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, and illicit drug abuse), and/or pathophysiological changes due to disease. In this Discussion, you reflect on a case from your past clinical experiences and consider how a particular patient's pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes altered his or her response to a drug.

To prepare:

• Review Chapter 2 of the Arcangelo text and the Scott article in the Learning Resources. Consider the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

• Reflect on your experiences, observations, and/or clinical practices from the last 5 years. Select a case from that time period that involves a patient whose individual differences in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors altered his or her anticipated response to a drug. When referring to your patient, make sure to use a pseudonym or other false form of identification. This is to ensure the privacy and protection of the patient.

• 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.

Post a description of the case you selected. Then, describe the factors that might have influenced the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes of the patient from the case you selected. Finally, explain details of the personalized plan of care that you would develop based on influencing factors and patient history in your case.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days by suggesting additional patient factors that might have influenced the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes of the patients in their case studies. In addition, suggest how the personal care plan might change if the age of the patient were different and if the patient had a comorbid condition, such as renal failure, heart failure, or liver failure.

APA format 2 pages long with 3 references 1 from Walden University Library and chapter 2 from Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V. & Reinhold, J. A. (Eds.). (2017). Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (4th ed.). Ambler, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.