Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects, with experimental pharmacology involving controlled testing on humans and animals. It is not the same as pharmacy, which is concerned with the effective use of medicines. Researchers use experimental pharmacology to develop new drugs and treatments, but it can also be motivated by economic and political factors. Illegal and unsafe experiments also occur, but proper testing is necessary to ensure safe and effective drugs.
Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects. Experimental pharmacology is the study through experimental use in controlled situations. Drug testing on humans and animals fall under the category of experimental pharmacology. Scientists design drugs as best they can without experimental trials and then test them on humans or animals in an experimental setting to gather more information and refine their drugs.
The term pharmacology is often confused with the term pharmacy, but they are not synonymous. Pharmacy is the profession concerned with the effective use of medicines, while pharmacology is more closely related to chemistry: a study, not a practice. Research involving experimental pharmacology is typically conducted long before pharmacists or consumers have access to the drugs to be tested.
Pharmacologists are constantly engaged in drug research. There are still a whole host of diseases and ailments that are still considered incurable. Cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and many other diseases continue to thwart the best efforts of scientists seeking cures. New strains of viruses and bacteria emerge every year and claim thousands of lives. Research and testing are the keys to curing these powerful health risks once and for all.
Health is not always the primary motivation for experimental pharmacology. Pharmaceutical companies often conduct drug research and trials in the hope of developing a new and valuable drug. The economy can be a very powerful motivator: New treatments mean more money. Politics also comes into play; a US pharmaceutical company that has a bad reputation with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may have difficulty getting approval for the use of its drugs.
Experimental pharmacology is not confined to the realm of forensic and well-intentioned research. News companies regularly report on pharmaceutical companies or doctors conducting illegal and unsafe experiments on humans. New strains of illegal recreational drugs are also frequently developed and tested. Such development and testing, while illegal, falls under the category of drug research.
In general, before being implemented, a drug goes through a very long phase of development and testing. Much of this starts with theory, but experimentation is of the utmost importance. Experimental pharmacology allows drug developers to witness and record the effects of the drugs they are developing. While such testing may carry a great deal of risk, it helps ensure that the drugs, if implemented, are as safe and effective as possible.
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