How to describe pharmacology? The course description is "action/fate of drugs". A better description is probably "the science of drugs, including their composition, uses, and effects." In this class, we study how drugs work on receptors and what effect a drug will have on your body. An example of a receptor is a β-receptor; if you've heard of a "beta-blocker", this is a drug that blocks natural substances in the body from activating a β-receptor.
We had our first pharmacology class last semester. The second test in that class has been described as the hardest examination in our entire pharmacy career. There is a lot of stuff to know and analyze and remember. We then have to know what drugs will effect these systems and how they do it. Last semester we studied the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems (think fight or flight), cardiovascular (heart) drugs, and renal drugs (drugs that make you pee). This semester is endocrine drugs (hormones) and drugs affecting the central nervous system. So far, we've gone over morphine and opioids. I think this will be a pretty interesting semester.
We are currently out in Waconia. Tomorrow is my wife's uncle's retirement party. We hope to get rid of a certain chair...
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