Pharmacology

Pharmacology

Introduction

Medications are frequently used to manage diseases. Administration of medication is the main responsibility of a nurse. Hence it becomes important that nurses should have a sound knowledge of actions and effects of medications. Administering medication safely requires an understanding of all aspects of pharmacology.

All around the world, registered nurses play an important role in administering medication to patients in a typical busy hospital environment. This duty requires a huge amount of effort on behalf of nurses to stay updated about medical advancements and pharmaceutical drugs. Improving knowledge about medication requires a continuous education on drugs among nurses.

Schmiedeberg obtained his medical doctorate in 1866 with a thesis on the measurement of chloroform in blood. In 1872, he became professor of pharmacology at the University of Strassburg, receiving generous government support in the form of a magnificent institute of pharmacology. He studied the pharmacology of chloroform and chloralhydrate. In 1869, Schmiedeberg showed that muscarine evoked the same effect on the heart as electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve. In 1878, he published a classic text, Outline of Pharmacology, and in 1885, he introduced urethane as a hypnotic.