Pharmacology is the branch of medicine that is concerned with drugs and medication. While a drug is defined as an artificial, natural, or endogenous substance that affects the body biochemically or physiologically, pharmacology is the field that regulates its composition, form, how, where, and when it is administered.
Pharmacology and pharmacy are two terms that are frequently misused. While being related, the two terms cannot be used interchangeably and do not mean the same thing. Pharmacology is an umbrella term that refers to the biomedical science of research, and discovery, including the characterization of chemicals that have biological implications these chemicals, have in cellular and organismal function.
On the other hand, pharmacy is a profession for health services concerned with applying the knowledge gained from pharmacology. This knowledge is usually used to administer care or under-dispensing in a clinical setting. Some of the significant differences between pharmacology and pharmacy include; direct patient care, science-based research, and pharmacy practice.
In this article, pharmacology is introduced in layman’s terms and is understandable by beginners and advanced level students alike. Becoming a pharmacologist and why it is a good career choice are also explored to ensure complete knowledge is provided before diving into the field. All the listed courses below are vital to the area and are an excellent place to search when considering or starting a career in pharmacology.
Here’s a related article for you: Pharmacy Colleges That Do Not Require PCAT.
Why Should You Have a Career in Pharmacology?
A career in pharmacology opens you up to the medical field in a unique way that is fulfilling, research-oriented, and ability to help people in a way peculiar to you, with a career path filled with diverse opportunities for specialization and continuous career growth.
As pharmacologists, you automatically serve as a link between patients and pharmaceutical companies, doctors and patients. The unique knowledge gained from your work is used to create, advise, and influence significant developments in the pharmaceutical field for patients, ensure health restoration, and maintain healthy living.
The various specializations available in pharmacology are a whole new avenue to explore as it includes a vast number of choices to accommodate multiple individuals. Some of those specializations available to be explored include; clinical pharmacology, endocrine pharmacology, pharmacology education, chemotherapy, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, etc.
Like most fields in medicine, pharmacology is another field that is always in demand. The various options available are all avenues to impact meaningful change in society and help individuals build a career for themselves and earn while at it.
If you’re still skeptical about starting a career, our article, How Long Is Pharmacy School? can help give a glimpse of how long it takes to acquire a degree.
Why Enroll in Pharmacology Courses?
Due to its nature of dealing with human life, the medical field is a delicate profession and requires adequate knowledge. The area of pharmacology is not left out in being particular about the education necessary. It is also not short of online and offline courses that provide this knowledge needed.
Free online courses on pharmacology are a good start for courses in pharmacology. After proper research has been done, these courses will advise on the needed courses, either due to the level of education already gained or the particular specialization you would want to embark on.
Typical courses on pharmacology provide you with evidence-based knowledge that has been in the field over time and has shown results, but it doesn’t end there. These courses provide knowledge, but they also make provisions for applied learning options, practicals, and the like to ensure the students fully understand and apply what is being taught.
Learning methods are also an exciting addition to enrolling in these courses. These tutors go the extra mile to employ tactics like videos, assessment quizzes, past examples, and case studies to impact this knowledge.
You may also want to read about the Top 10 Free Online Courses in Public Health with Certificates.
How do you Become a Pharmacologist?
A career in pharmacology as rewarding and fulfilling as possible may be strenuous for beginners, so the first thing to do is to ensure that you are sure you want to embark on the journey. The typical thing is to do adequate research on the field, the required hours of learning, financial implications, and career specializations of interest.
The educational requirement for a pharmacologist usually starts with a general degree called Doctor of Pharmacy and is also similar to that acquired by pharmacists. This includes undergraduate studies, professional studies, etc., to attain this qualification.
Further studies are pursued in the desired field to proceed in various specializations, and certifications are also attained. Also available is the option of earning a Ph.D. in pharmacology which gives you an edge in the industry. It is advised to take everything step-by-step to avoid being overwhelmed and ensure you make the right decisions.
You can also check out our article Top 10 Online Pharmacy Tech Schools for a start on your online pharmacy schooling journey.
Top Ten Free Online Courses in Pharmacology with Certificates in 2022
1. Chemicals and Health
This course is all about how to measure the chemicals in your body, the effects of these various chemicals, and what to do with the chemicals. Chemicals found in multiple places around us, including our environment and bodies and their impact on our lives, are being explained. An introduction to the course begins with assessing your previous knowledge of the system, then an introduction to toxicology and what chemicals do in your body are treated.
Summary; To ensure that students fully understand chemicals and health, various learning methods such as videos, assessments, and case studies to explain particular concepts are used. It is a beginner-level course that is easy to understand and takes approximately 11 hours to finish. The system is available on audit; all materials are assessed, but a fee is paid at the end of the course to access a certificate. Financial aid is also available for this course.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 11 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
2. Precision Medicine
The fundamentals and practical implications of precision medicine are being explained in this course, coupled with its challenges and opportunities. Practices like precision-medicine diagnostics, genetic counseling, public health interventions, and biomedical research are all taught to the students. The course is designed for students training in life sciences and is helpful for bachelor-level students, healthcare professionals, primary care physicians, biomedical researchers, drug developers, etc.
Summary; For this course, experts from relevant fields such as oncology, pharmacology, data sciences, genomics, etc., all provide rich, deep-rooted, well-researched, unbiased, and evidence-based knowledge on precision medicine. Interested students who take the course are sure to gain understanding from explained concepts, insights, and concrete examples shared during the duration of the system.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 28 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
See also, the Top 10 Free Online Medical Schools
3. Medical Cannabis for Pain Control
Over the years, cannabis has been a plant used for numerous purposes, including industrial, recreational, and medical. The plant is frequently addressed as medical cannabis when explored for medical reasons. The science involved in medical cannabis is numerous and is applicable in pharmacology, oncology, psychiatry, etc. The course explains all the implications of medical cannabis on agriculture, society, and culture at large.
Summary; Upon completing the course, you will undoubtedly have gained appropriate knowledge concerning using medical cannabis for pain control. The history of the plant and benefits of use are explained, and the risk factors are not left out. At the end of the course, a shareable certificate is offered to students. Financial aid is also available for individuals interested in the study but cannot afford it.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 12 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
4. Network Analysis in System Biology
An introduction to network analysis for system biology is covered in this course. This course is aimed at ensuring that knowledge gained from the system will be applied effectively in real-life applications as and when due. Methods in processing raw data for normalization, differential expression, clustering, network construction, etc., are all taught in this course.
Summary; This course is a significant block of knowledge for pharmacology, modern systems biology, and bioinformatics researchers. It is a rich tool, especially for analyzing large datasets in various research fields. The course is an intermediate-level course and one part of the six-part specialization named Systems Biology and Biotechnology Specialization. It is suitable for beginning graduate students and undergraduates in the field of physics, math, biology, chemistry, biomedical and electrical engineering.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 30 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
You may want to see the answer to this question; How Hard Is Medical School?
5. Drug Development Product Management
This specialization is a detailed course that promises to inform on all the years of research and discoveries done by pharmaceutical companies and biotechnological companies. It consists of three courses which provide this knowledge. The three courses, including drug discovery, drug development, and drug commercialization, all produce vital information in pharmacology. The specialization also offers an applied learning project where the knowledge shared is taught how to be put into proper practice and mastered.
Summary: The specialization upon completion also gives room for continuing studies (Master of Science in Drug Development & Product Management) for students willing to pursue a career specialization in the course. While the course might be a specialization, you can take just one of the courses if you choose, and a certificate is given at the end of the course.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 3 Months
Start date; Ongoing
6. Antibiotic Stewardship
With antibiotics being one of the most frequently prescribed drugs, it is also one of the most inappropriately used drugs. This detailed course on antibiotic stewardship aims to educate on clinical practices to optimize antibiotic administration. In addition, adverse effects of the drug are not ruled out and are what the course is set to address. Stanford University School of Medicine presents it through their Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine department.
Summary; the video-based course is an advanced learning course that explores the topic in detail. The knowledge provided physicians with the right tools to influence the management of common infections and establish and maintain antimicrobial stewardship programs in their various practices and at a program level. Illustrative cases are used to ensure understanding of the course. Upon completion of the course, a certificate is also made available.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 6 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
7. Drug Commercialization
As the name implies, drug commercialization teaches both beginners and advanced knowledge on drug commercialization. The ability ranges from pharmacoeconomic, marketing strategies, strategic alliances, etc. Also, in this course, learning about post-marketing clinical trials is discussed. The pre-marketing approach isn’t also left out in this course, as this is the stage where the marketing needs are incorporated into the drug’s developmental stages.
Summary; The course can be taken as a stand-alone course for beginners and need no prerequisites to understand it fully. However, it is a part of the three series course on Drug Development Project Management. In conclusion, also added to this course are vital points on pricing strategies and marketing strategies to improve sales. Promotions targeted at physicians, pharmacists, and nurses are also explained.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 13 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
Trending now: Top 17 First Generation College Student Scholarships
8. Drug Development
This course entails the stages involved in the clinical development of drugs, new drug application, and product labeling. Important bodies such as NDA (New Drug Application), and IND (Investigational New Drug), are actively involved in these phases. The different stages of clinical drug development are explained in detail, including clinical trials in humans and efficacy tests of the drugs. The development of the drugs for testing on much larger patients is another step before various countries finally approve it.
Summary; The drug development course is detailed and is easily understood by beginner-level students new to drug development. The key takeaways in the study include clinical trial design, clinical development, drug development, etc. A certificate is made available upon completion of the system.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 10 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
9. Bacteria and Chronic Infections
Microbiology and bacteriology are fundamental concepts associated with pharmacology, and this course addresses them in detail. In this course, experts from related fields share their express knowledge on the topics such as bacteria, acute and chronic infections, etc.
Summary; The course has a financial aid system for those who can not afford the payment. The skills readily gained from the study include infection control and antimicrobial knowledge. The course is recorded in English and has subtitles available in over three languages.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 10 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
10. Drug Discovery
The drug commercialization course is from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the prestigious University of California. The course teaches students about the series of processes involved in drug discovery. It teaches the various steps that pharmaceutical and biotech companies take in discovering new drugs.
The knowledge shared in this course includes understanding the pharmaceutical market and the tools and methods used to discover, identify, and design a new drug.
Summary; Meanwhile, during the course, you understand the regulatory responsibilities involved in drug discovery and the significant aspects involved. It is a beginner-level course and a part of the Drug Development Product Management Specialization, a 3-part course.
Provider; Coursera
Subject; Pharmacology
Duration; 9 Hours
Start date; Ongoing
People who read this article also read: What Can You Do With A Biology Degree Certificate?
Conclusion
With the academic world continuously evolving, free online courses are one of the various advantages it has come up with, and their relevance continues to increase over the years. Its effectiveness is one of the things that has made it maintain its relevance, and free online courses in pharmacology are among the fields benefitting from them.
As mentioned in the article, while the courses provide all the required knowledge, it is also paramount to practice in the field to put what is learned into work. The certificates earned can be used in various establishments and are valid for a wide range of firms, irrespective of where they are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Various courses on pharmacology are available to be taken by students online. These courses can range from certificate offering courses and degree offering courses for either part-time or full-time. Pharmacology programs at various universities usually provide these online courses.
As stated above, pharmacology, as a field that deals with human health, has a vast scope that needs to be covered. It has been noticed to be tasking but not at all impossible to embark on.
Coursera courses are, while not entirely free, available for audit. This means that the classes, including lectures, quizzes, videos, and every material used for the period, are open to the general public. However, to obtain the certificates, you have to pay for them upon completion.
While all the courses available on Coursera are meaningful and rich in knowledge, the certificate alone may not be the only thing you need. A primary concern would be the issue of the courses being done online. There is a concern about hands-on practical, which online courses do not offer.
References
- www.umultirank.org – Why should I Study Pharmacy -Pharmacology?
- www.healthcarestudies.com – Why Study Pharmacology?
- www.healthgrad.com/healthcare – 17 Things to do with a Pharmacology Degree
- www.thebalancecareers.com – Want to Be a Pharmacologist?
- www.gradschools.com – Pharmacology
- www.classcentral.com – 1600+ Coursera Courses that are still Completely Free
COPYRIGHT WARNING! Contents on this website may not be republished, reproduced, redistributed either in whole or in part without due permission or acknowledgment. All contents are protected by DMCA.
The content on this site is posted with good intentions. If you own this content & believe your copyright was violated or infringed, make sure you contact us at [xscholarshipc(@)gmail(dot)com] and actions will be taken immediately.