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Development Of Medication is a vital concern to Medicine , but also has strong economical and political implications. To protect the consumer and prevent abuse, many governments regulate the manufacture, sale, and administration of medication. In the United States , the main body that regulates pharmaceuticals is the Food And Drug Administration and they enforce standards set by the United States Pharmacopoeia . Pharmacology as a science is practiced by pharmacologists. Subdisciplines are ''clinical pharmacology'' (the medical field of medication effects on humans), ''neuro-'' and ''psychopharmacology'' (effects of medication on behavior and nervous system functioning), and ''theoretical pharmacology''. SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND The study of medicinal chemicals requires intimate knowledge of the biological system affected. With the knowledge of Cell Biology and Biochemistry increasing, the field of pharmacology has also changed substantially. It has become possible, through molecular analysis of Receptor s, to design chemicals that act on specific cellular signalling or Metabolic Pathway s by affecting sites directly on cell-surface receptors (which modulate and mediate cellular signalling pathways controlling cellular function). A chemical has, from the pharmacological point-of-view, various properties. Pharmacokinetics describes its behaviour in the body - particularly in the blood (e.g. its Half-life and Volume Of Distribution ), and Pharmacodynamics relates its behaviour in the blood to its effects (desired effects or Toxic side-effects). When describing the pharmacokinetic properties of a chemical, pharmacologists are often interested in '' ADME '':
Medication is said to have a narrow or wide '' Therapeutic Index '' or ''therapeutic window''. This describes the ratio of desired effect to toxic effect. A compound with a narrow therapeutic index (close to 1) exerts its desired effect at a dose close to its toxic dose. A compound with a wide therapeutic index (greater than 5) exerts its desired effect at a dose substantially below its toxic dose. Those with a narrow window are more difficult to dose and administer, and may require Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (examples are Warfarin , some Antiepileptic s, Aminoglycoside antibiotics). Most anti-cancer drugs have a narrow therapeutic margin: toxic side-effects are almost always encountered at doses used to kill tumours. DRUGS USED AS MEDICINES Main article Medication . A medication is a licenced drug taken to cure or reduce symptoms of an Illness or medical condition. Medications are generally divided into two groups -- '' Over The Counter '' (OTC) medications, which are available in Pharmaci es and supermarkets without special restrictions, and '' Prescription Only Medicine s'' (POM), which must be prescribed by a Physician . Most OTC medication is generally considered to be safe enough that most persons will not hurt themselves accidentally by taking it as instructed. Many countries, such as the UK have a third category of Pharmacy Medicine s which can only be sold in registered pharmacies, by or under the supervision of a Pharmacist . However, the precise distinction between OTC and prescription depends on the legal Jurisdiction . Medications are typically produced by pharmaceutical companies and are often Patented . Those that are not patented are called Generic Drug s. EXTERNAL LINKS SEE ALSO
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