After underlining the relationship between efficacy, toxicity and drug concentration, the book then considers how metabolising systems operate and how they impact upon drug concentration, both under drug pressure and during inhibition. Factors affecting drug metabolism, such as genetic polymorphisms, age and diet are discussed and how metabolism can lead to toxicity is explained. The book concludes with the role of drug metabolism in the commercial development of therapeutic agents as well as the pharmacology of some illicit drugs.

• focuses on a conceptual understanding of drug metabolism
• takes a user-friendly approach to the chemical aspect of drug metabolism
• includes a wealth of diagrams and illustrations
• provides strategies for maximising examination performance