Pharmacological Care: Drug Administration, Therapies and Nursing Role

This essay provides an overview of pharmacological care, focusing on the principles of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in relation to nursing administration of medications. It highlights the crucial role nurses play in ensuring patient safety through correct drug administration, dosage, and timing, while also addressing their legal responsibilities. The essay emphasizes the importance of identifying patients' use of complementary, alternative, and nutritional therapies to avoid adverse drug interactions and promote comprehensive care. Furthermore, it discusses how drug therapy should be adjusted based on individual patient variations, such as body composition, to minimize harm and maximize therapeutic benefits. The essay references clinical psychopharmacology and perspectives on current psychopharmacological practices.

Running head: PHARMACOLOGICAL CARE 1
Pharmacological Care
Student’s Name
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PHARMACOLOGICAL CARE 2
Pharmacological Care
Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetic Principles during the Nursing Administration of
Medications
Pharmacodynamics refers to the study of how medicine or drugs act on a living organism
while pharmacokinetic influences the route of medication administration that is, the frequency
and amount of every dose. Absorption refers to how a drug gets into the blood circulation,
distribution refers to the dispersion of a drug all through the body, metabolism refers to changing
of the drug from patent element to metabolites, and excretion refers to the removal of a drug
from the body (Schatzberg, Cole, DeBattista, 2010). One of the similarities between excretion
and metabolism is that they are jointly subsumed as elimination of a drug. Notably, all the
principles involve the administration of drugs; however, the difference is that each carries out
different function in the administration of drug.
Nursing's Role and Legal Responsibilities for Drug Administration
The nurses literally play the role of lifeguarding in drug administration. They provide the
final chance for the health care team to identify as well as correct errors in the prescription and
distribution of medication or drugs. The nurses always administer the medication. They are the
final link a safeguard against error and medication administration (Schatzberg, Cole, DeBattista,
2010). The nurses also have legal responsibilities to ensure the right patient is administered for a
drug, right medication and right dose are provided for a patient, right route of medication is
followed, right time of medication is adhered to, and the drug administered to a patient responds
as desired.

PHARMACOLOGICAL CARE 3
The Importance of Identification of Patients' Use of Complementary Therapies,
Alternative, and Nutritional Delivering Pharmacological Care
It is important to note that identification of a patients' use of alternative, nutritional, and
complementary therapies in the delivery of pharmacological care helps in eradication the side
effects of a drug (Schwartz, 2010). It ensures that health care providers prove an evidenced-
based and comprehensive care which encourages the significance of compassion and caring
focuses on healing, and encourages patients to take part in decision-making about choices of care
and therapeutic options.
How Drug Therapy Should Be Adjusted to Account for Sources of Personal Variation
To minimize harm and maximize beneficial responses base adjustments on body surface
is necessary. It is important for the nurses to take into account how lean or fat a patient is and
how body fats impacts distribution (Schwartz, 2010). The pharmacists should also measure the
drug concentration and interpret the results before administration to patients to minimize harm
and maximize beneficial responses.

PHARMACOLOGICAL CARE 4
References
Schatzberg, A.F., Cole, J.O., DeBattista, C. (2010).Manual of clinical psychopharmacology (7th
ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.
Schwartz, T. L. (2010). Psychopharmacology Today: Where are We and Where Do We Go From
Here?.Mens Sana Monographs. pp. 6-16.