Pharmacology

Pharmacology: The scientific study of drugs, their origins, chemical properties, actions, and uses in the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of disease.

• Pharmacology is the scientific study of drugs and their use in medicine.
• This includes pharmacokinetics (what the body does to the drug) and pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body).
• In midwifery, pharmacology focuses on medications used during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period, considering the impact on both the mother and the fetus/newborn.
• The study of pharmacology helps a midwife to use the drugs appropriately while caring for the pregnant mother.
• Pharmacology is divided into two major branches namely;
• Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics.

Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetics: The study of the movement of drugs within the body, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).

• Understanding pharmacokinetics is vital in midwifery to determine appropriate dosage and timing of medications, considering changes in maternal physiology during pregnancy and lactation.

Pharmacodynamics

Pharmacodynamics: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action. This includes drug receptor interactions and the relationship between drug concentration and effect.

• In midwifery, pharmacodynamics helps predict a drug’s efficacy and potential side effects in pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Drug

Drug: A substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or other animals.

• A drug is a chemical substance which alters the functioning of the body.
• Most drugs used in clinical practice are used to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases.
• A drug can have more than two names: chemical name, generic name and a brand name.
• The chemical names are normally used by chemists and are not used in clinical practice because they are usually very difficult to remember and write.
• This is a name given to a drug by an international body. Generic name of a drug is known worldwide. The Ministry of Health of Uganda recommends that all drug prescriptions should be written with generic names to avoid confusion. Examples include Oxytocin, Misoprostol.
• A brand name also called a trade name is a name given to a drug by a manufacturing company.
• All brand names begin with a capital letter and bear a symbol . Example Amoxil, Duramox*, Unixil*.

Medication

Medication: A drug administered for therapeutic purposes. This highlights the intentional use of a drug to achieve a specific clinical outcome.

Therapeutics

Therapeutics: The branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of disease and the use of drugs in the prevention and treatment of disease.

• In midwifery, therapeutic interventions include pain management, infection control, and management of obstetrical complications.

Toxicology

Toxicology: The study of poisons and the adverse effects of drugs and other chemicals on living organisms.

• In midwifery, toxicology is important for understanding the potential risks of medications to the mother and fetus, including teratogenicity (the ability to cause birth defects) and fetotoxicity (harm to the fetus).