Abstract
The intensity and duration of a drug’s pharmacologic effect are directly correlated to the concentration of the agent at its site of action. This concentration is determined by the drug’s pharmacokinetic properties: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. Alterations in any of these pharmacokinetic parameters may affect drug concentration at the site of action and thus modify the pharmacologic effect. In this article, basic pharmacokinetic processes and factors that may influence them are reviewed. The utility and limitations of serum drug concentrations are also discussed.
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