A class of drugs is a collection of drugs having comparable characteristics. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has three primary classification techniques for pharmaceuticals, which are as follows:
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Mechanism of action: Also referred to as pharmacokinetics, this describes how the medication alters certain bodily biochemical processes.
Physiological impact, commonly referred to as pharmacodynamics, describes how a medicine affects a particular organ, such as your skin, brain, or digestive tract.
Chemical structure: A drug’s molecular structure is determined by this.
This article describes the functions of pharmaceutical classifications, their need, and the several ways in which a single drug might be classed. It also explains several classification schemes and their unique functions.
A Variety of Classification Categories
Not all medications fall neatly into one classification. Certain medications fall under one categorization scheme but not another. Some are divided into several categories.
Different Physiological Effects from the Same Drug
Numerous medications are classified according to their numerous uses. Anticonvulsants, such as Lyrica (pregabalin) and Trileptal (oxcarbazepine), are used in the treatment of epilepsy.
However, Lyrica is also an analgesic and is used with antidepressants such as Cymbalta (duloxetine) to treat persistent nerve pain. Lyrica can be used in conjunction with antidepressants like Paxil (paroxetine) as an anxiolytic to treat social anxiety disorder (SAD).
Finasteride is another example; it’s marketed under the names Proscar and Propecia and is frequently used to treat enlarged prostates. The two medications are the same in terms of classification, but their dosages vary.
One Physiological Impact, Various Categorizations
Based on its chemical structure, physiological effects, and mode of action, a medication can be categorized in several ways.
An ACE inhibitor, for instance, is categorized as a vasodilator because it opens blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, and as an antihypertensive because it treats hypertension, or high blood pressure. While the word “vasodilation” denotes the physiological impact, “antihypertensive” defines the method of action.
Chemically speaking, ACE inhibitors get their name from their unique molecular structure, which directly inhibits or blocks the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), an enzyme that narrows blood vessels and raises blood pressure.
The Reason Behind Drug Classification
Drugs are categorized in order to guarantee safe usage and the highest benefit at the lowest risk.
The several medication classes assist with:
Determine who should not take a medicine and for whom it could be more appropriate.
Determine which interactions may have an impact on a drug’s safety or efficacy.
Steer clear of medications with similar modes of action to prevent toxicity.
Choose the medications that have the longest half-lives and the lowest potential for drug resistance.
Determine which substances have the highest risk of causing addiction and dependency.
Steer clear of interactions
One medication’s effects may lessen those of another.
For instance, in patients with chronic gastritis or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), antacids function by preventing the production of stomach acid. However, they also reduce the amount of stomach acids required to break down protease inhibitors, a family of HIV medications, so that the medicines may be better absorbed in the intestines and reach the circulation.
Combining these medications reduces the bioavailability—the quantity of protease inhibitors in the bloodstream—thus decreasing their efficacy.
Calculating the Dosage and Dependency Risk
Each medication has a biological half-life, which is the amount of time it takes for half of the drug to pass through your body. A medicine’s half-life indicates how much more you need to consume in order to maintain a therapeutic level of drug concentration in your blood.
For this reason, certain medications must be taken three or four times a day, whilst others may only be required once a day, once a week, or once a month.
A medication with a short half-life has the drawback of being far less “forgiving,” which means that missing a dosage will result in less likelihood of the desired outcome. Long half-lives allow drugs to maintain a therapeutic level even in the event of a missed dose, making them more tolerant of dosage errors.
One potential issue with short half-lives is that they might lead to drug addiction or dependency. This is due to the fact that your body regularly “needs” the medicine to provide the intended effect, and if it doesn’t, it may result in withdrawal symptoms. This is particularly valid for medications that affect the central nervous system.
An excellent illustration of this is the opioid medication fentanyl. A short half-life of the medication (six to nine hours) combined with a strong physiological impact can quickly lead to drug dependency. This can happen in a matter of weeks.
In brief
Classifications of drugs are significant. They guarantee that your body can process and use the medicine, safeguard you from serious adverse effects and drug interactions, and assist with numerous therapy choices.