Pharmacology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of drug action, where a drug can be broadly defined as any man-made, natural, or endogenous (from within body) molecule which exerts a biochemical or physiological effect on the cell, tissue, organ, or organism (sometimes the word pharmacon is used as a term to encompass these endogenous and exogenous bioactive species). More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals.
The field encompasses drug composition and properties, synthesis and drug design, molecular and cellular mechanisms, organ/systems mechanisms, signal transduction/cellular communication, molecular diagnostics, interactions, toxicology, chemical biology, therapy, and medical applications and antipathogenic capabilities. The two main areas of pharmacology are pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Pharmacodynamics studies the effects of a drug on biological systems, and Pharmacokinetics studies the effects of biological systems on a drug. In broad terms, pharmacodynamics discusses the chemicals with biological receptors, and pharmacokinetics discusses the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of chemicals from the biological systems. Pharmacology is not synonymous with pharmacy and the two terms are frequently confused. Pharmacology, a biomedical science, deals with the research, discovery, and characterization of chemicals which show biological effects and the elucidation of cellular and organismal function in relation to these chemicals. In contrast, pharmacy, a health services profession, is concerned with application of the principles learned from pharmacology in its clinical settings; whether it be in a dispensing or clinical care role. In either field, the primary contrast between the two are their distinctions between direct-patient care, for pharmacy practice, and the science-oriented research field, driven by pharmacology.
The primary goal of the department is to teach and train undergraduate MBBS and BDS students in pharmacology as per requirement of the curriculum to apply basic principles of pharmacology and therapeutics and to inculcate a rational and scientific basis of therapeutics’ The department apply modern methods and interactive learning process which instill a rational and scientific basis of therapeutics and essential skills for selection of medicines safely and effectively throughout their professional career.
The lecture, tutorial and practical sessions are designed as such each student receives adequate time to learn and apply knowledge on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of essential and commonly used drugs; the indications, contraindications, interactions and adverse reactions of commonly used drugs; efficacy and safety for individual needs and mass therapy under national health program and its clinical application in various conditions including pregnancy, lactation, infancy and old age.