What is Pharmacology?

  • Pharmacology refers to the branch of medicine concerned with the use, effects, and mechanism of action of drugs. Drugs can be made in a laboratory, isolated from nature, or used in its natural form.

  • Clinical pharmacology refers to the application of drugs as medical treatments.

  • Pharmacology can be divided into different sub-branches depending on the bodily system the drug primarily effects.

  • For example, neuropharmacology is the study of drugs that act on the central or peripheral nervous system and are used to treat neurological disorders.

  • Immunopharmacology is the study of drugs that act on the immune system.

  • Psychopharmacology is the study of drugs that act on the central nervous system to alter behavior and are used to treat mental disorders.