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Pharmacy & Pharmacology vocabulary · Pharmacokinetics

Absorption

Meaning in pharmacy & pharmacology, with examples

/əbˈzɔrpʃən/nounCore term

In pharmacy & pharmacology, absorption means: The movement of a drug from the place where it is given, such as the gut or the skin, into the bloodstream.

In Turkish: emilim, absorpsiyon

How it is used

The A in ADME. Pharmacists describe absorption as fast, slow, reduced or delayed, often because of food, antacids or stomach problems. Many oral drugs are absorbed mainly in the small intestine. The verb is 'absorb': 'Iron is better absorbed on an empty stomach.'

Example sentences

  1. Antacids can reduce the absorption of some antibiotics, so the doses need to be taken at different times.

  2. Food slows the absorption of this tablet but does not change the total amount absorbed.

Common collocations

  • rate of absorption
  • reduce absorption
  • delayed absorption
  • oral absorption
  • bioavailabilityThe proportion of a dose that reaches the general circulation unchanged and can act in the body; by definition it is 100 percent for intravenous drugs.
  • first-pass metabolismThe breakdown of a swallowed drug in the gut wall and liver before it reaches the general circulation, which lowers the amount that can act in the body.
  • pharmacokineticsThe study of what the body does to a drug: how it is absorbed, distributed, metabolised and eliminated, and how its level in the blood changes over time.
  • take with foodA common instruction meaning that a medicine should be taken during or just after a meal, often to reduce stomach upset or to improve absorption.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Pharmacokinetics

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.