Pharmacology
Pharmacology is a branch of science that studies the action of drugs on living organisms. It entails a broad range of research that focuses on establishing how different drugs interact with the body and its possible side effects . Pharmacology is an inclusive discipline that integrates knowledge from sister disciplines like medicine, chemistry, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, and veterinary medicine to make crucial decisions pertaining to drugs. Every medication taken has an effect, however small on our bodies. Pharmacology is responsible for understanding these effects and the mode and cause of action, which helps in developing drugs with better performance.
Pharmacology is categorized into two broad terms, namely; Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Pharmacokinetics studies the effects of drugs on the body. It is concerned with what the body does with medication from the time it is taken to its disposal. It explains how a drug is absorbed distributed, mode of action, and finally, how it is excreted out of the body. Pharmacokinetics enables researchers to establish the relationship and possible harmful effects of a drug on humans and develop better drugs based on the findings .
Pharmacodynamics, on the other hand, is concerned with the side effects of a drug on the human body. The primary role of pharmacodynamics is to study how different medications affect the body. This enables scientists to establish whether a given medicine achieves the desired effects and the intensity of the impact. Pharmacodynamics plays a vital role in the safety assessment of different medications.
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Pharmacology and toxicology are often confused for each other. However, Pharmacology is concerned with the study of drugs and their effects in the body, while Toxicology seeks to establish adverse effects that different chemical compounds, including drugs, have on the body. These comprise effects caused by both natural or synthetic elements when ingested in the human body. These effects can be manifested in the form of diseases, deaths, or changes in growth patterns. Toxicology then focuses on establishing ways to prevent and suppress these effects.
Pharmacology and Pharmacy
These two terms are also often and mistakenly used for each other. Pharmacy, however, differs from pharmacology in that it is concerned with prescribing and dispensing medicines in pharmacies. A Pharmacist is a licensed health professional equipped with the knowledge and authority to prescribe and provide advice on medicinal drugs. A pharmacologist, on the other hand, is a scientist that researches the effects of drugs on the body.
The main goal of pharmacology is to understand the different properties of drugs and how they react. Pharmacologists must perform tons of tests on a drug to establish its effectiveness before it is publicly declared fit for medical use.

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