Pharmacology- An Introduction

The word pharmacology is derived from two Greek words, pharmacon meaning a drug, and logos meaning an opinion or reason. It can be defined as

“The science which deals with the history, source, physical properties, chemical properties, compounding, biochemical effects, physiological effects, mechanism of action, absorption, distribution, biotransformation, excretion, therapeutic and other uses of drugs, is called pharmacology.”

“The study of a substance that interacts with the living system through chemical processes especially by binding to regulatory molecules and activates or inhibits normal body processes”

“The science of substances used to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.”

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Branches and Divisions of Pharmacology

Main branches and divisions of pharmacology include:

1. Pharmacokinetics
2. Pharmacodynamics
3. Therapeutics
4. Chemotherapy
5. Toxicology
6. Clinical Pharmacology
7. Pharmacy
8. Pharmacognesy
9. Pharmacogenetics
10. Pharmacogenomics
11. Pharmacoepidemiology
12. Comparative Pharmacology
13. Animal Pharmacology
14. Pharmacoeconomics
15. Posology

Drug

A substance, material or product used or intended to be used to modify or explore the physiological processes or pathological states for the benefit of the recipient is known as drug. [Read more]

Routes of Drug Administration

Different routes used for drug administration include:

1. Enteral route

2. Parenteral route

3. Inhalation route

4. Topical route

Dosage Forms:

Drugs may be given in several forms. [Read more]

Sources of Drugs

The six main sources of drugs include:

1. Plant sources
2. Animal sources
3. Mineral/ Earth sources
4. Microbiological sources
5. Semi synthetic sources/ Synthetic sources
6. Recombinant DNA technology

Active Principles of Crude Drugs

Several known active principles are present in the drugs. [Read more]

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