MN553: Advanced Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics

Pharmacokinetics Body’ s impact on the drug. How much of the dose gets to the site of action. Absorption Distribution Metabolism Excretion CLINICAL PHARMACOKINETICS Pharmacokinetics involves drug movement through the body (ie, “what the body does to the drug”) to reach sites of action, metabolism, and excretion. Specific processes are absorption, distribution, metabolism (biotransformation), and excretion. Overall, these processes largely determine serum drug levels, onset, peak and duration of drug actions, drug half-life, therapeutic and adverse drug effects, and other important aspects of drug therapy. Pharmacokinetics: Absorption • Process that occurs from the time a drug enters the body to the time it enters the bloodstream to be circulated • Factors affecting absorption include: dosage form, route of administration, blood flow to the site of administration, gastrointestinal function, presence of food or other drugs • For many medications, food in the stomach slows absorpt