Pharmacology

Pharmacology is a Greek word derived

from ‘Pharmacon’ which means a drug and
‘Logos’ which means science or a study i.e., the
science or the study of a drug is called
Pharmacology.
Pharmacology is the study of the
therapeutic value and/or potential toxicity of
chemical agents (drugs) on biological systems.

In general terms, pharmacology is the

science of drug action on biological systems.
What is a drug?
A drug may be defined as a therapeutic
substance intended to affect the structure or
function of the body in order to restore
abnormal function to normal.
A drug is a chemical substance that affects
processes in living organism & used for
treatment, prophylaxis (prevention) or
diagnosis of the disease.
In the year 1966, WHO has defined drug in a
more comprehensive way-
Drug is any substance or product that is
used or intended to be used to modify or
explore physiological systems or pathological
states for the benefit of the recipient.

● Drug is called medicine when used in

proper dosage form for safe administration. All
medicines are drugs but all drugs are not
medicines.
 A medicine is a chemical preparation,
which usually but not necessarily contains one
or more drugs, administered with the intention
of producing a therapeutic effect.

Essential drug concept

• WHO 1977
• Essential drugs are those drugs which satisfy
health care needs of the majority of the
population, be available at all times in adequate
amounts, in appropriate dosage forms and at
reasonable cost.
The nature of drugs
● In the great majority of cases, the drug
molecule interacts with a specific molecule in
the biologic system that plays a regulatory role.
This molecule is called a receptor.
● In a very small number of cases, drugs
known as chemical antagonists may interact
directly with other drugs.
● Few other drugs (e.g. osmotic agents)
interact almost exclusively with water
molecules.
 Pro-drug
A chemical substance that is administered
as a precursor of a drug and is converted into
an active therapeutic agent inside the body.
- Levodopa is a prodrug for dopamine: a neuro
transmitter, found deficient in parkinsonism.
- Phenacetin is converted into paracetamol: an
active antipyretic agent.

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs

Prescription drugs
Classification of drug effects
Therapeutic effect: Desired effect
Side effect: Any effect other than desired one-
mild, common, and nontoxic reactions. Usually
unavoidable.
Adverse effect: Side effect that is harmful-
adverse reaction is used to describe more
severe and life-threatening reactions. ↓ dose or
withdrawal of drug.
Toxic effect: Adverse effect resulting from high
(toxic) dose.
 All unintended actions of a drug that result
from the lack of specificity of drug action.
Aspirin may produce allergic reactions in
some asthma patients, but it can also create
anaphylaxis which is an immediate and severe
allergic reaction that may be life-
threatening.(respiratory distress and circulatory
collapse)

Idiosyncrasy:
- Antimalarial drug primaquine causes
hemolysis of 5-10% of black male.
- Sulfonamide causes hemolysis in glucose-6-
Pharmacology: Division
Two main divisions of pharmacology-
- Pharmacodynamics &
- Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetics
What the body does to the drug.
Pharmacokinetics is the branch of
pharmacology which deals with the movement
of the drug in the body once administered i.e.,
absorption, distribution, metabolism and
Pharmacodynamics
What the drug does to the body.
Pharmacodynamics is the branch of
pharmacology which deals with the actions of
the drug in the body i.e., what happens to the
symptoms and signs of the disease i.e., whether
they improve or deteriorate and whether the
drug has produced any additional effects i.e.,
side/adverse/toxic effects
Pharmacogenetics
This is the study of genetic influences on
responses to drugs.
Originally, pharmacogenetics focused on
familial idiosyncratic drug reactions, where
affected individuals show an abnormal-usually
adverse-response to a class of drug.