In order to fully understand the meaning of the term pharmacology, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can point out that it is a word that derives from Greek, since it is the result of the sum of three lexical components of said language:
-The noun “pharmakon”, which is synonymous with “medicine”.
-The word “logos”, which can be translated as “science”.
-The suffix “-ia”, which indicates “quality”.
Pharmacology is the medical specialty focused on drugs or medications : that is, on the substances that are used for the prevention, relief or cure of diseases or for the repair of injuries and damage caused by them.
Thanks to pharmacology it is possible to know drugs in depth and know how their interactions with the body develop. In this way, its effects on living beings can be determined, which can be positive or toxic.
In addition to all of the above, we cannot ignore that pharmacology is divided into two very different areas:
-Pharmacodynamics, which is also known as PD and is responsible for studying and analyzing the effect that a specific drug has on the body. Precisely with this study work what is achieved is to evaluate the effectiveness of a medication and, therefore, know if it is safe or not. Not to mention that it will also help you discover the necessary dose or even how often it should be taken.
-Pharmacokinetics, on the other hand, also responds to the acronym PK and its mission is to study the set of processes that are put into operation in the body when faced with a drug in question. Thus, it analyzes how it penetrates the aforementioned organism, how the medication is located in the organism, how it modifies the drug and even what is the way that the organism eliminates the aforementioned medication.
The origin, history , chemical and physical characteristics, mode of action, absorption and effects of drugs are some of the topics of interest in pharmacology, which is of great importance due to the therapeutic use of the substances it studies. .
For the drug to reach the body, different routes of administration can be used: oral , cutaneous , intravenous , etc. Medications are absorbed by the body, distributed to multiple systems and organs , and altered through chemical processes before being expelled from the body. Along this journey, they generate changes in the individual.
The drug's target sector has receptors that interact with the substance in question. According to different variables studied by pharmacology, this interaction will produce various effects. To a person affected by a certain disease , a doctor can give drug X to interact with their body and allow them to achieve a cure.
It is important to mention that, by increasing a dose of a drug, its effects can also be accentuated and there is a risk of producing an adverse phenomenon or intoxication. That is why pharmacology studies the recommended doses with precision.