Although Toxicology and Pharmacology are concerned with drugs, both are entirely different streams of study. Toxicology is a branch of medical science that deals with the study of the bad effects of chemical substances like drugs, pesticides, fertilizers on living things and the ways to thwart or ameliorate such effects. However, Pharmacology is a segment of biology and medicinal science that is concerned with the study of drugs.

Toxicology courses and career opportunities

Toxicology is an enormous field of study that has so many subdivisions. Chemical toxicology, Environmental toxicology and Medical toxicology are some of the branches of toxicology. Aspirants can pursue graduate or postgraduate courses in the respective areas. They can also do various programs in Aquatic toxicology or Forensic toxicology. Various Universities and institutes offer the different courses in toxicology.

Those who complete the various courses can search out for career in health care, medical institutes, laboratories, environment protection agencies and so on. Aspirants who wish carry out research and development activities are required to pursue the PhD programs in toxicology in their interesting topics.

Pharmacology courses and career opportunities

There are so many courses in Pharmacology that an aspirant can pursue. In addition to the Bachelors’ and Masters’ programs in the concerned areas, there are research programs in Pharmacology. To turn out to be a licensed Pharmacologist, aspirants should study the program from a recognized University or institute. They can also pursue the diploma programs in the respective fields.

Professionals, after completing their courses in Pharmacology can seek for employments in Government sector or private sector undertakings. Most of these professions are employed in pharmaceutical companies, medical institutes, laboratories, hospitals, and so on. Postgraduates in Pharmacology can expect senior most positions in companies.

Key differentiators between Toxicology and Pharmacology

• Toxicology is a vast branch of medical science in which Pharmacology is only a subdivision.
• The former is concerned with the study of the positive and negative effects of drugs on human body whereas the latter deals with the study of the various types of drugs and their chemical composition.

Pharmacologists study the different classes of drugs, the way they are used, and their course of action, how they react with the human body and also their relevance in the society. However, Toxicologists mainly study the toxic effects on living organisms, their symptoms and the remedial measures, which could be taken to control or overcome such effects.