|
Pharmacokinetics: Overview |  |
| The pharmacokinetic characteristics of a particular drug (rates of absorption, distribution, biotransformation, and excretion) determine its concentration in the plasma. Because the intensity of the tissue response is usually determined by the concentration of the drug in the direct environment of the receptors, a drug’s concentration in plasma is generally assumed to be correlated with the time course of its action. Dosage regimens are derived from pharmacokinetic studies in
normal animals but often require modification in diseased, young, old, obese, thin, or pregnant animals. A large number of pharmacokinetic measures can be determined from time-course studies of drug concentrations in plasma, but only the more clinically useful features and values are emphasized below. |
