Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Chemistry of acids and bases -- Dissociation of weak acids and bases -- Hydrolysis of salts -- Amphiprotic salts -- Buffer solutions -- Buffer capacity -- Biological buffers -- Ionisation of drugs -- pK[subscript a] values of drug molecules -- pH indicators -- 2. Partition coefficient and biopharmacy -- Experimental measurement of partition coefficient -- Drug absorption, distribution and bioavailability -- Passive diffusion -- The pH partition hypothesis -- Active transport mechanisms -- The action of local anaesthetics -- Excretion and reabsorption of drugs -- Food and drink -- 3. Physicochemical properties of drugs -- Carboxylic acids -- Phenols -- Warfarin -- Phenylbutazone -- Indometacin -- Barbiturates -- Phenytoin -- Sulfonamides -- Basic drugs -- Basicity of heterocyclic compounds -- Separation of mixtures -- 4. Stereochemistry -- Polarimetry -- Biological systems -- Fischer projections -- Stereochemistry case study: thalidomide -- Geometrical isomerism -- 5. Drug metabolism -- Metabolic pathways -- Cytochromes P450 -- Enzyme induction and inhibition -- Drug conjugation reactions (Phase 2) -- Sterochemistry -- Metabolic pathways for common drugs -- 6. Volumetric analysis of drugs -- Volumetric flask -- Pipette -- Burettes -- Units of concentration -- Concentration of active ingredients -- Design of an assay -- Practical points -- Back and blank titrations -- Assay of unit-dose medicines -- Non-aqueous titrations -- REDOX titrations -- Compleximetric titrations -- Argentimetric titrations -- Limit tests -- 7. Analytical spectroscopy -- Effect of pH on spectra -- Instrumentation -- Experimental measurement of absorbance -- Dilutions -- Quantitative aspects of spectroscopy -- Beer's and Lambert's laws -- Methods of drug assay -- Derivative spectroscopy -- Infrared spectroscopy -- Fluorimetry --