GALEN NURS 210
Galen NURS 210 Exam 1 Modules
1-3 Updated Version.
Pharmacokinetics - ✔✔✔ - The process in which medications move through the body
What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics? - ✔✔✔ - absorption, distribution, metabolism,
excretion
Absorption - ✔✔✔ - happens with drug movement from the GI tract into the bloodstream.
Most meds are taken by mouth.
Oral absorption - ✔✔✔ - Takes awhile to get absorbed because it has to go through the GI
system
Usually takes 2-4 hours
•Enteric coated
aspirin - hard on stomach
can not crush pill
•Extended release
absorbed in the small intestine
IM absorption - ✔✔✔ - Absorbed 1-2 hours
IV absorption - ✔✔✔ - Absorbed 30-60 minutes
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dissolution - ✔✔✔ - Dissolution happens when a po medication breaks down into particles,
disintegrates, and dissolves to combine with liquid so absorption from the GI tract into the
bloodstream occurs.
Liquid medications are absorbed faster than solids. Food can interfere with the absorption of
drugs.
Drugs that resist dissolution - ✔✔✔ - Parenteral medications (SL, eyedrops, inhalants,
transdermal) do not pass through the GI tract.
Enteric coated medications are designed to resist disintegration until the pill reaches the small
intestine. EC and sustained release meds should not be crushed.
Factors that affect absorption - ✔✔✔ - •Lack of muscle and increased fat changes medicine
absorption
•Food consumption - will change medicine potency (delayed)
•Stress - Exercise, medicine goes to muscle
•pH - Medicine is made for acidic environments
•Antacid changes absorption
•Taken alone so it doesn't change the action
Excipients - ✔✔✔ - Fillers and other substances that make up tablets as a pill is not 100% drug.
Sometimes an excipient enhances the absorption of a drug such as with PCN, which is not well
absorbed from the GI tract.
Adding Na to PCN, which makes it penicillin sodium, will increase the absorption of PCN
first pass effect - ✔✔✔ - •the oral drugs go to liver via portal vein where some of the drug
becomes inactive
•Only happens with oral medications
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delayed gastric emptying - ✔✔✔ - Food doesn't move like it should
Distribution - ✔✔✔ - refers to the movement of the drug from the circulation to body tissues
Factors affecting distribution - ✔✔✔ - -blood flow to tissues
-protein binding
-blood brain barrier
-drug's affinity to the tissue
protein binding - ✔✔✔ - Drugs bind with proteins in blood
Some drugs are highly protein bound and other are weakly protein bound
free drugs - ✔✔✔ - drugs not bound to protein
Drug Toxicity - ✔✔✔ - -Two highly protein bound drugs compete and one might accumulate
and cause a toxicity
-it is important to know if you are administering highly protein bound medications and monitor
albumin levels in patients with liver or kidney disease.
-Some drugs that are highly protein bound include: Warfarin
Furosemide
Diazepam
Drug distribution and albumin - ✔✔✔ - -A decrease in albumin levels decrease the protein-
binding sites, which means more of the free drug is circulated.
GALEN NURS 210 Page 3
Galen NURS 210 Exam 1 Modules
1-3 Updated Version.
Pharmacokinetics - ✔✔✔ - The process in which medications move through the body
What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics? - ✔✔✔ - absorption, distribution, metabolism,
excretion
Absorption - ✔✔✔ - happens with drug movement from the GI tract into the bloodstream.
Most meds are taken by mouth.
Oral absorption - ✔✔✔ - Takes awhile to get absorbed because it has to go through the GI
system
Usually takes 2-4 hours
•Enteric coated
aspirin - hard on stomach
can not crush pill
•Extended release
absorbed in the small intestine
IM absorption - ✔✔✔ - Absorbed 1-2 hours
IV absorption - ✔✔✔ - Absorbed 30-60 minutes
GALEN NURS 210 Page 1
,GALEN NURS 210
dissolution - ✔✔✔ - Dissolution happens when a po medication breaks down into particles,
disintegrates, and dissolves to combine with liquid so absorption from the GI tract into the
bloodstream occurs.
Liquid medications are absorbed faster than solids. Food can interfere with the absorption of
drugs.
Drugs that resist dissolution - ✔✔✔ - Parenteral medications (SL, eyedrops, inhalants,
transdermal) do not pass through the GI tract.
Enteric coated medications are designed to resist disintegration until the pill reaches the small
intestine. EC and sustained release meds should not be crushed.
Factors that affect absorption - ✔✔✔ - •Lack of muscle and increased fat changes medicine
absorption
•Food consumption - will change medicine potency (delayed)
•Stress - Exercise, medicine goes to muscle
•pH - Medicine is made for acidic environments
•Antacid changes absorption
•Taken alone so it doesn't change the action
Excipients - ✔✔✔ - Fillers and other substances that make up tablets as a pill is not 100% drug.
Sometimes an excipient enhances the absorption of a drug such as with PCN, which is not well
absorbed from the GI tract.
Adding Na to PCN, which makes it penicillin sodium, will increase the absorption of PCN
first pass effect - ✔✔✔ - •the oral drugs go to liver via portal vein where some of the drug
becomes inactive
•Only happens with oral medications
GALEN NURS 210 Page 2
, GALEN NURS 210
delayed gastric emptying - ✔✔✔ - Food doesn't move like it should
Distribution - ✔✔✔ - refers to the movement of the drug from the circulation to body tissues
Factors affecting distribution - ✔✔✔ - -blood flow to tissues
-protein binding
-blood brain barrier
-drug's affinity to the tissue
protein binding - ✔✔✔ - Drugs bind with proteins in blood
Some drugs are highly protein bound and other are weakly protein bound
free drugs - ✔✔✔ - drugs not bound to protein
Drug Toxicity - ✔✔✔ - -Two highly protein bound drugs compete and one might accumulate
and cause a toxicity
-it is important to know if you are administering highly protein bound medications and monitor
albumin levels in patients with liver or kidney disease.
-Some drugs that are highly protein bound include: Warfarin
Furosemide
Diazepam
Drug distribution and albumin - ✔✔✔ - -A decrease in albumin levels decrease the protein-
binding sites, which means more of the free drug is circulated.
GALEN NURS 210 Page 3
