ADVANCED
PHARMACOLOGY
FUNDAMENTALS
ANSWERED
2025/2026
, 1. What are the four main pharmacokinetic processes that determine the fate of a drug inthe body? Explain how eachprocess affects the
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a a k ak ak ak k
a ak ak
drug concentration and action.
ak ak ak ak
- The four main pharmacokinetic processes are absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Absorption is the process of
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
transferring the drug from the site of administration to the systemic circulation. Distributionis the process of delivering the drug to the tissues
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
and organs. Metabolism is the process of transforming the drug into more polar and less active metabolites. Excretion is the process of
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
eliminating the drug and its metabolites from the body. Each process affects the drug concentration and action by influencing the onset,
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
duration, intensity, and variability of the pharmacological effects.
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
2. What are the factors that affect drug absorption? Give an example of each factor and explain howit influences the rate and extent of
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak
absorption.
ak
- The factors that affect drug absorption are physicochemical properties of the drug, formulation and route of administration,
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
physiologicalfactors, and pathological factors. For example, a drug with high lipid solubility, low molecular weight, and non-ionized form
ak k
a ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
can cross biological membranes more easily and have faster and higher absorption. A drug given orally may have lower and slower
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
absorption than a drug given intravenously due to the first-pass effect in the liver. A drug may have altered absorption in patients with
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
gastrointestinal disorders, such as diarrhea, vomiting, or malabsorption syndrome.
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of oralroute of administration? Name two types of oralformulations and explain how they
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak
differ in terms of absorption and bioavailability.
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
- The advantages of oral route of administration are convenience, safety, low cost, and suitability for sustained-release formulations. The
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
disadvantages are variability, slow onset, first-pass effect, gastric irritation, food-drug interactions, and patient compliance. Two types of
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
oral formulations are tablets and capsules. Tablets are solid dosage forms that contain one or more active ingredients compressed or
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
molded into a shape. Capsules are gelatinshells that enclose a powder, liquid, or granule. Tablets may have different coatings or
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
disintegrants that affect their dissolution and absorption. Capsules may have different sizes or materials that affect their dissolution and
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
absorption. Generally, capsules have faster and higher absorption and bioavailability than tablets.
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
4. What is the difference between plasma protein binding and tissue binding of drugs? How do they affect drug distributionand
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a
elimination?
ak
- Plasma proteinbinding is the reversible attachment of drugs to plasma proteins, suchas albumin or globulins. Tissue binding is the
ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
reversible or irreversible attachment of drugs to tissues or organs, such as fat, bone, or brain. Plasma protein binding affects drug
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
distribution by limiting the free fractionof drug that can diffuse across capillary walls and reachthe target site. Plasma protein binding also
ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak a k ak ak
affects drug elimination by prolonging the half-life and reducing the clearance of drugs. Tissue binding affects drug distributionby creating a
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak
reservoir or depot for drugs that can maintain a prolonged effect or cause toxicity. Tissue binding also affects drug elimination by delaying
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
the elimination of drugs from the body.
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
5. What is biotransformation? What are the two main phases of biotransformation? Give anexample of each phase and explain howit
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a k
a
changes the chemical structure and activity of drugs.
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
- Biotransformationis the process of converting drugs into more polar and less active metabolites that canbe excreted by the kidneys. The k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak
two main phases of biotransformationare phase I and phase II reactions. Phase I reactions are oxidation, reduction, or hydrolysis reactions
ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
that introduce or expose a functional group on the drug molecule. Phase II reactions are conjugation reactions that attach a polar molecule
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
to the functionalgroup on the drug molecule. For example, acetaminophen undergoes phase I oxidationby cytochrome P450 enzymes to
ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak
form N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), whichis a toxic metabolite that can cause liver damage. NAPQI then undergoes phase II
ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
conjugation with glutathione to form a nontoxic metabolite that can be excreted in urine.
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
6. What are the factors that affect drug metabolism? Give an example of eachfactor and explain how it influences the rate and extent of
ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak k
a ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak ak
metabolism.
ak