The physicochemical concept of turbulent drag reduction (the Toms effect) integrates physicochemical characteristics of polymer solutions with hydrodynamic and rheological flow parameters into a generalized equation, where the increment in volumetric flow rate Q(p) is a function of the external shear stress tau(w), temperature, volume of macromolecular coils with immobilized solvent V-c and a function of their volume fraction Psi = C center dot [eta]/(1 + C center dot [eta]). The Q(p) depends on the coil intrinsic elasticity [G] = kT/V-c as well. This model allows one: (1) to describe the Toms effect in terms of useful elastic work spent by macromolecular coils with immobilized solvent to overcome the frictional forces (i.e. the forces of intermolecular interactions), (2) to forecast the initial conditions of the Toms effect (tau* approximate to (RT)/(M center dot [eta])) and (3) to explain the unusual temperature dependence of the polymer solutions flow. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.