The goal of the study of pharmacological sciences is to understand the properties of drugs and the ways in which these properties react, according to The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. For example, the interactions between drug molecules and drug receptors and the effects of these interactions are studied under the umbrella of pharmacology. The umbrella of pharmacology is a wide one. It encompasses the examination of the different classes of drugs, their therapeutic uses, their societal roles and their mechanisms of action, among other things.
The knowledge gained through the pharmacological sciences provides a base for other studies and applications. These include the use of pharmaceutical drugs in medicine, drugs used in scientific research, the study of drug actions within the overall health sciences, as well as the regulation and development of various pharmaceuticals. There are also a number of subspecialties within the umbrella of pharmacology. Some of these include behavioral, cardiovascular, neurological and clinical pharmacology, along with pharmacoeconomics and pharmacogenetics.