In: Nursing
1.) Why is a dosage of 10 mg day better than a dosage of 2.5 mg four times a day?
2.) Why is drug elimination usually a first-order process?
ANSWER :
1.Most of the drugs in clinical pharmacology follow first order pharmacokinetics where,
So, if the drug is given in higher dose the plasma concentration will be more and inturn the rate of elimination of drug will be more which makes the drug ineffective as it does not reach the therapeutic concentration.
Hence , smaller divided doses are preferred where plasma concentration will be less and elimination will be less and drug will be effective as it reaches the therapeutic concentration in plasma.
2.Drug elimination is usually in first order process to attain the desired therapeutic level/concentration of the drug.