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Half-Life of a Drug


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The elimination half-life of a drug is defined as the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the plasma or the total amount in the body to be reduced by 50%. In other words, after one half-life, the concentration of the drug in the body will be half of the starting dose.

With each additional half-life, proportionally less of the drug is eliminated. However, the time required for the drug to reach half of the original concentration remains constant.

From a clinical standpoint, it is a safe assumption that a drug is effectively eliminated after 4-5 half-lives. 

The elimination half-life is a useful parameter as it provides an accurate indication of the length of time that the effect of the drug persists in an individual.

 

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