Slide 20 Slide listing methods of drug elimination, metabolism and excretion. The next topic is excretion. Drugs are elimination by a number of processes. Polar drugs are easily filtered from the blood in the kidneys and removed into urine. However non polar material is generally reabsorbed from the kidney or distributes into fat tissue. The liver however is capable of metabolizing many drugs, generally producing compounds which are more polar and more easily excreted. Enzymes in the liver are able to form conjugates with drugs or hydrolyze and oxidize drugs. Drug kinetics can be markedly altered by changes in metabolism or excretion of drugs. These processes together result in the elimination of a drug.

Copyright 2001 David W.A. Bourne