Pharmacokinetics Case Study

Pharmacokinetics and its implications on chemical therapy

Pharmacokinetics is one of the two subsections of pharmacology, the other being pharmacodynamics. It studies the processes of Liberation Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion of a chemical compound. Pharmacokinetics allows for mathematical practises to be applied to the four processes, and quantify and therefore assess the effect the concentration of a drug has on the body over time. The five parameters of Liberation Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (LADME for short) are responsible for the changes in concentration of a drug in the body, theory stands that the magnitude of the response requires, and depends on, the concentration of the drug in the fluid the is bathing the target tissue. A deep understanding of these processes is vital in order to provide the correct chemical therapy for a patient.

Liberation is the release of the drug from its dosage form and the active ingredient is liberated, for example the breakdown of capsules in the stomach or mouth.

Absorption is the process that involves the movement of the administered compound from entry site to
The distribution of a compound depends on its solubility, binding ability and many other factors. The biggest factors the contribute to distribution rates, is a drug’s binding ability, the volume in which it is being distributed and removal rate. In order to study distribution different locations of the body are referred to as compartments. One of the most common ways to estimate drug distribution is using the apparent volume of distribution, which uses the concentration of the drug in the plasma, plasma concentration, and the amount of drug in the body (measured shortly after administration). In clinical practice this can be used to estimate the dosage required to reach the needed plasma concentration for the drug to have the desired