Title: Facilitate a client’s awareness of the purpose and effects of medications.
Course: Medication Aide (14051-18) > Section: Understanding Pharmacology Basics

Facilitation may include

- purpose
  - to prevent illness (e.g., vaccines)
  - to eliminate illness (e.g., antibiotics)
  - to control disease (e.g., insulin)
  - to relieve symptoms (e.g., cough suppressant)
  - to alter behavior (e.g., tranquilizers)

- effects
  - desired—drug acts in the manner for which it was prescribed
  - undesired
    - side effects
    - drug interactions
      - potentiate—one drug increases the effect of another
      - antagonist—one drug decreases the effect of another
      - two drugs combine to produce a new unwanted effect (e.g., rash, diarrhea, light-headedness)

    - no effect

- potential for drug dependency
- potential for drug allergies.

Process/Skill Questions:

- What patient education is required?
- What is the therapeutic purpose of drugs?
- What is the difference between drug incompatibility and drug interactions, considering food-drug, drug-drug, and herbal-drug?
- What are the common drug interactions, including drug-drug and drug-food?
- What is the difference between a drug side effect and a drug adverse reaction?