Session 1 - Pharmacokinetics Flashcards
Define pharmacology
The study of drugs
Define pharmacokinetics
The study of what the body does to the drug
Define pharmacodynamics
The study of what the drug does to the body
Define pharmacotherapeutics
The study of how to use the right drug at the right time
What are the 4 (ADME) principles of pharmacokinetics ?
Absorb
Metabolism
Distribution
Excretion
Where does oral tablets get metabolised ?
Within the liver
Define absorption
The movement of a drug into the blood circulation
Where will orally administered drugs be absorbed ?
Some of the drug will be absorbed through the stomach lining, however most absorption occurs in the small intestines.
After a drug has been absorbed by the small intestines, where does it go ? And what happens to it
Directly to the liver
Undergo first pass metabolism
Name 4 factors that effect absorption
- Food
- Other medicines - some medicines bind together and form a large compound which makes absorption difficult .
- Controlled released drugs and enteric coated drugs
- Route of administration
Explain first pass metabolism
- Drugs absorbed by the GI tract are transported to the liver before being circulated to the rest of the body.
- The liver will metabolise a lot of the drug before it enters circulation as it sees the drug as a toxin.
- Often higher concentrations of oral drugs are required to achieve the desired effect.
What is bioavailability ?
The extent of metabolism will determine the amount of drug that appears in the circulation to preform its therapeutic task. This is known as bioavailability and is often expressed as a percentage.
Define distribution
The transfer of the drug from the general circulation into different organs in the body,
Name 4 factors that effect the distribution of a drug.
- Affinity of the drug for plasma protein.
- Size, solubility and polarity of the drug.
- Acidity of drug in solution
- Blood supply to the tissue
Define excretion
The elimination of a drug, usually by the kidneys as urine.
Explain 5 ways drugs can be eliminated
- kidneys as urine (most common)
- The lungs
- Exocrine glands (Saliva, breast milk, and tears)
- The skin
- The GI tract
Define “half life value”
Time it takes for 50% of an administered dosage to be eliminated.
What may increase a drugs half life ?
Hepatic disease.
Explain the term therapeutic range.
It is necessary to have adequate plasma concentrations of a drug within the plasma to achieve a therapeutic range
Which is why we test for drug “levels”
Define drug potency
Absolute amount of drug required to produce an effect
A more potent drug is one that requires lower dose to cause the same effect