What term describes the study of how drugs affect the body?

The study of how drugs affect the body is referred to as pharmacodynamics. This field explores the mechanisms of action of drugs, including how they bind to receptors, the biological effects they elicit, and the relationship between drug concentration and effect. It encompasses various factors such as efficacy, potency, and the overall therapeutic effects of medications.

Pharmacodynamics contrasts with pharmacokinetics, which focuses on the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs in the body. While both areas are crucial in the understanding of drug action and safety, pharmacodynamics specifically zeroes in on the physiological effects and biochemical interactions once the drug is inside the body.

Toxicology, while it involves the effects of drugs, typically deals with the harmful effects of substances and poisons rather than the therapeutic mechanisms of drugs. Pharmaceutical chemistry, on the other hand, is primarily concerned with the design and synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, which is more about the chemical and physical properties rather than the biological interactions and effects on the body.

Therefore, pharmacodynamics is the most accurate term describing the study of how drugs affect physiological functions and responses in the body.