Question

In a paragraph (no more than 9 sentences), teach your classmates how to administer ONE specific medication. Give form of medication (tablet, IV, solution, cream, mist, drop…).Debate the effect of ONE specific medication in the type of drugs in the following list: adrenergic agonist; adrenergic antagonist; cholinergic agonist; anticholinergic; stimulant; depressant; antiepileptic.Debate the clear difference between medications for Parkinson’s versus medication for Alzheimer’s. Give ONE specific example for each disease.

Answer 1

Oral tablets are the most preferred routes of drug administration. For the administration of oral tablets, initially you will require to log into the electronic health record; to review the medication history, the administration doses, their timings and also check for medication allergies. Collect the tablet from the medicine storage area using the five “rights” of the medication safety check. Collect all the required articles on the patient side and wash hands. Take the required dose of medicine from the package and collect it in a medication cup. Verify the patients' names and give a sip of water to swallow to ensure that the patient has no difficulty in swallowing and give the tablet to the patient as per the patients’ preference and ability. Finally, document the medication administration in the patient’s medication record and wash hands.

Adrenergic agonist drugs are a broad class of medications that binds to the adrenergic receptors in the body. Adrenergic drugs are classified according to the type of receptors (alpha-1, alpha-2, beta-1, beta-2, beta-3) they bind to. Tablet Albuterol 2mg is a type of adrenergic agonist which is a short-acting beta-2 agonist that is mostly used in patients suffering from asthma and COPD. This drug bind to the beta-2 receptors, resulting in the activation of the adenyl cyclase and increased amounts of cyclic-3’, 5’- adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) reduces the intracellular calcium levels and suppresses the phosphorylation of myosin. This reduced levels of intracellular calcium relax the smooth muscles and cause bronchodilation in asthmatic and COPD patients’.

Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are both neurodegenerative disorders. Parkinson’s is characterized by reduced levels of dopamine and affects movement and causes tremors whereas Alzheimer's is characterized by the presence of senile plaques between neurons and neurofibrillary tangles in the neurons affecting the person’s memory, thinking, and behavior.   The main two types of drugs used in Parkinson's are anticholinergic(for example cogentin and artane) and dopaminergic drugs(for example levodopa), whereas the drug of choice for Alzheimer's are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (for example donepezil).   The anticholinergic drugs used in Parkinson's inhibits the action of acetylcholine and thereby compensates for the reduced levels of dopamine and dopaminergic drugs mimics the dopamine in the brain or inhibits the degeneration of dopamine in the brain cells. Whereas the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors used in Alzheimer's binds and inactivates the enzyme cholinesterase prevents the hydrolysis of acetylcholine thereby increasing the levels of acetylcholine. The most common drug used in Parkinson's is levodopa( dopaminergic ) and for Alzheimer's is donepezil(acetylcholinesterase inhibitors).