Food and most drugs enter the body through the digestive tract and undergo the same physiological processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, and the influence of the former on the latter cannot be ignored. The possibility and extent of interaction between the two is related to a number of variables: the physicochemical properties of the drug, such as solubility; the composition of the food and the time of eating; changes in the digestive tract after eating; and patient characteristics, such as eating habits and nutritional status. The following are the recommended dosing times for commonly used psychotropic drugs from the American Hospital Formulary Service: Drug Information. I. Analgesics and anticonvulsants II. Antidepressants III. Antipsychotics IV. Central nervous system stimulants and appetite suppressants V. Other drugs