What is the study of biochemical and physiological effects of drugs called?

The study of biochemical and physiological effects of drugs is referred to as pharmacodynamics. This field specifically focuses on how drugs affect the body, including the mechanisms of drug action, the relationship between drug concentration and effect, and the biological response to drug administration. By understanding pharmacodynamics, healthcare professionals—including pharmacy technicians—can predict the effects of a drug, understand its therapeutic window, and grasp how various drugs interact with specific receptors and pathways within the body.

Pharmacokinetics, on the other hand, deals with how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs, rather than their direct effects. Therapeutics refers to the broader study of treatment of diseases, primarily emphasizing the application of pharmacology to achieve therapeutic outcomes but not exclusively focusing on the mechanisms of drug action. Pharmacology is an overarching term that encompasses both pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, involving the study of drugs in general, their properties, and their effects. However, the specific aspect of understanding the effects of the drug itself is what categorizes pharmacodynamics distinctly from these other fields.