1. rcvets.com http://www.rcvets.com/2014/03/pharmacology-terms.html
Pharmacology Terms
Greek word “Pharmakon” means “The study of various aspects of drug”. Pharmacology is the study of the
interaction of chemicals with living systems. Here are some important terms and definitions, related to
pharmacology.
Drug
A drug is a chemical that acts on living systems at molecular level.
Medical pharmacology
The study of drugs, used for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease.
Toxicology
The study of unwanted effects of chemical agents on living systems.
Pharmacodynamics
The study of properties of a drug and its actions on the body, including receptor
interaction, dose response phenomenon and mechanism of therapeutic and toxic actions. In simple words, it is
the study of actions of drug inside the body.
Pharmacokinetics
The study of properties and the action of the body on the drug including absorption, distribution, metabolism &

2. excretion. Elimination of a drug may be achieved by metabolism or by excretion.
Pharmacy
The science & art of preparing, compounding &
dispensing of drug for medical purposes.
Pharmaceutics
It is the discipline of pharmacy that deals with the process
of turning of new chemical entity into a medication to be
used safe and effectively by the patient. It is also called
the science of dosage from design.
Clinical pharmacology
It is a science, which deals with the study of
pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the drug
during the treatment of the disease.
Medicine
A measured or calculated substance, used for the
treatment or prevention of disease.
Therapeutics
It is concerned with the cure of the disease and the relief
of suffering. It may be rational, empirical or accessory
(supportive).
Rational Therapeutics are the applications or methods, which are based on the knowledge of physiology, patho-
physiology and pharmacological effects of drug.
In Empirical Therapeutics, disease is treated by our own experience. The actual effect of drug and the base of
the disease is not known.
In Accessory (or Supportive) Therapeutics, we change the climate, clothing or food etc. for the better
treatment of disease.
Posology
It is the science of determining and understanding drug
dosage. It is also known as the science of dosage
system.
Dose
Total amount of a medicine, taken each time by an
individual
Dosage
The amount of a medicine, given to an individual per unit
body weight.

3. Pharmacognosy
It is a science of identification of drugs of vegetable and animal origin. It
includes the characteristics of various species of plants, their gross and
cellular structure and their process of biosynthesis.
Pharmacogenetics
It deals with the individual variability in response to drug. Certain
genetic factors have been claimed to be responsible for such
variability.
Metrology
It deals with the calculations in Pharmacology. It may be defined
as the study of weights and measures, used in prescription
writing.