Lecture Notes: Importance and Classification of Medications

Overview

• Medications are a crucial part of medicine and healthcare.
• NHS spends over £17 billion annually on medications.

Classification of Medications

1. Symptom-relieving medications

   • Help alleviate symptoms of illnesses but do not cure the underlying disease.
   • Examples:
     • Painkillers: Aspirin, Paracetamol for pain and headaches.
     • Cough medicine: Reduces the need to cough.
   • Limitation: Pathogens causing the symptoms remain unaffected.

2. Disease-treating medications

   • Aim to treat the underlying cause of the ailment.
   • Example: Antibiotics
     • Directly kill bacteria or prevent their growth.
     • Effective only for bacterial infections, not viral.

Why Antibiotics Don’t Work on Viruses

• Antibiotics are designed specifically for bacteria, not viruses.
• Viruses differ significantly from bacteria, making antibiotics ineffective.
• Viruses reside within the body's cells, making them hard to target without harming host cells.

Considerations when using Antibiotics

• Antibiotics need to match specific bacteria; wrong antibiotic won't be effective.
• Medical tests may be required to determine the bacteria type before prescription.

Antibiotic Resistance

• A significant problem where bacteria evolve to resist antibiotics.
• Will be covered in-depth in another session.

Conclusion

• Treating symptoms and diseases has revolutionized medicine.
• Medications have improved quality and longevity of life.
• Many people use multiple drugs to both alleviate symptoms and target disease causes.

• End of Lecture. "Hope you enjoyed it! See you next time."