Why can the same medicine produce different drug levels in two people?
Two people can receive the same amount of a medicine and still have different amounts circulating in their blood. Absorption and the speed of metabolism help explain why; a drug’s concentration and its clinical effects are related but distinct questions.
Questions you could explore
- Which part of the drug’s journey would you need to compare before attributing the difference to metabolism?
Start reading
- OpenStax, Introduction to Behavioral NeuroscienceBasic Principles of Pharmacology
Introduces pharmacokinetics and factors that can alter drug handling, including variation in metabolic enzymes. It supplies the mechanism, not a basis for changing someone’s dose.
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