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Module 1 · General Principles of Pharmacology · Course 02 of 5

Pharmacokinetics

  • Course 2 of 5
  • 67 lessons
  • 11 Quick Recall Checks
  • 2 final assessments
  • Free in Module 1

Pharmacokinetics explains how dose becomes concentration through absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, and how those principles guide safe dosing and monitoring.

Role in Module 1: Connects dose with drug exposure over time. Recommended after Introduction to Clinical Pharmacology. How the five courses fit together →

Start this course freeSee the syllabus

Syllabus

Course syllabus and recall checkpoints

The full lesson list, grouped by the Quick Recall Check that closes each unit.

Unit 1Foundations of Pharmacokinetics4 lessons
  1. 1Pharmacokinetics: The Time Course of Drug Exposure
  2. 2Why Pharmacokinetics Matters Clinically
  3. 3Pharmacokinetics vs Pharmacodynamics
  4. 4ADME: The Drug Journey

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 1

Unit 2Core Parameters and Barriers3 lessons
  1. 5The Four Core PK Parameters
  2. 6Biological Barriers to Drug Movement
  3. 7Passive Diffusion and Surface Area

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 2

Unit 3Transport, Ionization, and Absorption Entry6 lessons
  1. 8Carrier-Mediated Transport
  2. 9High-Yield Transporters in PK
  3. 10pH, pKa, and Drug Ionization
  4. 11Ion Trapping and Urinary pH
  5. 12Barriers: BBB, Placenta, and Breast Milk
  6. 13Absorption: From Site to Blood

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 3

Unit 4Routes of Administration7 lessons
  1. 14Route Selection: Why Route Matters
  2. 15Oral Absorption: Physiologic Determinants
  3. 16Food and Absorption Interactions
  4. 17Formulations That Change Absorption
  5. 18IV, IM, and SC Administration
  6. 19Mucosal, Transdermal, and Rectal Routes
  7. 20Inhaled, Topical, and Intrathecal Routes

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 4

Unit 5Bioavailability and First-Pass Effect6 lessons
  1. 21Bioavailability: How Much Gets In?
  2. 22Calculating Bioavailability
  3. 23First-Pass Effect: Oral ≠ IV
  4. 24Extraction Ratio and Oral Availability
  5. 25Bioequivalence and Generics
  6. 26Clinical Case: IV-to-PO Conversion

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 5

Unit 6Distribution and Protein Binding7 lessons
  1. 27Distribution: Where the Drug Goes
  2. 28Perfusion and Capillary Permeability
  3. 29Plasma Protein Binding
  4. 30Tissue Binding and Redistribution
  5. 31Volume of Distribution: Meaning
  6. 32Vd Calculation: Worked Example
  7. 33Distribution to Special Sites

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 6

Unit 7Clearance and Excretion7 lessons
  1. 34Vd and Dialyzability
  2. 35Clearance: The Central Dosing Parameter
  3. 36Clearance, AUC, and Exposure
  4. 37Organ Clearance and Extraction
  5. 38Hepatic Clearance: Flow vs Capacity
  6. 39Renal Excretion: Three Processes
  7. 40Renal Clearance, AKI, and ARC

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 7

Unit 8Metabolism and Enzyme Kinetics8 lessons
  1. 41Biliary, Pulmonary, and Other Excretion
  2. 42Drug Metabolism: Purpose and Outcomes
  3. 43Phase I vs Phase II Reactions
  4. 44Cytochrome P450: Core Framework
  5. 45Enzyme Induction vs Inhibition
  6. 46Prodrugs and Active Metabolites
  7. 47Toxic Metabolites: Acetaminophen
  8. 48Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 8

Unit 9Kinetics and Dosing Regimens8 lessons
  1. 49Phenytoin: Saturable Metabolism Case
  2. 50Compartment Models
  3. 51Half-Life: Timing, Not Dose Amount
  4. 52Steady State: Input Equals Output
  5. 53Continuous IV Infusion
  6. 54Intermittent Dosing: Peaks and Troughs
  7. 55Loading Dose
  8. 56Maintenance Dose

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 9

Unit 10Special Populations6 lessons
  1. 57Dose Interval and Regimen Design
  2. 58Therapeutic Biologics: Different PK Rules
  3. 59Special Populations: The PK Lens
  4. 60Pediatrics and Geriatrics
  5. 61Pregnancy and Lactation
  6. 62Obesity, Cachexia, and Fluid Shifts

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 10

Unit 11Critical Illness and Course Synthesis3 lessons
  1. 63Renal and Hepatic Impairment
  2. 64Critical Illness, Burns, ECMO, and RRT
  3. 65Unexpected Response: PK Diagnostic Algorithm

Smart Drill checkpoint · Quick Recall Check 11

Unit 12Synthesis and review2 lessons
  1. 66High-Yield Formula Map
  2. 67Final Exam Review: Think Like a Prescriber
Finish with two assessments

Foundations of Mastery: Comprehensive Final Assessment · Clinical Application & Mastery Assessment

How you’ll study

Apply pharmacology concepts and review your reasoning

  1. Study a pharmacology conceptUse focused lessons to develop your conceptual foundation.
  2. Recall and apply in a Smart DrillPractice retrieval and clinical application, then review immediate scoring and explanatory feedback.
  3. Target gaps and reassessUse feedback and AI Tutor review to identify reasoning gaps, repeat relevant practice and check your understanding.

See the full practice loop

Module 1 · General Principles of Pharmacology

Continue the Module 1 foundation

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