Learn about pharmacology.

Understand what pharmacology is and how it plays a vital role in

Table of Contents
 What is Pharmacology?
 Branches of Pharmacology
 Importance of Pharmacology
 Lesson Summary

What is Pharmacology?
Pharmacology is the study of drugs or medicine. It is important to note that a drug is defined
as a substance used to prevent, diagnose, or treat an illness.

This area of study includes:

 Drug names: Each drug has several names. Every drug has a chemical name which is
generally based on its chemical structure. Each drug also has a generic name which is
adapted by the United States Adopted Names Council and is typically simpler than the
chemical name. Each drug also can have brand/trade/product names which are chosen
by the marketing department of the drug manufacturer.
 Mechanisms of action: How the drugs work within the body.
 Drug responses: How the person's body responds to the drug therapy. Note that a drug
that provides a beneficial change to a patient is considered to be efficacious or have an
effect.
 Side effects: Also known as adverse effects. These are unwanted effects that could be
due to administering a drug.
 Drug interactions: Reactions between at least two drugs or a drug with food, beverage,
or herbal product such as vitamins that affect how a drug works or its efficacy.

Branches of Pharmacology
There are two main branches of pharmacology: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

Pharmacokinetics is defined as the study of what the body does to drugs — in other words,
how drugs move around in the body, as suggested by the word ''kinetic.'' Pharmacodynamics is
the study of what the drugs do to the body — the mechanisms that allow a given drug to work
and its general effects.

Pharmacokinetics
This branch of pharmacology is the study of what the body does to the drugs after
administration.

There are four processes involved in pharmacokinetics. This occurs from the time the drug is
administered until it is excreted.

These four processes are:

1. Absorption – First step in the process. This is the movement of the drug from the site of
administration to the circulatory system.
2. Distribution – The process by which drugs are transported after they have been
administered. This can include diffusion and active transport.
3. Metabolism – This is the total of all chemical reactions in the body. Even though this
primarily occurs in the liver, it occurs in almost every cell of the body. Note that
metabolism can make a drug less or more active.
4. Excretion – This is the removal of the drugs from the body. The kidneys are the primary
organs associated with excretion through urination. However, note that sweating,
defecation, and exhalation are all methods of excretion as well.
Pharmacodynamics
Pharmacodynamics is the branch of pharmacology that studies what the drugs do to the body,
including molecules and targets in the body. This basically means how the drug carries out its
effects or the mechanisms of drug action. There are several factors that influence the
pharmacodynamics of a drug.

These include:

 Dose and frequency of drug administered – this determines the total drug in the blood
 Drug interactions –this can occur if two or more drugs are administered at the same
time, or with drugs and foods, beverages, or herbal supplements
 Metabolic rate – this can change with age with different rates occurring in children and
older adults
 Excretion rate – this is the rate of elimination of the drug
 Half-life of the drug – the length of time it takes for the amount of drug to be halved
 Changes in body function such as liver or kidney disease – these organs affect the
metabolism and excretion of the drug respectively
 Genetics – race and ethnicity can determine the effectiveness of a drug and the side
effects experienced
 How the drug was administered – different routes of drug administration affect
absorption rate. For example, intravenous administration has the fastest onset of
action, whereas the oral route is affected by the presence of food in the stomach.

Drug being administered by intravenous route of drug

Importance of Pharmacology
Almost everyone at some point in their lives will take a drug, whether it is over-the-counter,
prescription, or herbal supplement. Studying pharmacology determines not only the efficacy or
effectiveness of these drugs but their safety as well. Prior to prescription or over-the-counter
drugs being approved by the Food and Drug Administration, their safety and efficacy have to be
proven to the FDA as a part of the regulatory process. There are certain populations of people
that are more susceptible to the adverse effects of drugs and as a result specific drug dosing
information is typically given to these groups of people.

These include:

 Children (this includes infants) – Without having the proper research, drugs were just
administered to children at a lower dosage. After some research has been performed,
 researchers determined that it's better to include on labels specific instructions on how
to dose children.
 Pregnant and lactating women – The FDA classifies most medications based on the
potential harm to the woman or fetus. Some drugs can not only cause preterm labor
but problems to a developing fetus or infant. These are also dependent on the amount
of drug that crosses the placenta or into breast milk.
 Seniors – This demographic tends to be more vulnerable to drug-drug interactions
because they tend to be taking several different drugs that could interact with each
other. They are also more likely to have a decline in health related to kidney or liver
function, which could require a change in the typical dose administered in order to
minimize adverse effects.
 Ethnicities – Some drugs have different effects in different ethnicities and as a result a
person's racial background needs to be considered when administering a drug.

Pharmacology allows pharmacists to study how drugs work differently in all these different
demographics, helping prescribe safe and effective drugs for each of them. It also helps to find
safe and effective drugs for people not in these demographics by researching drug interactions
and how each drug works in the body, among other things.

Scientist working in a lab at the FDA testing drugs

Lesson Summary
Pharmacology is the study of drugs. Drugs are chemicals used to prevent, treat, or diagnose
diseases. If a drug provides a beneficial change to a patient, it is considered to be efficacious.
There are two main branches of pharmacology: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Pharmacokinetics is the study of what the body does to the drugs. There are four processes
involved in pharmacokinetics: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
Pharmacodynamics is the study of what the drugs does to the body, to the molecules and
targets in the body. This branch of science is very important. It provides the foundation for
administering the appropriate doses a for effective treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of a
disease with the minimal adverse effects.