...the study of how and why drugs produce their effects, their origin or composition, their properties and interactions
...scientific research into the mechanisms and actions of drugs.
In our Department, this often means studying drug effects on animal models of disease to evaluate their potential value for healthcare of humans and animals.
Pharmacology versus Pharmacy
A pharmacist works with the end products of the pharmaceutical industry. The main responsibility of a pharmacist is to ensure safe and legal distribution of existing medications for the patient. Pharmacists provide information about drugs to customers and healthcare practitioners.
A pharmacologist seeks to understand the mechanisms by which drugs act. Better understanding improves our ability to treat patients with existing drugs, as well as leading to new and improved pharmaceutical products.
A Deeper Look
The American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics has produced an excellent brochure which provides information on the actual daily work of pharmacologists, educational background needed, careers, and subdivisions of pharmacology. MSU is particularly strong in the area of systems and integrative pharmacology. You may download the ExplorePharmacology.pdf or request a hardcopy.
See also, the National Institute of Health’s article Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry.