Pharmacology Basics

Definition and Scope

• Pharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs on living organisms
• It involves the discovery, development, and testing of new medications
• Pharmacology encompasses the study of pharmacokinetics (what the body does to the drug) and pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body)

Branches of Pharmacology

• Pharmacokinetics: study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs
• Pharmacodynamics: study of the effects of drugs on the body
• Toxicology: study of the adverse effects of drugs and other substances
• Pharmaceutics: study of the development and formulation of drugs
• Clinical Pharmacology: study of the effectiveness and safety of drugs in humans

Drug Development Process

1. Discovery: identification of potential drug candidates
2. Preclinical Trials: testing of drug candidates in laboratory animals
3. Clinical Trials: testing of drug candidates in humans
4. FDA Approval: review and approval of drug candidates by the Food and Drug Administration
5. Post-Marketing Surveillance: ongoing monitoring of drug safety and efficacy after approval

Drug Interactions

• Drug-Drug Interactions: interactions between two or more drugs
• Drug-Food Interactions: interactions between drugs and food
• Drug-Disease Interactions: interactions between drugs and underlying medical conditions

Receptor Pharmacology

• Receptors: proteins that bind to specific molecules, such as drugs or hormones
• Agonists: drugs that bind to receptors and activate them
• Antagonists: drugs that bind to receptors and block their activation
• Partial Agonists: drugs that bind to receptors and activate them partially

Pharmacogenomics

• Pharmacogenomics: study of how genetic variations affect an individual's response to drugs
• Personalized Medicine: tailoring drug therapy to an individual's genetic profile

Definition and Scope

• Pharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs on living organisms, involving discovery, development, and testing of new medications.
• It encompasses pharmacokinetics (what the body does to the drug) and pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body).

Branches of Pharmacology

Pharmacokinetics

• Study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs.

Pharmacodynamics

• Study of the effects of drugs on the body.

Toxicology

• Study of the adverse effects of drugs and other substances.

Pharmaceutics

• Study of the development and formulation of drugs.

Clinical Pharmacology

• Study of the effectiveness and safety of drugs in humans.

Drug Development Process

• Discovery: identification of potential drug candidates.
• Preclinical Trials: testing of drug candidates in laboratory animals.
• Clinical Trials: testing of drug candidates in humans.
• FDA Approval: review and approval of drug candidates by the Food and Drug Administration.
• Post-Marketing Surveillance: ongoing monitoring of drug safety and efficacy after approval.

Drug Interactions

• Drug-Drug Interactions: interactions between two or more drugs.
• Drug-Food Interactions: interactions between drugs and food.
• Drug-Disease Interactions: interactions between drugs and underlying medical conditions.

Receptor Pharmacology

• Receptors: proteins that bind to specific molecules, such as drugs or hormones.
• Agonists: drugs that bind to receptors and activate them.
• Antagonists: drugs that bind to receptors and block their activation.
• Partial Agonists: drugs that bind to receptors and activate them partially.

Pharmacogenomics

• Pharmacogenomics: study of how genetic variations affect an individual's response to drugs.
• Personalized Medicine: tailoring drug therapy to an individual's genetic profile.