Pharmacology
What is pharmacology?
It’s the study of drugs and chemicals: what they are, how they work, when to use them, when not to use them, and what effects they have. Drugs and chemicals includes both synthetic and naturally occurring substances. Which professions can prescribe medications and the types of medications they can prescribe varies from state to state. Commonly known healthcare professionals includes: medical doctors (MDs), physician’s assistants (PAs), psychiatrists, dentists, podiatrists, veterinarians, and nurse practitioners.
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Why do physical therapists need to know pharmacology?
They don’t need to know as much about medications and chemicals as people in the professions who can prescribe them but they do need to know the signs for toxic side effects and how drugs impact someone’s ability to move. For example, if a PT sees a medication ending in -lol on someone’s intake forms, they’re aware that this person may need to change positions more slowly because they’re more likely to experience a drop in blood pressure with dizziness and nausea. The PT may need to also ask about the patient’s heart and blood vessel health if it’s not mentioned on intake forms, since this drug is a beta blocker and is typically prescribed for people with a history of heart failure, heart attacks, and arrhythmias.
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In what PT settings is pharmacology knowledge used?
It’s more prevalent for PTs working in the hospital but it does come up in all settings. Anyone coming into an outpatient clinic or being seen by home health PT could be using medications, so they need to be prepared to adjust their treatment session if those drugs have an effect on the patient’s ability to move.
If you’d like to know more about the beta blockers I mentioned above, click the link below:
