Pharmacology: Drug
Action and Absorption
Practice Questions &
Answers
Comprehensive Explanations
& Rationales
Key Concepts • Review
Questions • Exam Preparation
, Drug Any chemical substance that, when administered, produces a change in function.
Pharmacology The study of the effects of chemical substances on living tissues; the study of drugs,
their sources, nature, and properties.
Clinical pharmacology The study of drugs used to treat, diagnose, or prevent disease.
Pharmacokinetics The study of what the body does to a drug; includes absorption, distribution,
metabolism, and excretion.
Pharmacodynamics The study of drug concentration and its effects on the body.
ADME Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion—the four pharmacokinetic
processes.
Pharmaceutic phase The first phase of drug action; disintegration and dissolution.
Disintegration The breakdown of a dosage form into smaller particles.
Dissolution The process by which a drug dissolves and becomes available for absorption.
Absorption The movement of a drug into the bloodstream.
Passive diffusion Movement of a drug across a membrane without requiring energy.
Active transport Movement of a drug across a membrane using a transport mechanism.
Filtration A mechanism involved in drug absorption.
First-pass effect The effect that occurs when an orally administered drug travels through the portal
vein to the liver before reaching systemic circulation.
Bioavailability The amount of a drug available to produce an effect; oral drugs have less than
100% bioavailability, while IV drugs may have 100%.
Action and Absorption
Practice Questions &
Answers
Comprehensive Explanations
& Rationales
Key Concepts • Review
Questions • Exam Preparation
, Drug Any chemical substance that, when administered, produces a change in function.
Pharmacology The study of the effects of chemical substances on living tissues; the study of drugs,
their sources, nature, and properties.
Clinical pharmacology The study of drugs used to treat, diagnose, or prevent disease.
Pharmacokinetics The study of what the body does to a drug; includes absorption, distribution,
metabolism, and excretion.
Pharmacodynamics The study of drug concentration and its effects on the body.
ADME Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion—the four pharmacokinetic
processes.
Pharmaceutic phase The first phase of drug action; disintegration and dissolution.
Disintegration The breakdown of a dosage form into smaller particles.
Dissolution The process by which a drug dissolves and becomes available for absorption.
Absorption The movement of a drug into the bloodstream.
Passive diffusion Movement of a drug across a membrane without requiring energy.
Active transport Movement of a drug across a membrane using a transport mechanism.
Filtration A mechanism involved in drug absorption.
First-pass effect The effect that occurs when an orally administered drug travels through the portal
vein to the liver before reaching systemic circulation.
Bioavailability The amount of a drug available to produce an effect; oral drugs have less than
100% bioavailability, while IV drugs may have 100%.
