What is the term used for the reduced effect of a drug due to more rapid metabolism or excretion?

The term that describes the reduced effect of a drug due to more rapid metabolism or excretion is drug disposition tolerance. This type of tolerance occurs when the body becomes more efficient at metabolizing and eliminating a drug, which leads to a decreased concentration of the drug in the bloodstream and, consequently, a diminished therapeutic or psychoactive effect.

In this process, enzymes responsible for the metabolism of the drug increase in activity, or the pathways for excretion become more efficient, both of which contribute to a situation where the usual dose of the drug no longer produces the same level of effect. This can occur with various substances and is particularly relevant in contexts of addiction and pharmacology, where changes in drug efficacy can impact treatment outcomes.

Other concepts such as psychological dependence and physical dependence focus more on the psychological and physiological aspects of addiction and withdrawal rather than the pharmacokinetic changes associated with drug metabolism and excretion. Cross-tolerance specifically refers to the phenomenon where tolerance to one drug leads to tolerance to another drug within the same class or with similar effects, emphasizing the behavioral aspect rather than the metabolic processes at play.