This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Penetration of different drugs

Authoring team

Lipid soluble drugs cross the blood-brain barrier more easily than water soluble drugs. The penetration of acid and basic drugs depends on the lipid solubility of the unionised molecules.

If a drug is highly polar then it does not easily cross the blood-brain barrier. This is because highly polar drugs have lower concentrations of unionised molecules. For example amphetamine (base) penetrates more easily than adrenaline (acid) as it has less polar groups.


Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2025 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.