The study of substances that interact with living systems through chemical processes, especially by binding to regulatory molecules and activating or inhibiting normal body processes
Pharmacodynamic processes
The actions of the drug on the body
Pharmacokinetic processes
The actions of the body on the drug, governing the absorption, distribution, and elimination of drugs
Pharmacokinetics
1. Absorption
2. Distribution
3. Metabolism
4. Elimination
Using knowledge of pharmacokinetic parameters, clinicians can design optimal drug regimens, including the route of administration, the dose, the frequency, and the duration of treatment
Routes of drugs administration
Enteral
Parenteral
Topical
Others
Enteral administration
Administering a drug by mouth, the safest and most common, convenient, and economical method
Oral
Easily self-administered
Toxicities and/or overdose may be overcome with antidotes, such as activated charcoal
Enteric-coated preparations
A chemical envelope that protects the drug from stomach acid, delivering it instead to the less acidic intestine
Extended-release preparations
Have special coatings or ingredients that control drug release, allowing for slower absorption and prolonged duration of action
Sublingual/buccal
Placement of drug under the tongue or between the cheek and gum, facilitating direct absorption into the bloodstream
Sublingual and buccal routes
Ease of administration
Rapid absorption
Bypass of the harsh gastrointestinal environment
Avoidance of first-pass metabolism
Parenteral
Introducing drugs directly into the body by injection
Parenteral routes
Highest bioavailability
Not subject to first-pass metabolism or the harsh GI environment
Provide the most control over the actual dose of drug delivered to the body
Irreversible and may cause pain, fear, local tissue damage, and infections
Major parenteral routes
Intravascular (intravenous or intra-arterial)
Intramuscular
Subcutaneous
Depot preparations
Consist of a suspension of drug in a nonaqueous vehicle, providing a sustained dose over an extended interval
Subcutaneous (SC)
Injection provides absorption via simple diffusion and is slower than the IV route, minimizing the risks of hemolysis or thrombosis
Intradermal (ID)
Injection into the dermis, the more vascular layer of skin under the epidermis, used for diagnostic determination and desensitization
Oral inhalation and nasal preparations
Provide rapid delivery of drug across the large surface area of mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and pulmonary epithelium
Intrathecal/intraventricular
Introducing drugs directly into the cerebrospinal fluid to achieve local, rapid effects in the central nervous system
Topical
Application to the skin to achieve a local effect
Transdermal
Application to the skin to achieve systemic effects, via a transdermal patch
Rectal
Bypasses the portal circulation, minimizing biotransformation by the liver, useful if the drug induces vomiting or the patient is unconscious
Absorption is the transfer of a drug from the site of administration to the bloodstream
Mechanisms of absorption of drugs from the GI tract
Passive diffusion
Facilitated diffusion
Active transport
Endocytosis and exocytosis
Passive diffusion
The driving force is the concentration gradient across a membrane, does not involve a carrier, is not saturable, and shows low structural specificity
Facilitated diffusion
Involves specialized transmembrane carrier proteins that facilitate the passage of large molecules, does not require energy, can be saturated, and may be inhibited by competing compounds
Active transport
Energy-dependent, driven by the hydrolysis of ATP, can move drugs against a concentration gradient, is selective and may be competitively inhibited
Endocytosis and exocytosis
Used to transport exceptionally large drugs across the cell membrane, involving engulfment and pinching off of drug-filled vesicles
Effect of pH on drug absorption
Uncharged forms of weak acids and bases can permeate through membranes, while charged forms cannot
The ratio between charged and uncharged forms is determined by the pH at the site of absorption and the ionization constant (pKa) of the drug
Factors influencing absorption
pH at the absorption site
Blood flow to the absorption site
Total surface area available for absorption
Contact time at the absorption surface
Charged form B
Penetrates through the cell membrane
Protonated form BH+
Does not penetrate through the cell membrane
The effective concentration of the permeable form of each drug at its absorption site is determined by the relative concentrations of the charged and uncharged forms
The ratio between the two forms is determined by the pH at the site of absorption and by the strength of the weak acid or base, which is represented by the ionization constant, pKa