What is Pharmacology?
Pharmacology is the study of drug actions on biological systems. It embraces knowledge of the sources,
chemical properties, biological effects and therapeutic uses of drugs.
*NOTE: Pharmacology is different from Pharmacy.
Historically, the roots of pharmacology go back to the ancient civilizations which used plants and plant extracts both in
healing and as poisons. The accumulated total of this empirical knowledge, acquired by mankind through the ages, provided
a foundation for the evolution of scientific pharmacology as it exists today. The well known discovery of the beneficial
effects of foxglove extracts for treating some kinds of heart disease, the use of the bark of the willow and cinchona trees
in treating fever and the effectiveness of extracts of the poppy in the treatment of dysenteries are outstanding examples
of such knowledge which have resulted in important advances in pharmacology, developments which continue today. The rise of
organic chemistry in the last half of the nineteenth century, together with the development of physiology and, later,
biochemistry, allowed empiricism to be discarded in favour of a rational approach which today underpins the discipline of
pharmacology.
Pharmacology is truly multidisciplinary in scope. Research in this field is closely interwoven with the subject matter and
experimental techniques of analytical chemistry, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, immunology,
medicinal chemistry, microbiology, pathology, and physiology. Consequently, there are a number of distinct sub-disciplines
of pharmacology that one may develop a career in.
Integrating a depth of knowledge in many related scientific disciplines, pharmacologists offer a unique perspective to
solving drug-, hormone-, and chemical-related problems which impinge on human health. As they unlock the mysteries of drug
actions, discover new therapies, and develop new medicinal products, they inevitably touch upon all our lives.
While remarkable progress has been made in developing new drugs and in understanding how they act, the challenges that
remain are endless. New discoveries regarding fundamental life processes always raise new and intriguing questions that
stimulate further research and evoke the need for fresh insight.
Some components of pharmacology include:
• Study of how drugs work at the cellular and molecular level.
• The use of drugs as tools to dissect aspects of cell function.
• Development of new synthetic drugs to improve on existing drugs or to treat new human conditions which will
respond to drug treatment. This includes computer assisted molecular modeling of drug structures, leading to
the development of better drugs with fewer side effects ("designer drugs").
• Formulation of clinical guidelines for the safe and effective use of drugs.
Fields of Study in Pharmacology
Biochemical Pharmacology
Biochemical pharmacology uses the methods of biochemistry, cell biology and cell physiology to determine how drugs interact with, and influence, the chemical "machinery" of the organism. The biochemical pharmacologist uses drugs as probes to discover new information about biosynthetic pathways and their kinetics, and investigates how drugs can correct the biochemical abnormalities that are responsible for human illness.
Molecular Pharmacology
Molecular pharmacology deals with the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of interactions between drug molecules and those of the cell. It is molecular biology applied to pharmacologic and toxicologic questions. The methods of molecular pharmacology include precise mathematical, physical, chemical or molecular biological techniques to understand how cells respond to hormones or pharmacological agents, and how chemical structure correlates with biological activity.
Cardiovascular Pharmacology
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of premature death in western societies. Cardiovascular pharmacology concerns the effects of drugs on the heart, the vascular system, and those parts of the nervous and endocrine systems that participate in regulating cardiovascular function. Researchers observe the effects of drugs on arterial pressure, blood flow in specific vascular beds, release of physiological and pathobiological mediators, and on neural activity arising from central nervous system structures.
Neuropharmacology
The study of drugs that modify the functions of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that communicate with all parts of the body. Neuropharmacologists study drug actions from a number of different viewpoints. They may probe the neurochemical disorders underlying specific disease states (eg Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease) to find new ways to use drugs in the treatment of disease. Alternatively, they may study drugs already in use to determine more precisely the neurophysiological or neurobiochemical changes that they produce. Other studies use drugs as tools to elucidate basic mechanisms of brain function, or to provide clues to the nature of disease processes.
Chemotherapy
The study of drugs used to combat infection (bacteria, viruses and parasites) as well as malignancies (cancer). Pharmacologists working in this area focus on the biochemistry of both the host and the infecting organism in order to define mechanisms capable of exploitation by drugs. The ideal chemotherapeutic drugs will selectively inhibit the growth of, or kill, the infectious agent or cancer cell without seriously impairing the normal functions of the host.
Pharmacokinetics
The study of the absorption, biodistribution, and elimination of drugs and chemicals from the body. The pharmacokinetics of a drug must be understood before the full extent of its actions can be determined. This is especially important in establishing the correct clinical dosage of a drug.
Immunopharmacology
Immunopharmacology deals with the selective chemical control of the immune response in the treatment and prevention of disease. Research in this area includes work on immunosuppressant agents used in organ transplant operations, as well as the development of agents to enhance the immune response as required for the treatment of diseases such as AIDS.
Clinical Pharmacology
The use of drugs in treating disease in humans. This area encompasses the therapeutic management of disease by drugs, as well as the final stages of development of new drugs or new uses for existing drugs. Clinical pharmacologists study how drugs work, how they interact with other drugs, how their effects can alter the disease process, and how disease can alter their effects.
Behavioural Pharmacology
Study of the effects of drugs on behaviour. Research includes topics such as the effects of psychoactive drugs on the phenomena of learning, memory, wakefulness, sleep and drug addiction, and the behavioural consequences of experimental intervention in enzyme activity and brain neurotransmitter levels and metabolism.
Examples of Questions Asked By Pharmacologists
• What tissue receptors (i.e. specific protein molecules) do drugs interact with to produce their effects, and how
are these receptors linked to biological responses?
• What points in biochemical pathways are rate-limiting and thus potential sites at which drugs act to alter the
pathways?
• How do drugs act on cell surfaces to alter processes inside cells?
• How can drugs be used as selective probes to unravel details of biochemical and physiological processes?
• What changes in the brain are responsible for schizophrenia and depression, and what agents will be most effective
in treating these conditions?
• How can knowledge of the structure of a macromolecule be used to design new chemical agents that will bind to and
change the activity of the macromolecule?
• How do organisms, organs and individual cells develop increased or decreased sensitivity to drugs?
• How are drugs cleared from the body?
• Why are some individuals hypersensitive to the side-effects of drugs?
• How do drugs get into cells to exert their therapeutic effects?
Pharmacology versus Pharmacy
Do not confuse pharmacology with pharmacy. They are separate disciplines!
Pharmacy is the profession responsible for the preparation, dispensing, and appropriate use of medication, and provides
services to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes.
Pharmacology is a research discipline that is focused on defining the mechanisms of action of drugs and the biological
systems upon which they act.
The University of Western Ontario DOES NOT offer a degree in Pharmacy.
If you are interested in studying Pharmacy, please take a look at the programs offered at the following Canadian Universities:
• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Dalhousie University
• University of Montreal
• Laval University
• University of Toronto
• University of Manitoba
• University of Saskatchewan
• University of Alberta
• University of British Columbia