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HPR 479-Senior Seminar


Pharmacokinetics Introduction

Pharmacokinetics: The study of the metabolisum and action of drugs with particular emphasis on the time required for absorption, duration of action, distribution in the body and method of excretion..(TABER's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary 19ed)

  1. Drug Administration (Routes) Click here for Routes of Drug Administration


    1. Enteral administration
      1. Oral
      2. Sublingual
      3. Rectal

    2. Parenteral administration
      1. Inhalation
      2. Injection
      3. Topical
      4. Transdermal

    3. Newer Techniques for Drug Delivery
      1. Controlled-Release (timed release or extended release
      2. Implanted Drug Delivery
      3. Targeting Drug Delivery to Specific Cells/Tissue

  2. Drug Absorption and duration of action


    1. Membrane Barriers (permeability of tissue)


    2. Drugs pass through membrane (diffusion)


    3. Drugs pass through membrane (Active transport)


      1. Membrane proteins serve as carriers

        1. carrier specificity
        2. expenditure of energy
        3. ability to transport against a concentration gradient

  3. Drug Distribution

    1. Factors affecting distribution
      1. Tissue permeability
      2. Blood flow
      3. Binding to plasma proteins
      4. Binding to subcellular components

    2. Volume of distribution
      1. Calculating the volume of distribution for that drug Vd
      2. Vd is the ratio of the amount of drug administered to the concentration of drug in the plasma

    3. Drug Storage
      1. Adipose tissue
      2. Bone
      3. Muscle
      4. Organs

  4. Drug Excretion

    1. Biotranformation (Enzymes and drug metabolism)
      1. Liver
      2. Kidneys
      3. Lungs
      4. Gastrointestinal epithelium
      5. Skin

    2. Cellular Mechanisms
      1. Oxidation (addition of oxygen/removal of hydrogen)
      2. Reduction (removal of oxygen/addition of hydrogen)
      3. Hydrolysis (breakdown by enzymes
      4. Conjugation (Drug is coupled with another substance in body)