Pharmacotherapeutics is specially for the utilization of medicines in the treatment of diseases, conditions and symptoms. This Pharmacotherapeutics presentation basically contains about the introduction to pharmacotherapeutics, its scope and objectives.

1. FACULTY OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE
PHARMACOTHERAPEUTICS ER20-24T
Chapter 1: Pharmacotherapeutics
Topic 1. Introduction, Scope and Objective
Presented by- Ms. ALKA
Assistant Professor
FACULTY OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE
RAMA UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH
KANPUR, INDIA
2023-2024
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Introduction
 Pharmacotherapeutics word derived from two words, “Pharmakon” means ‘the drugs’ and
“therapeutic” means ‘diagnosis or treatment’ of any disease.
 Definition: Pharmacotherapeutics is a branch of pharmacology that deals with drug
absorption, drug distribution, drug elimination and their action/effects.
 In other words, we can say that it is provided information regarding the drugs and their action
for preventing/eliminating the disease. Based on receptor capability and bioavailability, drugs
act on the body and cure the disease.
 Pharmacotherapy is included as drug therapy to treat the disease after surgical, radiation, or
physical therapy. In modern days, different types of chemicals available which show the
effect (may be positive or negative), to correct these problems (according to the demand or
patient need) pharmacotherapeutics play a major role in the Indian system of medicine

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Branches of the Pharmacotherapeutics
1. Pharmacokinetics
a. Drug absorption
b. Drug distribution
c. Drug elimination
2. Pharmacodynamics
a. Systemic effects
b. Cellular effects
1. Pharmacokinetics: The word Pharmacokinetics is derived from two words ‘Pharmakon’
which means “the drug” and ‘Kinesis’ means “movement”.
 Pharmacokinetics is defined as the quantitative study of drug movement in, through and
out of the body. Or “What the body does to the drug”.

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1. Pharmacokinetics: The word Pharmacokinetics is derived from two words ‘Pharmakon’
which means “the drug” and ‘Kinesis’ means “movement”.
 Pharmacokinetics is defined as the quantitative study of drug movement in, through and
out of the body. Or “What the body does to the drug”.
a. Drug absorption: Absorption is the movement of the drug from its site of administration
into systemic circulation.
 Initially, when we consume the medicine then it is dissolved or broken down into smaller or
absorbable particles absorbed by the different-different route according to their solubility
and protein/receptor binding capacity.
 In our gastrointestinal tract (G.I.T) absorption starts from the upper parts(mouth) to the
middle part (stomach, intestine) and finally the lower part(rectal and anal) of G.I.T.

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b. Drug distribution: After the completion of absorption, drugs are distributed to effective
areas through the blood or other connective tissue and finally bind to the specific receptors
and show their action.
The extent and pattern of distribution of a drug depend mainly on-
• lipid solubility
• ionization
• extent of binding to plasma and tissue proteins
• presence of tissue-specific transporters or receptor

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c. Drug metabolism/ biotransformation: Biotransformation means the chemical alteration
of the drug in the body. Most hydrophilic drugs, e.g., streptomycin, neostigmine, etc. are little
bio transformed and are largely excreted unchanged. The primary site for drug metabolism is
liver; others are—kidney, intestine, lungs, and plasma.
d. Drug elimination: [Elimination= cleared or excreted]
 Drug elimination is defined as the removal of administered drug from the body.
 When the bioavailability is more than drugs are binds to the receptors and show effects and
waste/metabolism products are eliminated but when bioavailability is less then more
amount of drugs are eliminated as through urine or fecal matter.
 CL = Rate of elimination/Plasma concentration (C)

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2. Pharmacodynamics: The word Pharmacodynamics is derived from the two words
‘Pharmakon’ which means “the drug” and ‘dynamics’ which means “power”.
Definition: Pharmacodynamics is defined as “What the drug does to the body”. This refers
to the biological response to the body.
a. Systemic effects: In this branch, we are studying the drug action on body organs and
their responses. Different chemicals show different mechanisms of action on the different
body parts.
b. Cellular effects: when the drugs are absorbed then it reaches the cell and binds to the
specific cell receptors and carry on the metabolism.

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 Objectives of Pharmacotherapeutics
1. Pathophysiology of disease and rational drug therapy.
2. Therapeutic approach to the management of disease.
3. SOAP (subjective, objective, assessment, and plan) of common disease condition.
4. Participate in planning rational medicine therapy for common diseases.
5. Patient counselling techniques.
 Scope of Pharmacotherapeutics
1. We gain the correct knowledge regarding the drug's chemical reactions in the body.
2. We decide the correct drug categories for treating the specific disease.
3. We decide the correct dose and formulation for treating the specific disease.

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4. We decide the right patient for the drug.
5. We decide the suitable/effective route of administration.
6. We decide the correct time of administration for a particular drug (many gastric-related
drugs take by an empty stomach and many drugs take after taking meals)
7. Decide the drug tolerance and resistance capacity.
8. We decide on the drug incompatibility or adverse effect (aspirin is not taken in dengue
condition).
9. We decide about the drug-food interactions (calcium-rich food and antibiotics should not
be taken together).
10. We decide the natural/environmental condition for taking the drug.

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POINTS TO BE NOTED
• Bioavailability refers to the rate and extent of absorption of a drug from a dosage form as determined by its
concentration-time curve in blood or by its excretion in urine.
• FIRST PASS (PRESYSTEMIC) METABOLISM This refers to the metabolism of a drug during its passage
from the site of absorption into the systemic circulation. All orally administered drugs are exposed to drug
metabolizing enzymes in the intestinal wall and liver (where they first reach through the portal vein). Pre-
systemic metabolism in the gut and liver can be avoided by administering the drug through sublingual,
transdermal or parenteral routes.
• Clearance (CL): The clearance of a drug is the theoretical volume of plasma from which the drug is
completely removed in a unit time.
• Receptor: It is defined as a macromolecule or binding site located on the surface or inside the effector cell
that serves to recognize the signal molecule/drug and initiate the response to it, but itself has no other function.

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