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The Study of Pharmacology

Mikayla
Aug 22, 20223 min read

By Mikayla


What is pharmacology?

Pharmacology combines the knowledge of many disciplines, including medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, and veterinary medicine, to study the effect of chemical substances on biological systems. It is an experimental health science with two major branches: pharmacokinetics (a drug’s effects on the body) and pharmacodynamics (the body’s response). Pharmacology also looks into the various uses of drugs. Therapeutics, for example, aims to alleviate disease, while toxicology, on the other hand, seeks to examine and optimize the chemical’s toxicity.


What do pharmacologists do?

Pharmacologists create hypotheses, conduct experiments, test drugs, and analyze data to make medicines. The aim is for these drugs to be safe, selective, and effective, but, when possible, pharmacologists also aim to ensure they are reversible, predictable, have no adverse effects, have no interaction, and are cheap and straightforward. A drug can not have all these traits, and, let’s admit, it is a lot to remember, so the usual guideline is simply “maximum benefit, minimum harm.”


Why do we need pharmacology?

From acne to cancer treatment, pharmacology has led to the discovery of some of the world’s most important cures. It provides us with the building blocks to future discoveries as it helps us understand chemical substances and how to manipulate them to deliver a particular effect-whether therapeutic, toxic, or otherwise. Recent findings, for example, have given us a better understanding of how compounds (such as drugs or hormones) interact with cell surface receptors - vital proteins that allow the cell to communicate with the outside world. This discovery has led to the development of medications for asthma, heart failure, pain relief, anxiety, etc., and it may, one day, lead to more selective drugs with less–or more manageable–side effects. Pharmacology remains at the heart of several ground-breaking discoveries, with more certainly to come! A number of which to look forward to are nanotechnology-based treatment, personalized gene-tailored drugs, regenerative pharmacology, improved drug discovery methods (maybe using computational and modeling approaches), and so much more. Still, there are many diseases we can not yet cure–types of cancer, diabetes, rabies, etc.–but pharmacology will be the stepping stone to building these cures in the future.


Where did pharmacology begin?

The earliest record of pharmacological knowledge dates back to the Ancient Egyptian and Chinese eras, where they focused primarily on the therapeutic effects of plants, animals, and minerals. From there, it was through significant breakthroughs in later years that pharmacology would take on a more specialized meaning. It started with improvements in chemistry and biology in the 18th century, continuing with the isolation of several active substances in the early 19th century, and finishing with German Oswald Schmeiderberg writing a book on pharmacology and heading a school in Strasbourg, universalizing the discipline. At this point, pharmacology had finally found its meaning, and professionals worldwide were getting in on the action-but, its growth did not stop there. In the 20th century, several significant discoveries enabled the creation of a variety of new drugs, such as antibiotics and hormonal drugs. Today, pharmacologists use the knowledge collected over the years to continue to improve and refine these treatments through the ways they are discovered, tested, delivered, and more.

(Bonus) Pharmacology vs. Pharmacy

It is important to note that pharmacology and pharmacy are two different disciplines. Pharmacy utilizes the knowledge from pharmacology to provide the best treatment through considering and employing the proper dosage, route of administration, timing, etc., for their patient. Everyone may react differently to the same medicine, and those in pharmacy–nurses, pharmacists, etc.–can appropriately tailor these details to their patient to maximize the drug’s benefits.

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