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— Pharmacokinetics  /  Pharmacodynamics  – an  Overview

 Why Study Pharmacokinetics (Pk) &
Pharmacodynamics (Pd)
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§ Individualize patient drug therapy

§ Monitor medications with a narrow therapeutic index
§ Decrease the risk of adverse effects while maximizing
pharmacologic response of medications
§ Pharmacokinetics is what the body does to the drug
ü Absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, excretes the drug

§ Pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body

ü Reduces blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol etc

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 Clinical Pharmacokinetics
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§ The study of the rate of movement of drugs within

biological systems, as affected by the absorption,
distribution, metabolism, and elimination of medications

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 Absorption
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§ Is the way the drug enters the body and reaches the
bloodstream.
§ The commonest and most convenient route is the oral
route which usually relies on the drug being absorbed
primarily from the small intestine and to a lesser extent
from the stomach.

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 BIOAVAILABILITY
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• The amount of the administered dose of a drug

which reaches the systemic circulation and the
rate at which this occures are referred to as its
BIOAVAILABILITY.

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 Time To Peak Concentration
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100
90
80
70
60 IV
50 Oral
40 Rectal
30
20
10
0
0 min 5 min 10 min 20 min 30 min 60 min 120 180
min min

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 Distribution
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§ Once in the bloodstream, the drug will be distributed

amongst various compartments throughout the body.
§ The drug may bind to the plasma or tissue proteins
which act as storage depots.

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 Metabolism
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§ Metabolism of the drug by the body (eg. In the liver)

usually leads to its inactivation and the formation of
more polar, hydrophilic compounds which the body can
more easily excrete.

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 Elimination
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§ Pulmonary = expired in the air

§ Bile = excreted in feces
§ Renal

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 Pharmacodynamics
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§ Study of the biochemical and physiologic processes

underlying drug action
ü Mechanism of drug action

• Drug-receptor interaction
ü Efficacy

ü Safety profile

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 Pharmacodynamics
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— “What the drug does to the body”

ü Cellular level
ü General

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 Cellular Level - Drug Actions
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— Mainly of five types

ü Depression,
ü Stimulation,
ü Cytotoxicity,
ü Irritation,
ü Replacing the substances.

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 General Level - Drug Actions
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§ Affinity
ü Refers to the strength of binding between a drug and
receptor
ü Number of occupied receptors is a function of a balance
between bound and free drug

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 PK / PD - Definitions
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§ Efficacy
ü Degree to which a drug is able to produce the desired
response
§ Potency

ü Used to compare compounds within classes of drugs

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THANK YOU