Key Terminology in Pharmacy Technology and Health Science Practicum

1. Key Terminology 2 Practicum of Health Science – Pharmacy Tech Program

2. An unexpected and undesirable effect caused by a drug; different from a known side effect. • Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) • One single, relatively large quantity of a substance, administered rapidly. • Bolus

3. Severe or fatal reaction by a patient to an agent for which the patient has become extremely sensitized. • Anaphylactic Shock • Agent that stops or inhibits the growth of bacteria (such as erythromycin) • Bacteriostatic agent

4. Procedures designed to prevent contamination of drugs, packaging, equipment, or supplies by microorganisms during processing. • Aseptic preparation • A substance that kills bacteria or inhibits its growth. • Antibacterial agent

5. Used to treat cancer by substituting in or blocking the use of essential nutrients and enzymes • antimetabolites • A drug that is able to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria or other microorganisms. • antibiotics

6. Air pressure is greater inside of an enclosed area as compared to outside of enclosed area. This forces particulate matter to the outside of the enclosed area. • positive air pressure

7. An IV access into one of the major blood vessels • central line • Extraneous undissolved mobile substances, such as precipitate present in the parenteral products • particulate matter

8. Occurs when two or more chemical substances react and cause a significant change of one or more of the substances. • chemical incompatibility • A sterile, injectable medication (i.e. SC, ID, IM, IV) • parenteral

9. Condition or circumstance that mandates that a drug should not be given • contraindication • An infection acquired while the patient is in the hospital or healthcare facility • nosocomial infection

10. When a drug accumulates in the body faster than the body can metabolize or eliminate it • cumulative effect • A drug administered for therapeutic purposes into the body via the vascular system • infusion

11. Fluids used to dissolve drugs in solid form • diluents • Two or more drugs mixed together that cause either a physical, chemical or therapeutic change in the drug, and produce undesirable effects • incompatible

12. Long or short term IV feeding of high protein, high carbohydrate solutions to provide a patient’s total nutritional requirements • Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) • The substance that is dissolved in a solution • solute

13. Measure and documented evidence, providing a high degree of assurance that a specific process will consistently produce a product meeting its predetermined specifications and quality attributes • process validation

14. The complete destruction of microorganisms by heat or other method; free of microorganisms. • sterilization • The outcome that is expected for a particular disease, and whether there is a chance for recovery • prognosis

15. The substance used to dissolve another substance (the solute) • solvent • The set of activities used to assure that the process used in the preparation of sterile drug products leads to products that meet predetermined standards of quality • quality assurance

16. Some drugs are in a powder form because they are too unstable to be mixed until ready for use. Mixing the powder with a liquid is called • reconstitution • Under the skin; an injection administered under the skin • subcutaneous

17. The set of testing activities used to determine that the ingredients, components, and final sterile pharmaceuticals prepared meet predetermined requirements with respect to identity, purity, non-pyrogenicity, and sterility • Quality Control

18. Introduction of undesired microorganism or particles • contamination • Produced during a single manufacturing order • batch • Undesired effect of a drug • side effect

19. Results from a poison or a dangerous amount of a drug • toxicity • Invasion by an agent into the body • infection • An agent produced by the body in response to an antigen • antibody

20. An agent that destroys or inhibits microorganisms on inanimate objects • disinfectant

21. Common Medical Prefixes • a-; an- • without; not • ante- • before; forward • anti- • against

22. bi- • two; both • brady- • slow • contra- • against; opposite • dys- • difficult; painful; bad

23. en-; endo- • inside; within • epi- • above • ex- • out; outward • hyper- • excessive; above

24. hypo- • insufficient; below • infra- • under; below • inter- • between • intra- • within

25. iso- • equal; same • micro- • small • multi- • many; multiple • neo- • new

26. para- • beside; near • per- • through • peri- • around • poly- • many; excessive

27. post- • after, behind • pre- • before • semi- • half; one-half • sub- • below; under

28. Let’s review some Common Medical Abbreviations and Acronyms, and Common Pharmacy Abbreviations