Pharmacokinetics

Module 1 — General Principles of Pharmacology · Course 2 of 5

Role in Module 1: connects dose with drug exposure over time. Recommended after Introduction to Clinical Pharmacology. You can reopen any lesson at any time — your Quick Recall results show which concepts to revisit.

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

Course Content

01. Pharmacokinetics: The Time Course of Drug Exposure
02. Why Pharmacokinetics Matters Clinically
03. Pharmacokinetics vs Pharmacodynamics
04. ADME: The Drug Journey
Quick Recall Check 1: Foundations of Pharmacokinetics
05. The Four Core PK Parameters
06. Biological Barriers to Drug Movement
07. Passive Diffusion and Surface Area
Quick Recall Check 2: Core Parameters and Barriers
08. Carrier-Mediated Transport
09. High-Yield Transporters in PK
10. pH, pKa, and Drug Ionization
11. Ion Trapping and Urinary pH
12. Barriers: BBB, Placenta, and Breast Milk
13. Absorption: From Site to Blood
Quick Recall Check 3: Transport, Ionization, and Absorption Entry
14. Route Selection: Why Route Matters
15. Oral Absorption: Physiologic Determinants
16. Food and Absorption Interactions
17. Formulations That Change Absorption
18. IV, IM, and SC Administration
19. Mucosal, Transdermal, and Rectal Routes
20. Inhaled, Topical, and Intrathecal Routes
Quick Recall Check 4: Routes of Administration
21. Bioavailability: How Much Gets In?
22. Calculating Bioavailability
23. First-Pass Effect: Oral ≠ IV
24. Extraction Ratio and Oral Availability
25. Bioequivalence and Generics
26. Clinical Case: IV-to-PO Conversion
Quick Recall Check 5: Bioavailability and First-Pass Effect
27. Distribution: Where the Drug Goes
28. Perfusion and Capillary Permeability
29. Plasma Protein Binding
30. Tissue Binding and Redistribution
31. Volume of Distribution: Meaning
32. Vd Calculation: Worked Example
33. Distribution to Special Sites
Quick Recall Check 6: Distribution and Protein Binding
34. Vd and Dialyzability
35. Clearance: The Central Dosing Parameter
36. Clearance, AUC, and Exposure
37. Organ Clearance and Extraction
38. Hepatic Clearance: Flow vs Capacity
39. Renal Excretion: Three Processes
40. Renal Clearance, AKI, and ARC
Quick Recall Check 7: Clearance and Excretion
41. Biliary, Pulmonary, and Other Excretion
42. Drug Metabolism: Purpose and Outcomes
43. Phase I vs Phase II Reactions
44. Cytochrome P450: Core Framework
45. Enzyme Induction vs Inhibition
46. Prodrugs and Active Metabolites
47. Toxic Metabolites: Acetaminophen
48. Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics
Quick Recall Check 8: Metabolism and Enzyme Kinetics
49. Phenytoin: Saturable Metabolism Case
50. Compartment Models
51. Half-Life: Timing, Not Dose Amount
52. Steady State: Input Equals Output
53. Continuous IV Infusion
54. Intermittent Dosing: Peaks and Troughs
55. Loading Dose
56. Maintenance Dose
Quick Recall Check 9: Kinetics and Dosing Regimens
57. Dose Interval and Regimen Design
58. Therapeutic Biologics: Different PK Rules
59. Special Populations: The PK Lens
60. Pediatrics and Geriatrics
61. Pregnancy and Lactation
62. Obesity, Cachexia, and Fluid Shifts
Quick Recall Check 10: Special Populations
63. Renal and Hepatic Impairment
64. Critical Illness, Burns, ECMO, and RRT
65. Unexpected Response: PK Diagnostic Algorithm
Quick Recall Check 11: Critical Illness and Course Synthesis
66. High-Yield Formula Map
67. Final Exam Review: Think Like a Prescriber
Foundations of Mastery: Comprehensive Final Assessment
Clinical Application & Mastery Assessment
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