ABSTRACT
Most drugs must first enter the body before they can exert any effect. In general terms there are two ways of getting a drug into the body, these are enterally, via the gastro intestinal tract, or parenterally, for example by injection. In terms of patient satisfac tion, the optimum route for drug administration is oral, but several factors may render this impossible. Peptide and protein drugs, for example, may be destroyed by digestive enzymes or by gastric acid, and some drugs are destroyed by gut bacteria. In some cases the drug cannot be given orally because of the effects on the patient; for example, irritant
■ 10.2 BASIC PHARMACOKINETICS Pharmacodynamics describe the effects of the drug on the body, whereas pharmacokinetics describe the effects of the body on the drug. The four important parameters o f the pharmacokinetics of any drug are its absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination; these four parameters are usually known by the acronym ADM E.
