Drug Metabolism

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Drug metabolism is the term used to describe the biotransformation of pharmaceutical substances in the body so that they can be eliminated more easily. The metabolites of some drugs are pharmacologically active and exert an effect on the body. The active metabolite of some medications is responsible for the principal action of the drug. In this case, the drug formulation is referred to as a prodrug (some chemical substances which do not produce pharmacological effects until they are chemically altered within the body). The rate of drug metabolism affects the efficacy and toxicity of the drug for patients who have very high or low metabolism rates.