Word parts
What it means
The movement of a drug through the body in four steps: absorption (into the blood), distribution (to the tissues), metabolism (breakdown, mainly in the liver) and excretion (removal, mainly by the kidneys). It explains how fast a drug starts to work, how long it lasts and why the dose may need to change. Pharmacodynamics is the other side: what the drug does to the body.
For the nurse
Liver or kidney disease, age and body size change pharmacokinetics. Older adults and infants often clear drugs slowly, so drugs can build up. Check liver and kidney labs for drugs that depend on them.
Remember it
ADME: absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion.
At a glance
| Spanish | farmacocinética |
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Related terms
receptor
A structure on or in a cell that a specific chemical, such as a hormone or drug, attaches to in order to act.
dose
The amount of a drug given at one time.
efficacy
The ability of a drug or treatment to produce the effect it is meant to have.
drug interaction
A change in how a drug works when it is taken with another drug, a food, a drink or a supplement.