Tag: First pass effect

For some oral medications, more than 75% of the dose can be metabolized and deactivated before it reaches systemic circulation, a phenomenon known as the **first-pass effect**. This crucial pharmacological process explains why the route of administration can drastically alter a drug's effectiveness and required dosage.

Intravenous (IV) administration is often referred to as the gold standard for drug delivery, as it provides 100% bioavailability, meaning the entire dose reaches the systemic circulation. This makes IV the fastest route of drug administration for delivering medication directly into a patient's bloodstream for an immediate and predictable effect.

Genetic factors can account for 20 to 95 percent of patient variability in drug response [1.6.2]. A primary driver of this variation is the answer to the question, **how does metabolism affect drugs?**, which determines a medication's safety and effectiveness.

On average, cannabis edibles take 30 minutes to 2 hours to produce effects [1.5.2]. If you're asking, 'Why hasn't my edible kicked in?', the answer lies in a complex interplay of pharmacology, your body's unique chemistry, and other key factors.

Over 90% of orally administered drugs are absorbed through passive diffusion. In pharmacology, **what is meant by drug absorption?** It is the critical process by which a drug moves from its site of administration into the systemic circulation, a fundamental step in determining the medication's effectiveness.

Sublingual drug administration can lead to absorption up to 10 times greater than the standard oral route [1.3.7]. When asking, **Can I swallow sublingual drops?**, it is vital to understand why this method is prescribed and how swallowing negates its primary benefits.

Did you know that the liver is the primary site for the metabolism and biotransformation of the vast majority of drugs and toxins in the human body? Exploring where most drug metabolism takes place is essential for understanding how medications work, their duration of action, and potential side effects.

The cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, found predominantly in the liver, are responsible for metabolizing 70-80% of all drugs in clinical use [1.4.1]. So, which organ is primarily responsible for drug metabolism? The definitive answer is the liver, which serves as the body's chief metabolic hub [1.2.1].