Pharmacology is the branch of science that studies the effects of drugs on the human body. Students learn how to create new chemical substances, analyze the effects of established medicinal compounds, and the practice of looking at how harmful drugs affect the individual. Pharmacology incorporates elements of toxicology, biology, chemistry, and physiology, and is a broad scientific field applicable to many careers in the life sciences area. It is a required course for pharmaceutical science majors, as well as a core area of study for students taking nursing, therapeutics, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, chemical biology, physiology, chemistry, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and microbiology, alongside many other related degree programs. Pharmacology students focus on the research aspect of this science, investigating the effects of chemical compounds and finding ways of creating remedies to the many physical and mental ailments which affect people and animals. Pharmacology For Dummies will track to an introductory pharmacology course, and will cover:
- The fundamentals of pharmacology including definitions, standards, prescription and medical terminology
- The scientific basis of how drugs produce change in the body, and how they can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease
- Classifications of drugs and their beneficial and negative effects
- New research findings in the field