Pharm — Introduction to Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics + 5 more topics

Pharmacology is the broad study of drugs, including their origin, chemistry, effects, and uses. Within pharmacology, we often divide drug action into two main areas:

• Pharmacodynamics (PD): What the drug does to the body. This involves how drugs interact with specific targets (like receptors) to produce a therapeutic effect or side effects. We'll cover this more in depth later.
• Pharmacokinetics (PK): What the body does to the drug. This is the journey a drug takes through your body. It's often summarized by the acronym ADME: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion.