Introdução à FARMACOLOGIA | Farmacologia rápida e fácil | Flavonoide

Introduction to Pharmacology

Overview of Pharmacology

• Flavia Masson introduces herself as a pharmacist and explains the purpose of the video series, which aims to simplify pharmacological concepts in under ten minutes.

• Pharmacology is defined as the study of drug preparations, uses, effects, and mechanisms of action. It encompasses all chemical substances that affect physiological functions in the body.

Types of Drugs

• Drugs can be classified into three categories: natural (from nature), synthetic (lab-produced), and semi-synthetic (modified natural molecules).

• The interaction between drugs and receptors is likened to a key fitting into a lock, triggering cellular actions through binding.

Mechanisms of Drug Action

Agonists vs. Antagonists

• Ligands can either activate receptors (agonists) or block them (antagonists). Agonists trigger changes within cells while antagonists prevent other ligands from binding.

Endogenous vs. Exogenous Substances

• Endogenous substances are produced within the body (e.g., hormones), while exogenous substances originate outside the body (e.g., drugs).

Understanding Drugs and Medicines

Definitions Clarified

• A distinction is made between "drugs" as any chemical substance affecting bodily functions and "fármacos" which refer specifically to well-defined chemical structures with known effects.

• To qualify as a drug, it must have beneficial effects on health; thus, every drug is a fármaco but not vice versa.

Medicines Explained

• Medicines are final products derived from drugs intended for commercial therapeutic use. They must adhere to strict manufacturing standards set by regulatory agencies like Anvisa in Brazil.

Types of Medicines

Categories Based on Manufacturing Process

• Allopathic medicines treat symptoms by using opposing effects; for example, using antipyretics for fever.

• Homeopathic medicines aim to cure by mimicking symptoms in a non-aggressive manner.

Herbal Medicines

• Herbal medicines follow allopathic principles but utilize whole plants or parts thereof as active ingredients after undergoing industrial processing.

Characteristics Desired in New Drugs

Key Attributes

Understanding Pharmacology and Its Branches

Key Concepts in Drug Development

• Selectivity: Emphasizes the importance of targeting specific biological pathways, akin to a key fitting into a lock, to minimize unintended effects.

• Efficacy: Highlights the necessity for medications to be effective in treating conditions, ensuring that they achieve their intended purpose.

• Pharmacology as a Discipline: Describes pharmacology metaphorically as a mother with many children, indicating its diverse branches and areas of study.

Branches of Pharmacology

• Toxicology: Focuses on understanding the adverse effects substances can have on living organisms.

• Pharmacognosy: Studies natural active principles derived from both animal and plant sources, exploring their medicinal properties.

• Pharmacotechnics: Investigates the processes involved in manufacturing medicines and creating pharmaceutical forms.

Core Areas of Study

• Pharmacokinetics: Examines how the body interacts with drugs from entry to exit, emphasizing the challenges faced by drugs within biological systems.