... Ocularpharmacokineticsincludesthefeaturesofabsorption,distribu-tion,andexcretionfoundwithsystemicadministrationbutappliedtotheeye.However,owingtotheuniqueanatomyandphysiologyoftheeyeandsurroundingtissue,ocularpharmacokineticsisconsiderablymoredifficulttodescribeandpredictthanitssystemiccounterpart.Thetaskisfurthercomplicatedbythevariousformulations,routes,anddosingregimenstypi-callyencounteredinophthalmology.Pharmacodynamicsisthemeasurementofpharmacologicalresponserelativetodoseorconcentration.Thepharmacologicalresponseinducedbyadrugcanvarygreatlyfromindividualtoindividualduetodifferencesinfactorssuchaseyepigmentation,thepathologicalstateoftheeye,tearing,orblinkrate.Theapplicationofpharmacologicalendpointsisparticularlyusefulinthestudyofdrugsinthehumaneye,wheretheabilitytodeterminetheocularpharmacokineticsbasedonoculartissueconcentrationsisseverelylimited.Thischapterdiscussestheocularpharmacokineticsassociatedwithtopicalocular,intravitreal,periocular,andsystemicadministration.Inaddi-tion,thepharmacodynamicsrelatedtoophthalmicdrugsandtheroleofoculardrugmetabolismarereviewed.II.OCULARPHARMACOKINETICSApplicationofclassicalpharmacokineticstoophthalmicdrugsisprob-lematicbecauseofthecomplexitiesassociatedwitheyeanatomyandphy-siology.Asaresult,mostoftheliteratureislimitedtomeasuringconcentrationsinoculartissuesovertimefollowingsingleormultipleadministration.Thisapproach,whileinformative,doesnoteasilyyieldquantitativepredictionsforchangesinformulationordosageregimen.Compoundingtheproblemisthefactthatmoststudieshavebeenconductedinrabbiteyes,whichdiffersignificantlyfromhumaneyesinanatomyandphysiology(seeTable1).themostobviousdifferencesareinblink ... Ocular drug delivery. Pharmacokinetic considera-tions. Clin. Pharmacokinet., 18 :25 5.6. Lang, J. C., and Stiemke, M. M. Biological barriers to ocular delivery. In:Ocular Therapeutics and Drug Delivery ... of -blocking agents III: In vitro– in vivo correlations. J. Pharm.Sci., 72: 127 9.46. Tang-Liu, D. D. S., Liu, S. S., and Weinkam, R. J. (1984). Ocular and sys-temic bioavailability of ophthalmic...