Biopharmaceutics, Pharmacokinetics & Routes of Administration

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic drug monitoring, compartment models, and major routes of drug administration as presented in the lecture notes.

Biopharmaceutics

Study of how physiological factors and physicochemical properties of a drug product affect the rate and extent of systemic drug absorption.

Pharmacokinetics

Branch of pharmacology that mathematically describes drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME)—what the body does to the drug.

Pharmacodynamics

Study of the mechanism of action, therapeutic effects, and side effects of a drug—what the drug does to the body.

Drug Product Performance

Release of a drug from its dosage form for local action or systemic absorption.

LADME

Acronym for Liberation, Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion—complete sequence of drug movement in the body.

Dosage Optimization

Adjusting drug dose for individual differences to maximize therapeutic effects and minimize adverse events.

Individualized Therapy

Tailoring drug treatment to a patient’s specific characteristics for optimal outcomes.

Drug Development

Process of discovering and creating new drugs to meet unmet therapeutic needs.

Therapeutic Objective

Desired clinical goal (e.g., rapid relief, chronic control, local or systemic action) guiding dosage-form design.

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)

The drug substance responsible for pharmacologic activity in a formulation.

Excipient

Inactive ingredient in a dosage form that can influence drug release and product performance.

Route of Administration

Path by which a drug is taken into the body; affects bioavailability and onset/duration of action.

Drug Exposure

Measure of dose and resulting drug concentrations in plasma or other biological fluids.

Drug Response

Direct measure of a drug’s pharmacologic effect, from biomarkers to clinical outcomes.

Toxicokinetics

Application of pharmacokinetic principles to drug safety evaluation and dose-exposure relationships in animals.

Clinical Toxicology

Study of adverse effects of drugs and toxic substances in humans.

Pharmacology

Science of drugs, encompassing their sources, actions, uses, and toxicology.

Clinical Pharmacology

Application of pharmacology in clinical practice and drug trials.

Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC)

Lowest plasma concentration needed to produce desired pharmacologic effect.

Minimum Toxic Concentration (MTC)

Plasma concentration at which toxic effects begin to appear.

Therapeutic Window

Range of drug concentrations between MEC and MTC; wider windows indicate safer drugs.

Therapeutic Index

Ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose; quantitative measure of drug safety.

Peak Plasma Level

Maximum drug concentration achieved in plasma after dosing.

Time for Peak Plasma Level

Time required to reach maximum plasma concentration; indicator of average absorption rate.

Area Under the Curve (AUC)

Total drug exposure over time; reflects extent of systemic absorption.

Plasma Drug Concentration–Time Curve

Graph of plasma concentration versus time used to derive pharmacokinetic parameters.

Pharmacokinetic Parameter

Constant (e.g., clearance, half-life) calculated from data to describe drug disposition.

Pharmacokinetic Model

Mathematical representation used to predict drug levels and optimize dosing.

Rate Constant

Numerical value describing the speed of drug entry into or exit from a compartment.

Compartment Model

Simplified representation of body tissues grouped by similar blood flow and drug affinity.

Mammillary Model

Common compartment model with a central compartment connected to peripheral compartments.

Catenary Model

Compartment model arranged in a chain-like series of connected compartments.

Physiologic Pharmacokinetic (Flow) Model

Model based on actual organ volumes and blood flow to predict tissue drug levels without data fitting.

Open System

Pharmacokinetic model in which drug can be eliminated from the body.

Absorption

Movement of drug from site of administration into systemic circulation.

Distribution

Reversible transfer of drug between blood and extravascular tissues.

Metabolism

Biotransformation of drug molecules by enzyme-catalyzed reactions.

Excretion

Physical removal of drug from the body, typically via urine or bile.

Intravascular Administration

Delivery of drug directly into blood vessels (e.g., intravenous, intraarterial).

Intravenous (IV) Route

Injection of drug solution into a vein; provides 100 % bioavailability and rapid effect.

Intraarterial Route

Injection into an artery for localized organ or tissue therapy (e.g., antineoplastics).

Intracardiac Route

Emergency injection directly into heart chambers during cardiac arrest.

Extravascular Administration

Drug delivery outside blood vessels, requiring absorption (e.g., oral, subcutaneous).

Oral Route

Drug intake by mouth; convenient and economical but subject to first-pass metabolism.

Buccal Route

Placement of drug against cheek mucosa for rapid systemic absorption bypassing liver.

Sublingual Route

Placement under the tongue for quick absorption directly into systemic circulation.

Rectal Route

Drug delivery via rectum for local or systemic effects, useful when oral route is not feasible.

Subcutaneous (SC) Route

Injection into adipose tissue beneath dermis; slower, sustained absorption.

Intramuscular (IM) Route

Injection into muscle tissue (deltoid, gluteal, thigh) allowing moderate volumes and varied absorption rates.

Pulmonary Route

Inhalation into lungs for rapid onset and localized respiratory therapy.

Nasal Route

Administration across nasal mucosa for local or systemic action; limited to small, potent, water-soluble drugs.

Calculus in Pharmacokinetics

Mathematical tool using derivatives and integrals to analyze dynamic drug concentration changes.

Differential Equation

Equation involving derivatives used to model rates of drug absorption, distribution, and elimination.

Integral Calculus

Mathematical process of summing continuous quantities, used to obtain AUC.

Trapezoidal Rule

Numerical method for estimating AUC from discrete plasma concentration-time data.

Noyes–Whitney Equation

Formula describing dissolution rate of a solid drug into solution based on diffusion principles.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

Measurement and adjustment of plasma drug concentrations to optimize therapy.

Invasive Sampling

Collection of biological fluids or tissues requiring parenteral or surgical intervention (e.g., blood draw).

Noninvasive Sampling

Collection of samples without needles or surgery (e.g., urine, saliva, expired air).

Therapeutic Onset Time

Time interval from drug administration until plasma concentration reaches MEC.

Intensity of Pharmacologic Effect

Magnitude of drug response proportional to receptor occupancy and plasma concentration.

Duration of Drug Action

Time between onset and when plasma concentration falls back to MEC.

Therapeutic Drug Accumulation

Progressive increase in drug levels with repeated dosing predicted by pharmacokinetic models.