There are probably as many reasons for sedation as there are patients on the intensive care unit. Each
patient is obviously unique and amongst many other needs, has their own personal requirements for
sedation. Sedation should therefore be tailored to the individual’s clinical and holistic situation. There are
Passage II
P1 The drug development process includes several steps. First, the pharmacologically active
molecule or drug entity must be synthesized, isolated or extracted from various possible sources (relying
on the disciplines of medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology). Second, the formulation of a
dosage form (i.e. tablet, capsules, suspension, etc.) of this drug must be accomplished in a manner that
III. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow.
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will deliver a recommended dose to the ‘‘site of action’’ or a target tissue (employing the principles of
physical pharmacy and pharmaceutics). And finally, a dosage regimen (dose and dosing interval) must be
established to provide an effective concentration of a drug in the body, as determined by physiological
and therapeutic needs (utilizing pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics). Only a successful integration
of these facets will result in successful drug therapy.
P2 For example, an analgesic drug with a high therapeutic range can be of little use if it undergoes a
rapid decomposition in the gastrointestinal tract and/or it fails to reach the general circulation and/or it is
too irritating to be administered parenterally. Therefore, the final goal in the drug development process is
to develop an optimal dosage form to achieve the desired therapeutic goals. The optimal dosage form is
defined as one that provides the maximum therapeutic effect with the least amount of drug and achieves
the best results consistently. In other words, a large number of factors play an important role in
determining the activity of a drug administered through a dosage form. These factors have an important
influence on the effectiveness of the drug.
P3 A variety of disciplines are involved in understanding the events that take place during the process
by which a chemical entity (substance) becomes an active drug or a therapeutic agent. Principles of
physics, physical chemistry, and mathematics are essential in the formulation of an optimum dosage form.
An understanding of physiology and pharmacology is also essential in the process of screening for active
drug and in selecting an appropriate route of administration. Equally important, knowledge of the
principles of kinetics (rate processes), analytical chemistry and therapeutics is essential in providing an
effective concentration of a drug at the ‘‘site of action.’’ Pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics are the
result of such a successful integration of these various disciplines.