distinction between pharmacological and therapeutic effect
Last reviewed 01/2018
Distinction between pharmacological effect and therapeutic effect of a drug can be described in two examples:
Hypertension is treated with antihypertensives which reduce the blood pressure, and in the long term reduce risk of in myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure and renal failure. There are variable links between the end diseases and cholesterol, sex, smoking etc. The pharmacological effect is the lowering of the blood pressure, the therapeutic effect is reduction in the risks.
Infective disease is treated with antibiotics, which may be bacteriocidal or bacteriostatic, to stop the infective process. There are variable links between the disease and host defences, which may be altered by immunocompetence, e.g. phagocytic competence. The pharmacological effect is the prevention of replication of the bacteria, the therapeutic effect is to cure the infection.