Study Notes — Introduction to Drug Action Phases + 5 more topics

When you take a drug, it doesn't just magically appear where it's needed and instantly fix things. It goes on a journey, and your body also reacts to its presence. This journey and reaction are broadly split into two main categories: pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD).

When you swallow a tablet, it needs to release its active drug so your body can use it. Disintegration is the initial physical breakdown of that tablet into smaller pieces, or granules. These smaller pieces have a much larger surface area than the original tablet, which is key for the next step: dissolution, where the drug actually dissolves into the body fluids.

Without proper disintegration, a tablet might pass through your digestive system without releasing its drug effectively, making it useless.