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 is an interdisciplinary field that combines chemistry, biology, and medicine

Branches of Pharmacology

• Pharmacokinetics: the study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs
• Pharmacodynamics: the study of the effects of drugs on the body
• Pharmacogenetics: the study of how genetic variations affect an individual's response to drugs
• Pharmacogenomics: the study of how genes affect an individual's response to drugs
• Toxicology: the study of the adverse effects of drugs and other substances

Drug Classification

• Chemical classification: based on the chemical structure of the drug
• Therapeutic classification: based on the therapeutic use of the drug
• Pharmacological classification: based on the mechanism of action of the drug

Drug Development

• Discovery: identification of a new drug target or molecule
• Preclinical development: testing of the drug in laboratory and animal studies
• Clinical development: testing of the drug in human clinical trials
• Post-marketing surveillance: monitoring of the drug's safety and efficacy after it is approved for use

Drug Interactions

• Pharmacokinetic interactions: interactions that affect the absorption, distribution, metabolism, or excretion of a drug
• Pharmacodynamic interactions: interactions that affect the response to a drug
• Synergistic interactions: interactions that increase the effect of a drug
• Antagonistic interactions: interactions that decrease the effect of a drug

Pharmacological Effects

• Desired effects: the intended therapeutic effect of a drug
• Adverse effects: unwanted effects of a drug, also known as side effects
• Idiosyncratic effects: unpredictable and rare effects of a drug

Drug Receptors

• Receptors: proteins on the surface of cells that bind to drugs
• Agonists: drugs that activate a receptor
• Antagonists: drugs that block the action of a receptor
• Partial agonists: drugs that activate a receptor but not to the same extent as a full agonist

Definition and Scope of Pharmacology

• Pharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs on living organisms
• It involves the discovery, development, and testing of new medications
• Pharmacology combines chemistry, biology, and medicine

Branches of Pharmacology

• Pharmacokinetics: study of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs
• Pharmacodynamics: study of the effects of drugs on the body
• Pharmacogenetics: study of how genetic variations affect an individual's response to drugs
• Pharmacogenomics: study of how genes affect an individual's response to drugs
• Toxicology: study of the adverse effects of drugs and other substances

Drug Classification

• Chemical classification: based on the chemical structure of the drug
• Therapeutic classification: based on the therapeutic use of the drug
• Pharmacological classification: based on the mechanism of action of the drug

Drug Development Process

• Discovery: identification of a new drug target or molecule
• Preclinical development: testing of the drug in laboratory and animal studies
• Clinical development: testing of the drug in human clinical trials
• Post-marketing surveillance: monitoring of the drug's safety and efficacy after it is approved for use

Drug Interactions

• Pharmacokinetic interactions: interactions that affect absorption, distribution, metabolism, or excretion of a drug
• Pharmacodynamic interactions: interactions that affect the response to a drug
• Synergistic interactions: interactions that increase the effect of a drug
• Antagonistic interactions: interactions that decrease the effect of a drug

Pharmacological Effects

• Desired effects: intended therapeutic effect of a drug
• Adverse effects: unwanted effects of a drug, also known as side effects
• Idiosyncratic effects: unpredictable and rare effects of a drug

Drug Receptors

• Receptors: proteins on the surface of cells that bind to drugs
• Agonists: drugs that activate a receptor
• Antagonists: drugs that block the action of a receptor
• Partial agonists: drugs that activate a receptor but not to the same extent as a full agonist

Learn about the study of drugs and their effects on living organisms, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenetics.