Objectives

After completing this module you should be able to:

• Define the first-order elimination rate constant.

• Describe the drug amount-time profile after a single iv dose when drug elimination follows first-order kinetics.

• Determine the drug elimination rate constant after a single iv drug administration.

• Utilize the mathematical expressions that describe the drug amount-time profile after a single iv administration to determine the drug amount in the body at any time.

• Describe how the change in the drug elimination rate constant affects the drug amount-time profile after a single iv dose.