What is the body's process of transforming drugs called?

The body's process of transforming drugs is called metabolism. This process involves biochemical modifications made by the body to the drug. When a drug is administered, it undergoes various transformations primarily in the liver, where enzymes break it down into metabolites. These metabolites can be either active, leading to therapeutic effects, or inactive, which enables the body to eliminate them more easily.

Metabolism is a crucial part of pharmacokinetics, as it influences a drug's duration and intensity of action. It also plays a significant role in drug interactions and can affect how each individual responds to a medication.

Other processes such as excretion, absorption, and distribution relate to different stages of a drug's journey through the body. Excretion is the elimination of the drug from the body, absorption involves the uptake of the drug into the bloodstream, and distribution refers to how the drug spreads throughout the body after it has entered circulation. However, none of these processes directly pertain to the transformation of the drug itself, which is why metabolism is the correct answer.