Study of drug absorption, distribution, and elimination is called what?

Study of drug absorption, distribution, and elimination is called what?

• A. Side effects
• B. Pharmacokinetics
• C. Pharmacological class
• D. Therapeutic classification

Answer: (B)

Understanding how the body handles a drug is pharmacokinetics. It describes absorption—how the drug enters the bloodstream, distribution—how it travels to tissues, and elimination—which includes metabolism and excretion to remove the drug from the body. This focuses on the body's handling of the drug, rather than the drug’s effects on the body, which is pharmacodynamics. The other terms refer to adverse effects, how drugs are grouped by mechanism, or by therapeutic use, not the body's processing of the drug. So the study described is pharmacokinetics.

Understanding how the body handles a drug is pharmacokinetics. It describes absorption—how the drug enters the bloodstream, distribution—how it travels to tissues, and elimination—which includes metabolism and excretion to remove the drug from the body. This focuses on the body's handling of the drug, rather than the drug’s effects on the body, which is pharmacodynamics. The other terms refer to adverse effects, how drugs are grouped by mechanism, or by therapeutic use, not the body's processing of the drug. So the study described is pharmacokinetics.