Pharma Terminology

Indication

The disease, condition, or symptom that a drug is approved or used to treat. Example: A medication may be indicated for high blood pressure.

Contraindication

A situation in which a drug should not be used because it could be harmful to the patient. Example: A medication may be contraindicated during pregnancy.

Efficacy

How well a drug produces its intended effect, especially under controlled conditions such as clinical trials.

Adverse Event (AE)

Any unwanted medical problem that occurs while a patient is taking a drug, whether or not the drug definitely caused it.

Therapeutic Class

A group of drugs used to treat the same type of disease or condition, or that have similar effects. Example: antidepressants are a therapeutic class.

Mechanism of Action (MOA)

How a drug works in the body to produce its effect. For example, what receptor, enzyme, or biological pathway it affects.

Pharmacokinetics (PK)

What the body does to the drug — how the drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated. Think ADME.

Pharmacodynamics (PD)

What the drug does to the body — its biological effects and how those effects change depending on the dose or concentration.

Bioavailability

The amount or percentage of a drug dose that reaches the bloodstream and is available to have an effect.

Dosage Form

The physical form in which a drug is given. Examples include a tablet, capsule, injection, cream, liquid, or inhaler.

Generic Drug

A medication that has the same active ingredient as a brand-name drug and is intended to work the same way, but is generally sold under its generic name.

Brand-Name Drug

A drug sold under a company's trademarked product name. Example: Lipitor is a brand name; atorvastatin is the generic name.

Formulary

A list of medications that an insurance plan, hospital, or healthcare organization covers or prefers. A drug's formulary status can affect whether patients can easily obtain it.

Clinical Trial

A research study involving people that evaluates the safety and/or effectiveness of a drug, treatment, or medical intervention

Package Insert / PI

The FDA-approved prescribing information that accompanies a prescription drug. It contains information such as indications, dosing, warnings, contraindications, adverse reactions, and clinical study data.

HCP

Healthcare Professional

Territory

Geographic/account area a rep manages

Call

A sales interaction with an HCP—not necessarily a phone call

Detailing

Presenting information about a drug to an HCP

Market Access

Getting patients/providers actual access to the medicine

Payer

Insurance company, Medicare, PBM, etc. paying for medication

Formulary

List of drugs a health plan/hospital covers or prefers

Prior auth/PA

Insurance approval required before coverage

Specialty Pharma

More complex/high-cost therapies, often sold to specialists

HCP Engagement

How pharma companies interact with healthcare professionals

Omnichannel

Coordinating reps, email, digital, virtual and other communication

CRM

Software used to track customers, calls and territory activity

Pipeline

Drugs a company has under development

Launch

Commercial introduction of a newly approved drug

Patent Cliff / LOE

Major drugs losing exclusivity

Biosimilar

Highly Similar competitor to an approved biologic drug

MSL

Medical Science Liaison—a scientific/medical field role, not a salesperson