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Understanding the Basics of Pharmacology

Have you ever wondered why there are prerequisites to taking medicines? Like why are some medicines taken only before (or after) meals? And how do these medicines know where to hit? Thanks to the pharmacologists behind it. But who are they? What do they do? And how do they play an integral role in how drugs interact with the body? That’s what we are covering in the blog today – pharmacology explained in the simplest terms.

 

What is Pharmacology?

Pharmacology isn't a single-definition field. It encompasses a drug's:

  1. Action: Understanding how drugs interact with the body, including their mechanisms of action at a molecular level.
  2. Interaction: Studying how drugs affect each other and interact with food, beverages, or other substances.
  3. Discovery and Development: Identifying and developing new drugs for various diseases.

 

In short: Pharmacology = Science of drugs + their action in living systems

 

Why It Matters So Much

The reason pharmacology takes an essential place in the medical industry is because it:

Understanding the Medicine Mechanism

All pharmacology is based mainly on the step-by-step process the medicine goes through once it enters the body. Usually abbreviated as ADME, the four key steps include:

 

  1. Absorption: How a drug infuses itself into the bloodstream after administration (e.g., swallowing a tablet).
  2. Distribution: How the drug spreads through body fluids and tissues.
  3. Metabolism: How do the responsible organs break down the drug.
  4. Excretion: How the unused drug by-products leave the body, usually in urine or feces.

The drug's performance in the ADME mechanism decides how fast and effectively a drug will work.

 

Pharmacodynamics vs Pharmacokinetics

They are the other two areas of pharmacology:

 

Together, they form the foundation of dosing schedules, drug development, and safety evaluations.

 

Major Branches of Pharmacology

Real-Life Applications

Final Thoughts

Most treatments involve medicinal usage, increasing the need for people to be aware of pharmacology. This blog lays down the proper foundation with pharmacology made simple for beginners. It's significant not only for those interested in pharmacology careers but also for us to understand how medications work, making us informed consumers.

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The Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur is a renowned University, established by an Act of State Legislature in the State of Rajasthan by the Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur Act, 2008 (Act No. 16 of 2008). For the 5th consecutive year, SGVU has been ranked by the NIRF-2025 in the Rank-Band of 101-150 with the School of Pharmacy at 39th rank, overall ranking in the rank band 151-200 and for the first time appeared among the top SDG institutions in the rank band of 11-50. It is due to the consistent effort of ensuring quality and ethics in our delivery that the SGVU is a NAAC "A+" grade accredited institution with a score of 3.32 out of 4. Furthermore, the university's agriculture program and college have received accreditation from ICAR for five years. Based in Jaipur, it is also one of the only few research-driven Universities in Rajasthan with DSIR-SIRO recognition. Other major program approvals includes PCI, UGC-DEB, RCI, BCI, NCTE and AICTE.

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