After atropine has prevented acetylcholine from binding and has produced its effects on the body, it will then need to be removed from the body so as to not be constantly blocking the muscarinic receptors. This would mean that if the atropine isn't metabolized and then excreted, a constant influx of acetylcholine would build up, causing lethal effects on the individual (Katzung, Masters, & Trevor, 2012). The body alters the drug in Phase I and Phase II through oxidation by adding a hydroxyl group to the atropine molecule in order to make it hydrophilic, allowing it to travel to the renal system for excretion for rapid and successful elimination. While half of the atropine drug is metabolized and hydrolyzed to tropine and tropic acid, half of it is excreted unchanged through the renal and urinary system. Atropine follows the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, so in order for excretion to occur, the drug needs to go through renal glomerular filtration as the blood is being filtered, secreted into...

Because atropine has been through phase I and phase II changes, the molecules left are polar and hydrophilic enough to diffuse with water and with the urine. The entire process of pharmacokinetics deals with the metabolism and excretion of the drug. As aforementioned, the drug gets broken down by the body into parts that are easily absorbed or excreted. The half-life of atropine is two hours, meaning that this entire process must occur within that time frame otherwise the drug would be rendered unusable and ineffective (Katzung, Masters, & Trevor, 2012).