. Due to the fact that many pathologies in chronic individuals are of a chronic nature and require constant pharmacotherapy, they should be prescribed medications that have been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials.

The use of medicines in women in position

In this case, before deciding on the appointment, the doctor is guided by the following rules for the use of medicines:

• risk and benefit are assessed, i.e., the drug is prescribed if the expected health benefits of the expectant mother outweigh the risk to the fetus;
• if there is the slightest opportunity, then refrain from taking any medication in the first trimester;
• Do not use drugs with a low level of evidence;
• only minimal doses and single drugs are allowed.

In addition, it is necessary to fulfill the following conditions - take into account the gestational age, use those drugs that have been shown to be safe during their gestation, and metabolic pathways are known, which will allow for the appearance of adverse events.

Advantages and disadvantages of different methods of drug administration

There are several ways to use drugs: external, enteral, parenteral. Each of them has its pros and cons.

Enteral medication

In this case, medications are administered:

• Through the mouth - this is one of the simplest, most convenient and common methods of administration. Inside, both solid (capsules, powders, dragees, tablets) and liquid (decoctions, syrups, potions, tinctures) dosage forms are taken. The disadvantages of this method of administration: drugs are destroyed by intestinal and gastric juice, a low rate of entry into the blood, dyspeptic disorders are possible, which are manifested by constipation, nausea, diarrhea, or reflex vomiting.
  
  Small patients often refuse to use solid form drugs due to unpleasant taste and smell, and difficulty swallowing due to the large size of capsules and tablets.
• Sublingual (under the tongue) - some dosage forms are recommended for use only in this way, for example, Nitroglycerin, Glycine.
• Rectally (into the rectum) - a drug introduced in this way is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, while the liver bypasses and is not affected by intestinal juice enzymes. The entire dose of the administered drug is completely absorbed. Protein-based medicines, as well as polysaccharide complexes and fats, have a local effect, as they do not penetrate the rectal wall due to the absence of enzyme substances in it. In this way, suppositories and solutions are administered using an enema.

External use of drugs

With this method, the administered drugs have a local effect. They penetrate the body of an individual through:

• Mucous membranes - in this case, liquid (aqueous solutions), soft (suppositories and ointments) and powder forms of medicines are used.
• Derma - by rubbing, applying a thin layer using a bandage. For these purposes, use liquid, soft and solid dosage forms.
• The inhalation route is the ingestion of medication by inhalation. Drugs are administered with the help of inhalers, turbochaler, etc.

Parenteral Medication

The use of drugs parenterally means bypassing the digestive tract. In this case, the drug is administered:

• Intramuscularly - the easiest and most affordable method.
• Intradermally - for diagnostic purposes, for example, the Mantoux test, as well as for local anesthesia.
• Intracranial - with deformation of the extremities, extensive burns, collapse, convulsions, terminal conditions, the impossibility of intravenous administration, which is important in children's practice.
  
• Subcutaneous - shown in cases where it is important to obtain a faster effect than by ingestion, since the subcutaneous fat layer, well equipped with blood vessels, promotes active absorption of drugs.
• In the lymphatic vessels - this method of using drugs prevents rapid metabolism, since the active substance does not pass through the kidneys and liver. It is used to pinpoint the active substance to the affected focus.
• Intravenous - convenient for the introduction of large volumes of medicines, as well as blood tests, blood transfusions.
• Intraarterial - used in terminal stages, which are the result of an infectious pathology, shock, asphyxiation or blood loss.
• In the articular, abdominal, pleural cavity, as well as intracardiac.

Dosage Forms

Depending on the method of dosing or application, the forms of drugs are different: drops, powders, tablets, lotions and others. According to the state of aggregation, liquid (extracts, solutions, mucus, decoctions, suspensions, syrups, tinctures), solid (tablets, films, capsules, dragees, granules), soft (plasters, ointments, suppositories, pills) and gaseous (aerosols) forms are distinguished . Depending on the method of use, the dosage forms are distinguished: internal, for injection and external. The latter include:

• Pastes - consist of an ointment base (castor, sunflower, peach oil, anhydrous lanolin, cocoa butter, etc.), in which solids with healing properties are added.
• Chatterboxes - they are also called solutions that need to be shaken before use. The main component is water. Various powder-type substances are added to it, for example, starch, talc, zinc oxide, which greatly dry the skin. In order to avoid such a problem, oils are introduced into the talker - olive, glycerin or petroleum jelly.
• Solutions or lotions - the basis of most of these dosage forms is water, in which active substances with different pharmacological effects are dissolved. And also the solutions can be alcohol or soap based. They are used for compresses, moxibustions, lotions, wipes, etc.
• Powders are finely divided powder of xeroform, talc, starch, etc.
• Creams are emulsions consisting of water in oil or, conversely, from a solution of oil in water. Additionally, various medicinal additives and cosmetic fragrances are introduced into them.
• Gels are colloidal semi-solid suspensions or solutions.
• Plasters - are a plastic mass on a substrate, which can be paper, canvas, etc. It is able to adhere tightly to the dermis, exerting a certain effect on it and subcutaneous tissue. Patches are the progenitors of modern transdermal therapeutic systems that transport active substances through the skin for systemic effects on the patient's body.
• Ointments - unlike pastes, they have more base and less solid components.
  
• Aerosols or sprays are dispersed systems having a gaseous medium. It can be from a mixture of gases, freon or nitrogen. All aerosols, depending on the particle size of the dispersed phase, are divided into low-, medium- and highly dispersed. The use of drugs in this form allows you to spray the active substance in the body of the individual evenly.
• Varnishes are a liquid that, after application and drying, forms a thin film on the dermis. They are used mainly for deep and localized effects, for example, on warts, nail plates.

Conclusion

Active substances that are used in certain doses to prevent or treat a pathological condition are called medicines. And such a capacious concept as the circulation of medicines for medical use includes:

• preclinical and clinical studies;
• state registration;
• production;
• storage;
• vacation;
• destruction;
• application;
• advertising, etc.

Medicines have a different effect on the body of an individual. In addition to therapeutic, they are able to provoke side effects. Adverse reactions can be reduced or eliminated completely with a dose reduction or complete withdrawal of the drug.

Storage and use of medicines is regulated by certain regulatory documents that medical professionals must know.