Drugs 1: Drug Absorption Flashcards
What 4 basic factors determine pharmacokinetics?
Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Elimination
= ADME
What are the main reasons for studying pharmacokinetics? (3)
- individualise patient therapy
- monitor medication with a narrow therapeutic index
- decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions while maximising pharmacological response to medication
What are the 8 main ways of administering drugs to enter the bloodstream?
- oral
- intravenous
- transdermal
- subcutaneous (injection under skin)
- nasal
- inhalation
- other GI (sublingual/under tongue or rectal)
- Intramuscular
What is a common condition treated by sublingual drugs? (under the tongue)
Angina
What is the definition of absorption?
the process of movement of unchanged drug from the site of administration to the systemic circulation.
What is in correlation with a plasma concentration of a drug?
Therapeutic response
What are the 2 most important issues to consider when giving an oral drug?
- amount of drug which enters the systemic circulation
2. speed at which it happens
What is Tmax?
Time taken to peak concentration
What is Cmax?
Peak concentration
How does a quicker rate of absorption affect Tmax?
the earlier the drug concentration peak (Tmax will be reached quicker)
What effect does increasing dosage of a drug have on the Tmax?
No effect (it affects the Cmax; concentration of the drug)
What does the area under the curve represent? (the AUC)
How much of the drug reaches the systemic circulation over a period of time
What is the therapeutic range?
Wide range over which a drug is active in
What will happen if a drug is below and above a therapeutic range?
below: NO sufficient or pharmacological action
above: toxicity occurs
What is a therapeutic index?
Measure of the range at which the drug is safe and active (works best in the middle region)
What does the AUC allow us to estimate?
Allows us to estimate the amount of drug which reaches the circulation and which is available for action(bioavailability)