The Pharmacology Department is a core part of pharmaceutical and medical education, focusing on the study of how drugs interact with the body and how the body responds to drugs. It deals with the mechanism of action, therapeutic effects, side effects, toxicity, and clinical uses of drugs. Pharmacology bridges basic sciences like physiology and biochemistry with clinical medicine, supporting drug discovery, development, and safe therapeutic use.
The department is divided into two major branches:
- Pharmacodynamics – studies what the drug does to the body (mechanism, effects).
- Pharmacokinetics – studies what the body does to the drug (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion).
In teaching, students learn about drug classifications, dosages, adverse effects, drug interactions, and rational use of medicines. Practical training often involves animal experiments, simulations, and in-vitro tests to assess drug actions and toxicology. Ethical considerations and alternatives to animal testing (like computer simulations) are also emphasized.
Research in pharmacology covers areas like neuropharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, toxicology, clinical pharmacology, and drug development. The department contributes significantly to understanding disease mechanisms and finding safer, more effective therapies.
Graduates of pharmacology can work in pharmaceutical industries, research labs, hospitals, academia, or drug regulatory agencies, playing key roles in clinical trials, safety assessments, and policy-making.
In essence, the Pharmacology Department is vital for understanding drugs scientifically and applying that knowledge to improve human health.
Key Laboratory Facilities
The department houses two dedicated pharmacology laboratories equipped for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programs. These labs are designed to conduct practicals, demonstrations, research, and simulations in line with modern educational standards.
| Sr. No. | Equipment / Facility | Description |
| 1) | Ex Pharm Software | Experimental Pharmacology Software — a type of virtual tool used in pharmacology and pharmaceutics departments for teaching, learning, and simulating drug experiments |
| 2) | Rota Rod Apparatus | Assesses motor coordination, balance, and muscle relaxation effects of CNS-active drugs. |
| 3) | Sherrington Drum | Classic setup used to study isolated tissue responses (e.g., ileum or frog muscle). |
| 4) | Compound Microscope | Microscopic study of cells, tissues, and microorganisms for pathological or toxic effects. |
| 5) | Blood Pressure Measuring Device | Manual or digital sphygmomanometer to demonstrate cardiovascular drug effects. |
| 6) | Human Skeleton Model | Visual aid to teach anatomy relevant to drug action and administration. |
| 7) | Biological System Models | Includes models of the heart, lungs, brain, kidney, and digestive tract for educational use. |
| 8) | Actophotometer | Measures spontaneous activity to evaluate CNS stimulant or depressant drug action. |
| 9) | Analgesiometer
(Hot Plate / Tail Flick) |
Tests pain threshold and analgesic (painkiller) activity of drugs. |
| 10) | PowerLab Apparatus | A data acquisition system to record ECG, EMG, BP, and respiration in live experiments. |
| 11) | Microplate Reader | Used in ELISA, enzyme assays, and absorbance-based drug screening and bioassays. |
| 12) | Cooling Centrifuge | Enables low-temperature separation of biological samples for drug testing. |
| 13) | Tail Flick Apparatus | Evaluates nociceptive responses, mainly in thermal pain models. |
| 14) | Pole Climbing Apparatus | Used in behavioral pharmacology to study learning, memory, and anti-convulsant activity. |
| 15) | Electron Microscope | Advanced imaging tool for detailed study of tissues at ultra-structural level. |
Note: All animal-related experimentation is conducted following CPCSEA and Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) guidelines, and alternatives like simulation software (Ex Pharm Software) are used where mandated.