help! study guide Q...synthetic drugs??

[RNin2007]

Help...I have a Pharmacology test on Monday and I don't understand this question. In our lecture review, my professor said "to be sure and understand synthetic derivative...like what does it mean? Does it work better? Not as good?" (end quote)

We are studying A/B adrenergics (blockers/agonists) & cholinergics, and also antidiarreals, GI drugs (prilosec, etc.) and anelgisics such as morphine, etc. In my studies and from the book, the only thing I can think of he might be referring to are the catecholamines and noncatecholamines. Such as the synthetic catechol has a longer duration of action. I just am not sure what depth he wants us to know on this.

If you have any idea, please post....thank you so much!!

~J

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Some drugs come from natural sources, such as bark of trees, flowers, etc. Codeine is a derivitive of opium. In other words, you will not find codeine in any flower or plant because it is synthetically derived from some other narcotic. Now, a drug lab has a number of different methods where they can synthesize, or make, a drug. They may have to start with some of the original plant material, but what they do is extract substances from the plant material and then use them to create new substances. Synthesis is nothing more than the formation of a new compound from other compounds. The original penicillin was a substance that was extracted from mold that grew on bread. Today, however, there are entire lines of antibiotics that have been derived from substances that were found in the original penicillin when it was analyzed chemically. Some of those substances were used to create synthetic derivitives of penicillin which resulted in a slightly different drug. Synthesizing drugs is very similar to cooking up something in the kitchen which is why illegal drug labs are colloquially referred to as drug kitchens.

[RNin2007]

Wow, nice explanation Daytonite. Thank you. That is true that we have a LOT of synthetic drugs...I think I was overreading the question he presented to us. I hate it when I do that...lol. It's been awhile since i've had to think about that word. Thanks again for explaining it so nicely.

~J