Chapter 2

Drugs and the Body

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 Pharmacodynamics

• Pharmacodynamics is the science of dealing

with interactions between living organisms and
foreign chemicals

• Chemical reactions occur continuously in the

body of each living system

• When other chemicals (drugs) are added to the

body, additional effects occur

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 Drug Actions

• To replace or act as substitutes for missing

chemicals

• To increase or stimulate certain cellular activities

• To depress or slow certain cellular activities

• To interfere with the functioning of foreign cells

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 Receptor Cells

• Receptor site reacts to certain chemicals

• The better the fit between receptor site and

chemical, the more pronounced the reaction

• Enzymes within the body are needed to break

down the chemicals to open up the receptor
site

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 Lock & Key

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 Enzymes

• Drugs can interfere with the enzymes that may

be catalysts for chemical reactions

• Enzymes produce a cascade effect

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 Pharmacokinetics

• Onset of drug action

• Drug half-life

• Timing of the peak effect

• Duration of drug effects

• Metabolism or biotransformation of the drug

• Site of excretion

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The Processes by Which Drugs Are
Handled in the Body

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 Pharmacokinetics

• Critical concentration
– The amount of a drug that is needed to cause a
therapeutic effect
• Loading dose
– A higher dose than that usually used for
treatment
• Dynamic equilibrium
– The actual concentration that a drug reaches in
the body
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 Dynamic Equilibrium
• The actual amount of drug that reaches the body
results in a dynamic equilibrium

• Dynamic equilibrium is affected by:

– Absorption

– Distribution

– Biotransformation

– Excretion
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 Absorption
• Administration

– Affected by route of administration

– Oral medications affected by presence of

food in the stomach

• First-pass effect

– Medications are extensively metabolized by

the liver

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Factors Affecting Absorption

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 Distribution

• Protein binding

• Blood–brain barrier

• Placenta/breast milk

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 Biotransformation

• The liver is the single most important site for

biotransformation (metabolism)

• This process breaks down medications

• It helps to prevent medications from causing

adverse effects on the body

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 Excretion

• Removal of drugs from the body

• Kidneys play the most important role in the

excretion of medication

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 Half-Life

• Half-life is the time it takes for the amount of

drug in the body to decrease to one-half the
peak level

• Half-life is affected by the absorption,

distribution, metabolism, and excretion

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Pharmacokinetics

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 Half-life

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Calculating Half-Life

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 Factors Influencing Drug Effects

• Weight • Immunologic factors

• Age • Psychological factors
• Gender • Environmental factors
• Physiologic factors • Drug tolerance
• Pathologic factors • Cumulative effect
• Genetic factors

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 Drug-to-Drug Interactions
• Can occur any time two or more drugs are
taken together
• Can occur at:
– Site of absorption
– During distribution
– During biotransformation
– During excretion
– At the site of action
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 Drug–Food Interaction

• Certain foods interact with drugs

• Drugs are best taken on an empty stomach

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Drug–Laboratory Test Interaction

• Drugs may alter the results of lab testing

• Laboratory tests may be used to monitor

the effects of other medications

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