noun
pharmacology
The scientific study of drugs and their effects on living organisms. Used in academic, medical, and pharmaceutical contexts.
彼は大学で薬理学を専攻している。
He is majoring in pharmacology at university.
薬理学の知識は新薬の開発に不可欠だ。
Knowledge of pharmacology is essential for developing new drugs.
薬剤学 deals with the formulation and preparation of medicines, whereas 薬理学 is concerned with how drugs interact with biological systems.
Compound of 薬 (yaku, 'medicine, drug') + 理 (ri, 'principle, logic') + 学 (gaku, 'study, science'). The term is a direct calque from Western pharmacology, combining these Sino-Japanese elements.