1. Drug ½ life
time it takes plasma concentration or amount of drug in body to be reduced by 50%
Provides a good indication of the time necessary to reach steady state after a dosage regime has been initiated (6X)

2. Steady state drug elimination = drug availability
usually try and maintain steady state concentration in therapeutic window

4. Dose Response Curves info on a range of doses of drug
dose usually presented on horizontal axis (log concentration)
size of effect or percentage affected usually on vertical axis

6. Two types of dose-response curves
the intensity or magnitude of the response in a single person
the % of people who exhibit a characteristic effect at a given dosage

7. 3 important characteristics that can be determined by dose response curves
potency - amount of drug required to elicit a response
slope of the line tells you about how much difference in drug is needed for small effects relative to larger effect

8. Efficacy - maximum effect obtainable
- peak of the DRC indicates the maximum effect

12. Variability and slope –
individual differences in drug response

14. Different DRC depending upon measure of interest

15. Drug Safety and Effectiveness:
ED The dose of a drug that produces the desired effect in 50% of the population
LD 50 –
TI = Therapeutic Index – measure of safety LD 50/ED 50
lithium – LD 95 ED 1;

16. hypothetical drug that can be used as a sedative –
this is tested in mice –
** dose cannot guarantee 100% sleeping and no deaths

17. Caution in interpreting DRC
Often see a bell-shaped curve in response to drug

18. Drug Interactions -
antagonist - one drug diminishes the effect of another
Shifts the DRC to the right
agonist – one drug is additive to the effect of another

21. Drug Interactions -
antagonist - one drug diminishes the effect of another
agonist – one drug is additive to the effect of another
potentiation or superadditive