[Use of compartment models in the pharmacokinetics]

A survey is given on the most important theoretical methods which are necessary for the analysis of pharmacokinetic data in clinic and experiment. According to their importance in practice the stress is on the description of the analysis of linear pharmacokinetic systems. Issuing from the general multicompartment theory the one- and two-compartment models important in clinic are dealt with more in detail. The problems of the model identification in models with three and more compartments are explained. With the help of the example of the one-compartment model the authors deal with the problems of the non-linear kinetics, which may appear in drugs with high plasma concentration. Summarizing are finally some hints given at the use of these theoretical methods in practice.