It is a branch of science where drugs are studied. Learn what is pharmacology, definition, scope, history and more.
How to define pharmacology?
It is a branch of science where drugs are studied according to its action, effects, uses, properties. It deals with the interaction of drugs or chemicals substances with living system.
Pharmacology derived from 2 Greek word those are “Pharmakon” (drugs) and “Logos” (discussions).
What are the scopes of pharmacology?
The scopes are extensive and includes the following key areas:
- Drug discovery and development: Finding and developing new medications.
- Pharmacokinetics: Studying how drugs move within the body.
- Pharmacodynamics: Investigating how drugs work in the body.
- Toxicology: Assessing the safety of drugs and toxins.
- Clinical pharmacology: Optimizing drug use for patients.
- Therapeutics: Using drugs to treat medical conditions.
- Pharmaceutical industry: Drug research and production.
- Regulatory affairs: Ensuring drug safety and compliance.
- Education and research: Advancing drug knowledge and therapy.
What are the principles of pharmacology?
It has the 2 main principles – pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.
What is pharmacodynamics?
Pharmacodynamic is combined with two words pharma (drug) and dynamics (power).
Definition of pharmacodynamics is the study of drugs effect and their mechanism of action in living system. In shortly we can tell “what drug does to body? is pharmacodynamics”.
What is pharmacokinetics?
Pharmacokinetics derived from two Greek word – pharmakon (drugs) and kinesis (movement).
It is the study about movement of administrated drugs and modification of drugs by body. Shortly we can say “what body does to drug? is pharmacokinetics”. It depends upon 4 principle – absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.
What is absorption in pharmacokinetics?
Absorption is a process, in which drugs move from administration site to the body flids or systemic circulation. The rate of absorption depends upon some physiological and chemical factors of drug. For example, when a drug administrated intravenously, the entire dose of drug will be available in blood, which will show high absorption rate.
What is distribution?
When a drug reach to blood, it will spread throughout the body tissue this process is known as distribution. Some important factors of distribution are- blood flow, lipid solubility, capillary permeability, plasma and tissue proteins etc.
What is metabolism?
It is the process by which drug molecule’s structure will be change for the interaction with enzyme or other chemicals.
Metabolism is also known as “biotransformation”.
Liver is major site for metabolism or biotransformation and other sites are kidney, intestine, lungs, plasma. Biotransformation reaction classified into 2 types, phase-1 reaction (non-synthetic reaction) and phase-2 reaction (synthetic reaction).
What is phase-1 reaction (non-synthetic reaction)?
In this reaction drugs will undergo with oxidation, reduction or hydrolysis reaction to form a polar compound.
What is phase-2 reaction (synthetic reaction)?
This reaction is also known as conjugation reaction. In this reaction drugs will metabolize with another substance like sulfuric acid, acetic acid and amino acid.
What is excretion?
It is the process by which drugs, or their metabolites are eliminated from the body. The drugs and their metabolites are excreted as urine, feces, sweat, saliva etc. through various organs, such as the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Some other important aspects of pharmacology are.
What is pharmacotherapeutics?
Pharmacotherapeutics is the study of pharmacological information of drug in the base of therapeutics uses and effect of drugs in patient body.
It introduces about disease and its prevention, selection of appropriate drugs, dosage and duration of drugs.
What is clinical pharmacology?
It is a scientific study and trial of drugs in animals. It contains pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetics research in patient body or healthy volunteers.
Why clinical pharmacology is important?
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of drugs.
- To determine the actual treatment by clinical trials.
- To evaluate drug uses and drug side effects.
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is the diagnosis or treatment of systemic infection or malignancy with particular drug that have selective toxicity. Chemotherapeutic drugs divided into two types- pharmacodynamic agent and chemotherapeutic agent.
What are pharmacodynamic agents?
These are the drugs which have pharmacodynamic effect in body.
What are chemotherapeutic agents?
These are drug substances inhibit or kill the particular organism or malignant cell. These drugs don’t have minimal pharmacodynamic effects in human body.
What is pharmacy?
It is the art and science, where drugs are compounding and dispense for administration by suitable dosage form to human and animals.
Why is pharmacy important?
A pharmacy can manage a drug identification, collection, purification, isolation, synthesis, standardization and quality control of medicinal substance.
What is toxicological study?
It is the study of poisonous effect of drugs or other chemicals with its prevention, detection and treatment of poisoning.
Why is toxicological study important?
Toxicological studies showed the adverse effects of drugs. It introduces about the causes of poisons effect, either the toxicity effect is created from drugs or other chemicals (agriculture, environment pollutant, homicidal etc.)
What is pharmacovigilance?
It is the study of pharmaceutical science, which include detection, collection, monitoring and prevention of adverse effect of a drugs or other pharmaceutical product.
Why is pharmacovigilance important?
This study helps to monitor the side effect or adverse effect of pharmaceutical product.
History
History of pharmacology divided into two Era – old era and modern era.
Old era
In 16th century, when turpentine, beer, myrrh, berries etc. are used to treat some diseases.
According to history record, in 3400bce Sumerians cultivated of opium poppy in Mesopotamia and recorded its action. That time opium was known as joy plant. Then its spread through across the neighboring country like Egypt.
Around 460 BCE Hippocrates a famous Greek physician and teacher introduce opium as narcotic drug.
In 330 BCE, the Great Alexander introduced opium to Persia, India and many other territories.
400 BCE Opium reached to China.
In 12th century some Indian physicians describe opium to use for Diarrhea and sexual disability.
From 15th century opium prescribe as a pain killer.
Modern era
1847 The German Pharmacologist Rudolf founded the first Institute of Pharmacology.
In 19th century, Oswald Schmiedeberg known as the father of pharmacology introduced the fundamental concept of pharmacology. IN 1869 Oswald Schmiedeberg introduced that, Muscarine produce same effect on heart as electrical stimulation of vagus nerve.
1885, Schmiedeberg discovers Urethane as a Hypotonic.
In USA 1890, Pharmacologist Able open the first pharmacology department in Michigan University. In 1919 Able discovered Isolation of Epinephrine from Adrenal glands extract. 1926 Able introduced the preparation of pure crystalline insulin.
Since then, drugs getting more purification, effective and chemically developed.
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