Pharmacology examines drugs and their action on living tissue, whether on overall body function, or on organs or individual cells. Drugs are chemical substances that change the way in which body systems normally function or influence the normal nature and progression of diseases. Pharmacology should not be confused with pharmacy, which is involved with the preparation, supply and retail dispensing of drugs for medicinal and veterinary use. Australian standards in physiology and pharmacology are outstanding at an international level and Australian graduates currently work in many countries around the world. Some career paths in physiology and pharmacology are essentially similar, combining research and teaching in universities, hospitals or research institutes.
Physiology is the essential foundation for the study of medicine and veterinary science.
It is important in the education of physiotherapists, psychologists, nutritionists, dieticians and biomedical engineers. Exercise physiologists investigate the body's response to exercise training and performance and learn how drugs affect performance. As the molecular biology revolution gains pace, the understanding of how specific gene expression affects function will require expert training in systematic and integrative physiology. Pharmacology is an increasingly important part of the study of medicine as well as being of central importance in the education of pharmacists, toxicologists and veterinarians. Professional positions for pharmacologists often occur in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries in the testing and research of drugs as well as in administration and management.