Bioavailability is a big word but think of it as how much of the medicine really does its job. When you take medicine, it has to travel inside your body and do its work.
It can be defined as the extent and rate to which the active drug ingredient or active moiety from the drug product is absorbed and becomes available at the site of drug action.
Terms You Should Know
- Absorption: It’s how the drug enters your blood after you take it.
- Plasma concentration: the amount of a drug in a given volume of blood plasma of the sample.
- Metabolism: This is where your body starts to break down the drug.
- Half-life: This is the time it takes for half the drug to be reduced.
Factors Affecting Bioavailability
Lots of things can change the way medicines work in your body:
- How you take the medicine: Liquid, pill, or injection.
- Food in your stomach: Sometimes eating can slow things down.
- Other medicines: Some drugs don’t play nice together.
How to Measure Bioavailability
Scientists use special tests to find out how well drugs work. They measure how fast and how much of the drug gets into your blood.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What Is Drug Bioavailability?
Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a drug that enters the systemic circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.
How Does Bioavailability Affect Drug Dosage?
Drug dosage decisions are influenced by bioavailability, as it dictates the amount needed to achieve a therapeutic effect without causing toxicity.
Why Is Bioavailability Important In Pharmacology?
In pharmacology, bioavailability is crucial because it determines the correct dosage for efficacy and safety of medications.
Can Food Impact Drug Bioavailability?
Certain foods can indeed alter the bioavailability of some drugs, either enhancing or reducing their absorption rates.
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