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pharmacology and pharmacy

hello, I am about to apply to study pharmacy in the uni and i am just confused about the difference between pharmacy and pharmacology. i would like to be an industrial pharmacist. thankx
Original post by erisco952
hello, I am about to apply to study pharmacy in the uni and i am just confused about the difference between pharmacy and pharmacology. i would like to be an industrial pharmacist. thankx


Pharmacology is a basic science subject; it is the study of drugs. It is split in to 2 main divisions: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The former is often described as 'what the body does to the drug' (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (aka ADME)), and the latter is described as 'what the drug does to the body' (things like mechanisms of action, efficacy, good effects, side effects. etc.).

Pharmacy, on the other hand, encompasses pharmacology along with other basic sciences, such as biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pathophysiology, formulation sciences, as well as communication skills. Communicaion skills is a large component of pharmacy, as pharmacy students become pharmacists post-graduation and after their registration to the General Pharmaceutical Council, and pharmacists have a lot of patient interaction. They recommend different treatments and ensure that the treatments that doctors have prescribed are safe.

In summary, pharmacology is a basic science, whereas pharmacy is a collection of basic sciences with patient interaction. As an industrial pharmacist, you may end up being in the research & development (R&D) department of a pharmaceutical company, where you may be working as a pharmacologist in order to study the effects of drugs on the body.

Hope this helps.
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erisco952
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thankx very much for the insight .

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