EMT 205 - ALS Pharmacology and Medication Administration

1. Describe basic pharmacological background.
2. Describe the actions of drugs, regulations, and human body systems.
3. Define pharmacokinetics.
4. Show evidence of understanding how to do drug calculations.

1. Differentiate among the chemical, generic, and trade names of a drug.
2. List the four main sources of drug products.
3. Describe how drugs are classified.
4. Discuss standardization of drugs.
5. Discuss special consideration in drug treatment with regard to pregnant, pediatric, and geriatric patients.
6. Discuss the ALS professional’s responsibilities and scope of management pertinent to the administration of medications.
7. List and describe general properties of drugs.
8. List and differentiate routes of drug administration.
9. List and differentiate the phases of drug activity, including the pharmaceutical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic phases.
10. List and describe drugs that the ALS professional may administer according to local protocol.
11. Identify the mathematical principles used in pharmacology.
12. Differentiate temperature readings between the Centigrade and Fahrenheit scales.
13. Describe the indications, equipment needed, technique used, precautions, and general principles of peripheral venous or external jugular cannulation.
14. Discuss legal aspects affecting medication administration.
15. Discuss the “six rights” of drug administration and correlate these with the principles of medication administration.
16. Describe medical asepsis and the differences between clean and sterile techniques.
17. List the uses of antiseptics and disinfectants.
18. Describe body substance isolation.
19. Describe the equipment needed, techniques used, complications, and general principles for the preparation and administration of Parenteral medications.
20. Describe the purpose, equipment needed, techniques used, complications, and general principles for obtaining a blood sample.
21. Identify the steps to disposal of contaminated items and sharps.

1. Historical Trends in Pharmacology
2. Pharmacology: Names of Drugs
   1. Chemical name
   2. Generic name
   3. Trade name
   4. Official name
3. Sources of Drugs
   1. Plants
   2. Animals
   3. Minerals
   4. Chemical
4. United States Legislation Impact: Schedule of Controlled Substances
   1. Schedule I
   2. Schedule II
   3. Schedule III
   4. Schedule IV
   5. Schedule V
5. Other Drug Areas
   1. Standardization of drugs
   2. Investigational drugs
   3. Special considerations in drug therapy
   4. Pregnancy
   5. Pediatric patients
   6. Geriatric patients
   7. Scope of management
6. Autonomic Pharmacology
   1. Nervous system
   2. Peripheral nervous system
   3. Autonomic nervous system
   4. Sympathetic influences
   5. Neurochemical transmission
7. Properties, Forms, Routes, Mechanism, and Pharmacokinetics
   1. General properties of drugs
   2. Drug forms
   3. Liquid
   4. Solid
   5. Gas
   6. Routes of drug administration
      1. Inhalation
      2. Parenteral
      3. Endotracheal
   7. Mechanism of drug action
   8. Pharmacokinetics
      1. Absorption
      2. Distribution
      3. Biotransformation
      4. Excretion
8. Other Drug Areas
   1. Classifications of drugs
   2. Mathematical equivalents used in pharmacology
      1. Metric system
      2. Fahrenheit scale
      3. Celsius scale
      4. Converting between Fahrenheit and Celsius
   3. Calculating drug dosages
      1. Methods
      2. Dosages
   4. Medical direction
   5. Principles of medication administration
      1. Responsibility
      2. “six rights”
   6. Medical Asepsis
   7. Universal precautions and Body Substance Isolation (BSI) in medication administration
   8. Venous access
      1. Intravenous cannulation
      2. Intraosseous
   9. Medication administration by the inhalation route
   10. Enteral medication administration
   11. Parental administration of medications
   12. Obtaining a blood sample
   13. Disposal of contaminated items and sharps