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Pharmacology (from Greek f??µa???, pharmakon, "drug"; and -????a, -logia) is the study of drug action.^[1] More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and exogenous chemicals that alter normal biochemical function. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals. The field encompasses drug composition and properties, interactions, toxicology, therapy, and medical applications and antipathogenic capabilities. Pharmacology is not synonymous with pharmacy, which is the name used for a profession, though in common usage the two terms are confused at times. Pharmacology deals with how drugs interact within biological systems to affect function. It is the study of drugs, of the body's reaction to drugs, the sources of drugs, their nature, and their properties. In contrast, pharmacy is a medical science concerned with the safe and effective use of medicines.

The origins of clinical pharmacology date back to the Middle Ages in Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine, Peter of Spain's Commentary on Isaac, and John of St Amand's Commentary on the Antedotary of Nicholas.^[2] Pharmacology as a scientific discipline did not further advance until the mid-19th century amid the great biomedical resurgence of that period.^[3] Before the second half of the nineteenth century, the remarkable potency and specificity of the actions of drugs such as morphine, quinine and digitalis were explained vaguely and with reference to extraordinary chemical powers and affinities to certain organs or tissues.^[4] The first pharmacology department was set up by Buchheim in 1847, in recognition of the need to understand how therapeutic drugs and poisons produced their effects.^[3]

Early pharmacologists focused on natural substances, mainly plant extracts. Pharmacology developed in the 19th century as a biomedical science that applied the principles of scientific experimentation to therapeutic contexts.^[5]

Pharmacology as a chemical science is practiced by pharmacologists. Subdisciplines include

Pharmacology Subcategories Pharmacology Articles Nature's Gift of Health: by derek lepage Mar 26, 2008 For all the billions of dollars that companies and government spend on the development of new drugs and supplements it is always surprising how natural agents which have been used for thousands of years to treat various ailments and diseases are o... Itch and skin rash from chocolate during fluoxetine and sertraline treatment: Case report Jun 17, 2005 Itch and skin rash from chocolate during fluoxetine and sertraline treatment: Case report Jonas Cederberg1 , Stefan Knight2 , Svante Svenson3 and Håkan Melhus1 1Depar... The juice of fresh leaves of Catharanthus roseus Linn. reduces blood glucose in normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits Jun 17, 2005 The juice of fresh leaves of Catharanthus roseus Linn. reduces blood glucose in normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits Srinivas Nammi1 , Murthy K Boini1 , Srinivas D Lodagala1 and Ravindra Babu S Behara... Chinese herbal recipe versus diclofenac in symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN70292892] Jun 17, 2005 Chinese herbal recipe versus diclofenac in symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN70292892] Supanimit Teekachunhatean1 , Puongtip Kunanusorn1 , Noppamas Rojanasthien... Chronic garlic administration protects rat heart against oxidative stress induced by ischemic reperfusion injury Jun 17, 2005 Chronic garlic administration protects rat heart against oxidative stress induced by ischemic reperfusion injury Sanjay Kumar Banerjee1 , Amit Kumar Dinda2 , Subhash Chandra Manchanda3 and Subir Kumar Mau... Effect of green tea on blood glucose levels and serum proteomic patterns in diabetic (db/db) mice and on glucose metabolism in healthy humans Jun 17, 2005 Effect of green tea on blood glucose levels and serum proteomic patterns in diabetic (db/db) mice and on glucose metabolism in healthy humans Hiroshi Tsuneki1 , Mitsuyo Ishizuka1, 2 , Miki Terasawa1 Assessment of single-dose benzodiazepines on insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness in healthy volunteers: a double-blind, p Jun 17, 2005 Assessment of single-dose benzodiazepines on insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness in healthy volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over trial [ISRCTN08745124] Hugues Chevassus* <... Pharmacokinetics of isoflavones, daidzein and genistein, after ingestion of soy beverage compared with soy extract capsules in postmenopausal Thai wom Jun 17, 2005 Pharmacokinetics of isoflavones, daidzein and genistein, after ingestion of soy beverage compared with soy extract capsules in postmenopausal Thai women Ekasin Anupongsanugool1 , Supanimit Teekachunhatean1 , Noppamas...