This program consists of two years of college level preparatory course work, followed by two years of study in the Pharmacology and Toxicology (Pharm Tox) major in the School of Pharmacy. The major leads to a B.S. degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology.
Students enrolled in the Pharm Tox program develop an understanding of the principles by which chemicals affect the health of humans and animals either adversely, as toxic agents, or beneficially, as therapeutic agents. Students study the pharmacokinetic principles governing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of chemicals. They learn about: 1) mechanisms of action of drugs and toxicants on organ systems of the body; 2) general principles for assessing the safety of chemicals, and therapeutic efficacy of drugs; and 3) state-of-the-art molecular, biological, and genetic approaches to understanding drugs, toxicants, and disease through a combination of laboratory and lecture experiences.
What are Pharmacology & Toxicology?
Pharmacology and toxicology are biomedical sciences. Pharmacology is the study of the properties, effects, and mechanisms of drug action — the interactions of chemicals with biological systems. Toxicology addresses adverse effects of chemicals on animals and humans and includes exposure assessment, hazard identification, dose response assessment, and risk characterization. Both fields rely on cutting-edge biotechnological approaches to gain insight into drug and toxicant action at the molecular level.
Pharmacologists
- Determine how drugs act at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ level, as well as the system level.
- Discover new drugs that cure disease,
- Discover new drugs that provide a more effective or rapid treatment of disease, or reduce side effects.
- Conduct research leading to a better understanding of normal bodily functions and the biological basis of disease.
Toxicologists
- Determine mechanisms by which chemicals produce toxicity.
- Define safe exposure limits for chemicals.
- Identify and quantify risks to humans who have occupational and environmental exposure to chemicals.
- Characterize and assess risks to fish and wildlife populations of environmental exposure to chemicals.