Introduction
Pharmacokinetics is the study of body interaction with administered substances starting from absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics of a drug’s effect on the body. The difference between the two aspects is that pharmacokinetics involves how drugs move in the body while pharmacodynamics is the way the body responds to a drug.
Factors influencing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in a patient
A patient’s body structure is a major determinant of how a drug will react when taken or administered. Pharmacokinetics vary significantly from one patient to another, the factors contributing to the differences are weight, environment, age, pregnancy, and diet (Wind et al., 2019). The pathophysiology of an individual which involves genetics, food to drug, and drug-drug are the main determinants of pharmacokinetic processes. Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics influence drug therapy. Additionally, other factors such as gender impacts the amount of fats in the body, water, muscle mass organ size, blood flow and volume, and metabolism enzyme influence individual variability in pharmacokinetics and the ultimate effect of the drugs administered (van den Anker et al., 2018). Genetics influence metabolism because of the difference in how drugs are metabolized at the individual level. Age determines the rate of drug metabolism and elimination in the body; for instance, an adult’s well-developed liver metabolizes drugs effectively compared to children. However, in some drugs, the vice versa is experienced because elimination will occur faster in children compared to adults. After all, the liver, kidney, and heart have been compromised. When an individual has chronic diseases drug metabolism is significantly affected leading to an increased half-life of a drug and its action.
How changes in the process of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics might impact a patient’s recommended drug therapy
Various conditions may affect the way a drug is absorbed in a patient’s body. The factors include gastrointestinal mortality, radiations, gastrointestinal infections, stomach infections, and interaction with other foods in the tract which leads to interference with the primary basic function of the transport mechanism which is important for unionized drugs across the cell membrane (Lawson et al., 2021). When a patient experiences this, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics influence a patient’s drug therapy recommendation. An older patient may be affected by the half-life of a drug because of age, leading to changes in receptor functions which significantly influence the homeostatic function. When such challenges are experienced because of age, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics have to be changed, and adoption of a different drug therapy (Drenth‐van Maanen et al., 2020).
Improvements in the patient’s drug therapy plan
The goal of a healthcare practitioner is to ensure patient care and wellness are achieved. Therefore, a proper plan has to be implemented to ensure a patient’s drug therapy is improved; for instance, improving methodology like reducing low-intensity lipoprotein cholesterol, using drug therapy that improves blood flow, and putting a patient on constant physical and cardiovascular exercise to help in regulating the heart rhythm. Recommending surgery for a patient such as coronary artery bypass grafting aims at improving blood flow in the blood vessels. Patient lifestyle should also be addressed through counseling, exercising, and cardiac rehabilitation to help improve drug therapy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are the basic tools of therapeutic drug monitoring to ensure maximization of dosage and intervals involved to improve patients’ well-being. Pharmacokinetics reduces drug toxicity in the body, increases patient recovery process lowers toxin deposition, and destruction of important body organs such as the liver and kidneys.
References
Wind, S., Schmid, U., Freiwald, M., Marzin, K., Lotz, R., Ebner, T., … & Dallinger, C. (2019). Clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nintedanib. Clinical pharmacokinetics, 58(9), 1131-1147.
Lawson, R., Staatz, C. E., Fraser, C. J., & Hennig, S. (2021). Review of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intravenous busulfan in pediatric patients. Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 60(1), 17-51.
Drenth‐van Maanen, A. C., Wilting, I., & Jansen, P. A. (2020). Prescribing medicines to older people—How to consider the impact of aging on human organ and body functions. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 86(10), 1921-1930.
van den Anker, J., Reed, M. D., Allegaert, K., & Kearns, G. L. (2018). Developmental changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 58, S10-S25.
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