Question

Reflect on how having a working knowledge of pharmacokinetics of medications is important in your role as an advanced practice nurse.

Answer 1

Pharmacokinetics is derived from the Greek word kinesis meaning movement.

Pharmacokinetics means what the body does to the drug. This refers to the movement of the drug in and alteration of the drug by the body. (absorption, distribution, storage, biotransformation and excretion of the drug.)

For example.

Paracetamol is rapidly and almost completely absorbed orally attaining peak blood levels at 30 to 60 min, 25%bound to plasma protein, widely and uniformly distributed in the body, extensively metabolized in the liver, primarily by glucuronide ams sulfate conjugation into inactive metabolites, excreted in urine, plasma half life of 2 to 3 hours and a clearence value of 5ml/kg/min.

The above is an example of pharmakinetics of paracetamol.

So therefore the knowledge about pharmacokinetics helps to determine:

The route of administration.

The latency of onset.

Time of peak action.

Duration of action.

Frequency of administration of a drug.

So a advanced nurse practitioner should be aware about pharmacokinetics to prescribe the correct medicine and to prevent unwanted drug induced organ damages.