Discussion: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics

Discussion: Pharmacokinetics and

Pharmacodynamics

● As an advanced practice nurse assisting physicians in the diagnosis and
treatment of disorders, it is important to not only understand the impact of
disorders on the body, but also the impact of drug treatments on the body. The
relationships between drugs and the body can be described by pharmacokinetics
and pharmacodynamics.
Pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug through absorption,
distribution, metabolism, and excretion, whereas pharmacodynamics describes
what the drug does to the body
When selecting drugs and determining dosages for patients, it is essential to consider
individual patient factors that might impact the patient’s pharmacokinetic and
pharmacodynamic processes. These patient factors include genetics, gender, ethnicity,
age, behavior (i.e., diet, nutrition, smoking, alcohol, illicit drug abuse), and/or
pathophysiological changes due to disease.
For this Discussion, you reflect on a case from your past clinical experiences and
consider how a patient’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes may alter
his or her response to a drug.
To Prepare
● Review the Resources for this module and consider the principles of
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
● Reflect on your experiences, observations, and/or clinical practices from the last
5 years and think about how pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors
altered his or her anticipated response to a drug.
● Consider factors that might have influenced the patient’s pharmacokinetic and
pharmacodynamic processes, such as genetics (including pharmacogenetics),

gender, ethnicity, age, behavior, and/or possible pathophysiological changes due
to disease.
● Think about a personalized plan of care based on these influencing factors and
patient history in your case study

QUESTION 1 DUE 6/3/2020
Post a description of the patient case from your experiences, observations, and/or
clinical practice from the last 5 years. Then, describe factors that might have influenced
pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes of the patient you identified. Finally,
explain details of the personalized plan of care that you would develop based on
influencing factors and patient history in your case. Be specific and provide examples.