<prompt> The most general term for the process by which the amount of active drug in the body is reduced after absorption into the systemic circulation is:ExcretionEliminationFirst pass metabolismDistribution  <response>: Drug elimination is the sum total of metabolic inactivation and excretion.Depending upon the ability of the body to eliminate a drug, a certain fraction of the central compartment may be considered, to be totally cleared of that drug in a given period of time to account for elimination over that period. Reference: Essentials of Medical Pharmacology Eighth Edition KD TRIPATHI page no 38 