What is pharmacology ?

Pharmacology is the branch of  pharmacy  in which study about the action of drugs on the human body and animals. 

Pharmacology is a branch of pharmaceutical sciences which is concerned with the study of drug or medication action.

it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. 

                          Etymology

Pharmacology (from Greek pharmacon means drug, Logos means studied in, i.e., studies in drugs )is the study of drug action. 

         Division of pharmacology

1. Experimental pharmacology: Done in the laboratory on experimental animal such as rodents and non rodents.

2. Clinical pharmacology: study on human being normal or decreased.

Types on the basis of working of drugs.

1.pharmacokinetics :it is the study of bodily absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs.

When describing the pharmacokinetic properties of the chemical that is the active ingredient or active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), pharmacologists are often interested in ADME:

• Absorption – How is the drugs absorbed (through the skin, the intestine, the oral mucosa)?
• Distribution – How does the drugs spread through the organism?
• Metabolism – Is the drugs converted chemically inside the body, and into which substances. And where the drug converted in which organ in the body.
• Excretion – How is the drug excreted through the bile, urine, breath, skin.

Drug metabolism is assessed in pharmacokinetics and is important in drug research and prescribing.

2. Pharmacodynamics: It is that aspect of pharmacology which deals with qualitative and quantitative aspect of drug reaction.

( Greek:Pharmacon drug;  Dynamics- power)

What the drug does to the body.

This include physiological and biochemical effect of drug and their mechanism of action at organ system /subcellular /macromolecular levels.

         Scope of pharmacology

1. Chemotherapy: it is the treatment of systematic infection/malignancy with specific drugs that have selective toxicity for the infecting organism/malignant cell with no minimal effects on the host cells.
2. Toxicology: it is the science of poisons. Poisons are substance that cause harmful dangerous or fatal symptoms in animal and human beings. Many drugs in larger dose act as poisons.
3. Pharmacotherapeutics: it is a branch of medicine concerned with cure of disease or relief of symptoms, it included drug treatment.
4. Clinical pharmacology: To conduct the clinical trials for new drugs intended to be introduced in the market.
5. Iatrogenic Disease (caused by doctors): This disese produced by drugs prescribed by doctor's.
6. Therapeutic Index: It indicates relative margin of safety of a drug and it is expressed as a ratio between toxic dose and therapeutically effective dose.
7. Biological Half Life : The half life of the drug is the time in hours required to reduce the drug concentration in the blood.It helps in calculating the frequency of drug administration.  
8.  Pharmacoepidemiology:It is defined as the study of the use of end effects of drugs in large number of people. It is the study of adverse drug reaction .

         Regulatory agencies

Central drug standard control organization (CDSCO)Ministry of Health & family welfare Government of India provide general information about drug in India .

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for creating guidelines for the approval and use of drugs. The FDA requires that all approved drugs fulfill two requirements:

1. The drug must be found to be effective against the disease for which it is seeking approval (where 'effective' means only that the drug performed better than placebo or competitors in at least two trials).
2. The drug must meet safety criteria by being subject to animal and controlled human testing.

     Pharmacology is crucial for :

• discovering new medicines to help ight diseases
• improving the effectiveness of medicines
• reducing unwanted side effects of medicines
• understanding why individuals differ in the way they respond to certain drugs, and why some others cause addiction

Pharmacology lies at the heart of biomedical science, linking together chemistry, physiology and pathology. Pharmacologists work closely with a wide variety of other disciplines that make up modern biomedical science, including neuroscience, molecular and cell biology, immunology and cancer biology.

Pharmacological knowledge improves the lives of millions of people across the world. It maximises their benefit and minimises risk and harm.

     Instrument used in pharmacology practical

What is pharmacy ?

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Pharmacy

Pharmacy is the branch of health science that links medical science and medicine with chemistry and it is charged with the discovery, production, control, disposal, safe and effective use of drugs. The practice of pharmacy requires excellent knowledge of drugs, their mechanism of action, side effects, interactions, contraindications, adverse effects, mobility and toxicity. At the same time, it requires knowledge of treatment and understanding of the pathological process. Some specialties of pharmacists, such as that of clinical pharmacists, require other skills, e.g. knowledge about evaluation of physical and laboratory data. 

Pharmacy

Occupation
Name.	Doctor of pharmacy, Druggist, Pharmacist, Researcher in medicine, Drug inspector, Drug controller, Chemist.
Occupation type	Professional
Activity sectors	Health care, health sciences, chemical sciences, Pharma industry.
Description
Education required	Doctor of Pharmacy, Master of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Pharmacy, Diploma in Pharmacy
Related jobs	Doctor, pharmacy technician, toxicologist, chemist, pharmacy assistant, other medical specialists.

A medicine is the drug used to diagnose, prevent, cure, and treat the disease and disease related symptoms.

The scope of pharmacy practice includes more traditional roles such as compounding and dispensing of medications, and it also includes more modern services related to health care, including clinical services, reviewing medications for safety and efficacy, and providing drug information. Pharmacists, therefore, are the experts on drug therapy and are the primary health professionals who optimize the use of medication for the benefit of the patients.

An establishment in which pharmacy (in the first sense) is practiced is called a pharmacy (this term is more common in the United States) or a chemist's (which is more common in Great Britain)^{[citation needed]}. In the United States and Canada, drugstores commonly sell medicines, as well as miscellaneous items such as confectionery, cosmetics, office supplies, toys, hair care products and magazines and occasionally refreshments and groceries.

In its investigation of herbal and chemical ingredients, the work of the pharma may be regarded as a precursor of the modern sciences of chemistry and pharmacology, prior to the formulation of the scientific method.

DisciplinesEd

The field of pharmacy can generally be divided into following  disciplines:

• Pharmaceutics
• Medicinal Chemistry 
• Organic chemistry
• Bio-chemistry
• Pharmacognosy
• Pharmacology
• Pharmacy Practice

The boundaries between these disciplines and with other sciences, such as biochemistry, are not always clear-cut. Often, collaborative teams from various disciplines (pharmacists and other scientists) work together toward the introduction of new therapeutics and methods for patient care. However, pharmacy is not a basic or biomedical science in its typical form. Medicinal chemistry is also a distinct branch of synthetic chemistry combining pharmacology, organic chemistry, and chemical biology.

Pharmacology is sometimes considered as the 4th discipline of pharmacy. Although pharmacology is essential to the study of pharmacy, it is not specific to pharmacy. Both disciplines are distinct. Those who wish to practice both pharmacy (patient-oriented) and pharmacology (a biomedical science requiring the scientific method) receive separate training and degrees unique to either discipline.

Pharmacoinformatics is considered another new discipline, for systematic drug discovery and development with efficiency and safety.

Pharmacogenomics is the study of genetic-linked variants that effect patient clinical responses, allergies, and metabolism of drugs.

Pharmacognosy - It is the branch where practice about crude drugs 

                            Minerals and animals products. In the pharmacy field

                           Many of the drugs are obtained from the plant sources.

1. Professionals - The world health organization estimates that there are at 

                         least 2.6million pharmacist and other pharmaceutical 

                         personnel worldwide.

Education   - There are different requirements of schooling according to the
                        national jurisdiction where the student's intends to practice.

        India      in India general pharmacist will attained a bachelor of pharmacy or diploma of pharmacy .

                       The bachelor of pharmacy completed in 4 years while diploma in pharmacy completed in 

                       2 year . 

                       After graduating pharmacy college complete one two year residency 

                       In pharma store.

                       For the applying Masters in pharmacy graduate pharmacy appitude test conducted.

                   

                      The curriculum specified for bachelor of Pharmacy consist of at least 360 hours.
                      There are at least 48 subjects and 360 hours theories and 360 hours practicals.
                      At least 7 hundred 60 practicals performed.

History   -   The earliest known complications of medicinal substance was the sushurta samhita an
                     Indian Ayurvedic system attributed to sushruta in the 6th century BC.

Future   -    In the coming decades pharmacist are expected to become more integral within
                     the health care system rather than simply dispensing medication.
                     Pharmacist are increasingly expected to be compensated for their patient are skills 
                     in particular medication therapy management.
                     Pharmacist helping in patient compliance.

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