What is the Difference Between Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics?

Elizabeth Dodds-Ashley, PharmD, MHS, at the Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, outlines the differences between Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“Pharmacokinetics is how a body processes a drug. So how the drug is absorbed, how it’s distributed throughout the body, where it’s distributed, how you metabolize the drug, and then eliminate it. It’s really mostly focused on the drug and the body.

Pharmacodynamics takes into account the complex interactions between the drug, the human body, and then the pathogen that might be causing an infection in the patient.

So how does the antibiotic best kill the pathogen that might be causing the infection, and then how can we dose the drug to optimize that killing activity profile.”