DRUGS

Dr.CH.V.V.SATYANARAYANA MURTHY, M.Sc.,M.Phil.,Ph.D.

Professor & HOD of Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry

IDEAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

VIDYUT NAGAR,KAKINADA-3.

Drug Derived from French word drogue means a

dry herb
Drug may be defined as a substance used in the
prevention, diagnosis, treatment or cure of disease in
animals including man
Drug is a substance with an abnormal effect on
certain body functions.
Disease is a Pathological process and its
treatment with a drug ( a chemical compound or a
mixture of chemical compounds) is a scientific
process.
The science dealing with the action of drugs
Pharmacology

Characteristics of a Drug:

The action of an ideal drug should be

localized at the site where it is desired to act.
It should be non-toxic.
it should have minimum side effects.
It should not injure host tissues or
physiological process
it should be efficient.
it should not make the host cells resistant to
the drug after its use for some time.

History of Pharmacopoeia:
Every country has legislation on Pharmaceutical
preparations that sets standards and obligatory quality
indices for medicaments, raw materials and
preparations employed in the manufactures of drugs.
These regulations are presented in separate articles
general and specific relating to individual drugs, and
are published in the form of a book called a
Pharmacopoeia.
Pharmakon-----drug or medicine
Poieo------------to make
The first British Pharmacopoeia (B.P.)---1864
U.S. Pharmacopoeia ( U.S.P.)-1820
I.P. Pharmacopoeia (I.P.) -1955

Storing of drugs under specific conditions:

1. cold
-- between 2 0 and 80C.
2. cool
-- between 8 0 and 250C
3. Room Temperature
-- between 24 0 and 300C
4. warm
-- between 30 0 and 400C
5. Excessive heat
-- above 40 0C
Whenever specific directions have been not
given in the individual monograph, it means the
storage conditions, which include protection from
moisture, freezing and excessive heat.

Sources of Drugs

1. Chemical synthesis
2. micro organisms
3. minerals
4.flowering plants(seed producing)
5. animals

--- 50%
--- 12%
--- 7%
--- 25%
--- 6%

Bacteria:
These are a group of micro-organisms which are
unicellular and surrounded by rigid, complex, protein,
cell wall.
Gram +ve - retain the violet stain of grams reagent
Gram ve - do not retain the stain of grams reagent
Grams Reagent------Crystal violet + iodine
Virus:
These are very small microorganisms which are
parasitic within living cells. These differ from bacteria
in having only one kind of nucleic acid, either DNA or
RNA.

Absorption of drug:
A drug is its ability to reach the site where it is
required , this is generally achieved by the process of
absorption.
Weakly acidic drugs -- absorbed more readily in the
Weakly basic drugs

stomach.
-- absorbed more readily in
intestine.

SHELF LIFE OF DRUG

The expiration date or shelf-life of a drug
product is defined as the time at which the average
drug characteristic (e.g., potency) remains within
an approved specification after manufacture
(FDA, 1987). The United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) requires that a shelf-life be
indicated on the immediate container label of
every drug product

The stability of drug and its dosage is of

great importance for prediction of its shelf life. In
traditional way, the drugs or dosages are normally
conserved at room temperature and investigated
until they lose their pharmacy effect. Therefore,
the traditional method is really time consuming

The results obtained show that there is a

correlation between pk (i.e. negative logarithm of
rate constant of decomposition/evaporation process)
and shelf life of the drugs . It is suggested that the
shelf life of the drugs should be classified into the
following 3 ranges in terms of their pk values and the
initial temperature of thermal decomposition;

range I (pk7.0, and initial temperature T 450 K),

the shelf life of drugs is between 1.5 and 2 years;
range II (pk < 12.0, and initial temperature T > 450
K), the shelf life of drugs is about 3 years;
range III (pk > 12.0, and initial temperature T was
not defined at present yet), the shelf life of drugs is
between 4 and 5 years.

Antimalarials:
It is characterized by periodic fever, anemia and
enlargement of liver and spleen.
In human being it is caused by the few species of
plasmodium when an infected female anopheles bites
to the man. I.e., actually first of all the Plasmodium
Protozoan infects female anopheles which then infects
the human.
Chloroquine derivatives are most widely used.

General Anaesthetics:
Anaesthesia means insensibility
Those drugs which produce insensibility to the
vital functions of all types of cells especially those of
the nervous system.
The effect produced by an anaesthetic is
reversible, which means that the effected organs return
to the normal state as soon as the concentration of the
anaesthetic is decreased.

Characteristics:
It should be inert
It should be potent and nonflammable
it should be non-irritating to mucous membranes.
it should produce not only anaesthesia but also
analgesia and muscle relaxation.
it should not produce severe hypo tension
it should be non-toxic to brain, liver, heart and
kidney.
it should not produce nausea or vomiting.

Classification:
General anaesthetics: These depress the central
nervous system to such an extent that all sensitivity to
pain or feeling is lost, i.e., they produce
unconsciousness all over the body.

Local anaesthetics:
These do not effect the whole body but make a part of
the body insensitive to pain or feeling.

Hypnotics and Sedatives

Hypnotics are
central nervous system
depressants that produce sleep to reduce
restlessness and emotional tensions.
The patient cannot be easily awakened until
the effect of the hypnotic wears out.
Sedatives are also central nervous system
depressants that reduce restlessness and emotional
tension without producing sleep.
Sedation

Hypnosis

Anaesthesia

Coma

Death

Anticonvulsant drugs:
The drugs used in the treatment of various types
of epilepsy are called anticonvulsant drugs.
Epilepsy is a disease which arises due to central
nervous system disorders.

Antiseptics:
Antiseptics are those chemical compounds
which prevent the sepsis of wounds, i.e., stops the
action of microorganisms either by inhibiting their
reproduction or causing their death.
Disinfectant kills the organisms outrightly.
An antiseptic action is milder but more
prolonged while a disinfectant action is immediate
but is of short duration.

Antituberculosis drugs:
Tuberculosis, the oldest fatal disease, is a
systematic infectious disease caused in man by
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium
bovis.
Athough tubercle bacilli may effect any organ or
tissue in the body, but lung is the most common
effected organ.
The disease may vary in intensity from the latent
tuberculosis to the acute generalized tuberculosis.
A drug used for treating the tuberculosis is
known as anti-tubercular drug.

Anti-Leprotic drugs:
Leprosy is a disease caused by Myco
bacterium Leprae, which cause characteristic
lesions in the skin and the peripheral nerves.
Plonged intimate contact for some years cause
leprosy lesions.
Its development takes many years to become
apparent, it needs prolonged drug therapy.

Anticancer agents(Antineoplastics drugs):

It is a type of tumor which means an unusual
amount of growth or enlargement of a tissue due to
uncontrolled and unlimited repeated divisions of
some cells.
It can develop after the age of 30 to 40 years.
Very rapid growth after the age of 45 to 50 years
Cancer may cause due to sudden alterations in
one or more chromosomes, or change occurs in
Cytoplasm.

Categories:
Non-malignant: It does not spread to other part
of the body and is removed by operation.
Malignant: It spreads all the neighbouring tissues
like the roots of the tree. In last stage tumour
growth bursts and cancereous cells migrate to
other parts of the body through the blood stream
metastasia --- causes death.

Cancer-causing agents
1.Heavy smoking.
2.chewing of pan or tobacco.
3. constant chronic physical irritation of tissue.
4. constant touch of carcinogenic compounds
5. x-rays, UV-rays and other ionizing radiations.

Cancer therapy:
1.Surgery: Cancerous cells are dislodged during
operation.
2. Radiotherapy: For checking and destroying the
cancerous growth
3. Chemotherapy: For producing temporary relief
from pain, for increasing survival time and for
decreasing the rate of spreading of the cancerous
growth.

Tranqkuilisers:
Tranquilisers are drugs which are employed in the
treatment of mental disorders.
It restores the peace of mind without producing sleep.

Cardiovascular drugs:
Drugs having direct action on the heart or other parts
of the vascular system and they modify the total
output of the heart or the distribution of blood to
certain parts of the circulatory system.

Diuretics:
Substances that increase the output of urine
by the kidneys are called diuretics are used for
increasing the excretion of sodium and chloride
ions in patients suffering from edema.
Edema: disease associated with abnormal
retention of salt and water in the extracellular parts
of the body.

Antipyretics and Analgesics:

Antipyretics---- Substances which reduce body
temperature in fever.
It effects the hypothalamine center which in turn
activates the dilation of the peripheral blood vessels
and increases the rate of perspiration which causes the
body to loose heat and subsequently lowers the body
temperature.
Analgesics----Compounds which relieve pain

Anticoagulants:
In the normal condition the blood is in the fluid state
and hence it can circulate very easily, through the blood
vessels. But sometimes to which we call abnormal state the
blood in the vascular system is clotted under the influence
of some substance.
The clotting or coagulation of blood interferes in its
circulation which leads to serious result ultimately death.
Clotting of blood is completely a biochemical
process.
In normal conditions the coagulation of blood in the
vascular system is prevented by an organic subsance,
heparin, produced in liver.

Drugs used in Diabetes:

Diabetes mellitus, the most common metabolic
disease, is caused by lack of insulin.
Insulintransport of glucose into cells.
Deficiency of insulinbuild up of glucose in the
blood and a deficiency of the
necessary glucose in the cell.
Pancreas---- release of insulin
Tolbutamide--- stimulate the secretion of insulin from

Antibiotics ( Antibacterial Agents)

Humans, and our domestic animals, can serve
as hosts to a wide variety of disease-causing
organisms (pathogens):
Bacteria
Viruses
Fungi
Protozoans
Helminths(worms).

There are many chemicals that are lethal to

bacteria
Natural products
Semi-synthetic products
Completely synthetic products

Don't use an antibiotic to treat a viral disease

(e.g., a cold) for which antibiotics are useless.
However, doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if
you are infected by an influenza virus not to fight
the virus but to protect you against a secondary
bacterial infection of your damaged lungs.
Don't save unused antibiotics for later
self-medication.

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

The effects of drugs can make two people taking
exactly the same drug behave in different ways
Why do some drug users become addicted, while
others dont?
As with many other conditions and diseases,
vulnerability to addiction differs from person to
person. Your genes, mental health, family and social
environment all play a role in addiction.

Risk factors that increase your vulnerability

include:
Family history of addiction
Abuse, neglect, or other traumatic experiences
in
childhood
Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety
Early use of drugs
Method of administrationsmoking or injecting
a drug may increase its addictive potential

DRUG EFFECTS
Drugs are split into four main groups:
Stimulants increase heart rate, making you chatty and
confident. They can also put a lot of strain on the heart.
Users can become depressed after using stimulants.
Depressants slow down the heart rate, making users
feel relaxed. They can also make users feel depressed,
drowsy and unable to concentrate.

Hallucinogens users see things in vivid colours

and often see things that aren't really there. The
feelings from these drugs can be very intense,
and can make you very giggly and 'drunk'.
Painkillers numb the senses, and can make
people feel better. They can be very addictive..

Alcohol gets into your bloodstream so the

effects can be almost immediate, but it can take
hours to wear off depending on your size,
weight, what you are drinking, how strong it is
and how much you drink
.

Bad judgement,
poor memory
infection
Alcoholic hepatitis

Impaired vision
and hearing
Cancer
stroke

urinary infections

Weakened

internal bleeding

Inflammation
Lack of co-ordination

Brittle bones
Lack of co-ordination

Impaired sexual
performance,
low sperm count

APPROXIMATE VALUES FOR DETECTION PERIODS

Urine

Substance

Hair

Blood

Alcohol

35 days via Ethyl

Gluconoride(EtG) metabolite or 10
12 hours via traditional method

up to years

12 hours

Barbiturates
(except
phenobarbital)

2 to 3 days

up to 90
days

1 to 2 days

Phenobarbital

7 to 14 days

up to 90
days

4 to 7 days

Cocaine

2 to 4 days

up to 90
days

24 hours

Codeine

2 days

up to 90
days

12 hours

Cotinine (a
break-down
product of
nicotine)

2 to 4 days

up to 90
days

2 to 4 days

Morphine

2 days

up to 90
days

6 hours

Heroin

2 days

up to 90
days

6 hours