The Theme of Pharmaceuticals in Kinetics
Kinetics is critically important in the pharmaceutical world. Say you have an incredible drug that cures everything from A to Z. Sounds awesome, but what if the chemical in the drug broke down in two hours? Wouldn't do us much good, would it? We'd never get it in the package, let alone shipped off to the pharmacy where someone could buy it.
That's why one of the earliest tests done on a potential drug candidate is a stability test. Typically, a drug's stability is measured over time at typical room temperature and humidity conditions. Stability is also measured at a higher temperature and humidity, approximating conditions that may be experienced in a bathroom or other warm places.
Kinetics is also important once you ingest a drug. It's kind of a big deal to know how long a drug is going to hang around in your body. Those instructions on the bottle that say "Take 1 pill every 6 to 8 hours " are not merely a suggestion. Your body will metabolize drugs at a given rate. Take drugs too quickly and you may build up a toxic level of the drug in your body. On the other hand, miss too many doses and your body doesn't have enough drug in it to be effective.