Bre Barnard, Haily Hargrave Department of Chemistry, Oregon State

Medicinal Chemistry Bre Barnard, Haily Hargrave Department of Chemistry, Oregon State Univetsity, 153 Gilbert Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331 INTRODUCTION Pharmacist: a person who is professionally qualified to prepare and dispense medicinal drugs. •  What are medicaLons? •  What are they composed of? •  What are pharmacists’ roles in working with medicaLons? •  How does chemistry apply to pharmacy and medicaLons? Medica0ons MedicaLons range from Advil to chemotherapy, and all of them are composed of chemical compounds. MedicaLons are created by pharmacologists, and distributed by pharmacists who determine suitable dosages for each individual Medica0ons in America According to Mayo Clinic, around 70% of Americans take prescripLon drugs, and one in five Americans are on five or more prescripLon drugs. MedicaLons are commonly taken for their wide range of abiliLes; medicaLons are used to fight infecLons, ease pain, reduce anxiety and depression, ease ADHD, and fight disease. Many medicaLons, however, are abused for their abiliLes to affect brain. •  Adderall is a commonly used abused drug among college students for it’s sLmulaLng abiliLes. •  Vicodin and Oxycodone are oYen abused for their abiliLes to eliminate pain •  Prozac, and other anL-­‐depressants are commonly abused for their capabiliLes to create a “high”. CH 220
How Chemistry Relates •  The composiLon of medicaLons is determined by pharmacologists who specialize in the combining chemicals to create a drug with certain effects on the human body. •  The binders and fillers must be very carefully considered when creaLng medicaLons, so they do not react, or counteract with the needed chemicals in the medicaLons. •  The composiLon of vitamins (determining mg of a certain compound) for people with deficiencies is very important. •  Pharmacologists must determine how each chemical reacts to the body, or if certain chemicals are capable of killing bacteria without damaging the paLent taking the medicaLons. Careers In Chemistry
MedicaLons can be delivered via capsule, tablet, aerosol, or injecLon. Pharmacists Role Drugs that affect the brain work by changing the brain's chemistry. DrugAbuse.gov describes this as, different drugs affectcLng the neurons. Many drugs are made to resemble natural chemicals found in the body, or chemicals which should be found in the body. •  Determining in what way, and in what dosage (to prevent overdosing) the medicaLon should be taken for each individual case. •  Goals: Cure disease, arrest or slow disease process, prevent disease, diagnose disease and alter physiological processes for desirable result in paLents health •  Pharmacists aslo monitor drug uLlizaLon, fill prescripLons, inform paLents of side-­‐effects and how medicaLons interact with each other.