pharmacokinetics
Medical term Basic Pharmacology
What the body does to a drug: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.
Sources
Related terms
- absorptionMovement of a drug from where it is given into the bloodstream.
- distributionTransport of a drug through body fluids to the sites where it acts.
- excretionRemoval of a drug from the body, mainly through the kidneys.
- metabolismThe sum of all chemical reactions in the body.
- onset of actionThe time from giving a drug until it begins to work.
- opioidA class of strong pain-relieving drugs derived from opium, which comes from the poppy plant.
- parenteralA route that bypasses the digestive tract, such as an injection.
- pharmacodynamicsWhat a drug does to the body: how it acts on receptors and organs to produce effects.
- pharmacologyThe study of drugs and their effects on the body.
- polypharmacyUse of many medications at once, which raises the risk of interactions and side effects.