Definitions of Selected Drug Categories- A

Abortifacient

an agent that will induce an abortion

Abradant

an agent that removes an external layer such as dental plaque (pumice)

ACE Inhibitor

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor

Acidifier, Systemic

a drug that lowers the internal body pH; it is useful in restoring normal pH in patients with systemic alkalosis (ammonium chloride).

Acidifier, Urinary

a drug that lowers the pH of the renal filtrate and urine (sodium dihydrogen phosphate).

Andrenergic

a drug that activates organs innervated by the sympathetic nervous system; a sympathomimetic drug (epinephrine, norepinephrine).

Adrenocorticosteroid, Anti-inflammatory

an adrenal cortex hormone that regulates organic metabolism and inhibits inflammatory response; a glucocorticoid (prednisolone, prednisone).

Adrenocorticosteroid, Salt-Regulating

an adrenal cortex hormone that regulates sodium/ potassium balance in the body; a mineralocorticoid (desoxycorticosterone acetate).

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

a hormone that stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce glucocorticoids (corticotropin).

Adsorbent

a drug that binds other chemicals onto its surface; it is used to reduce the free availability of toxic chemicals (kaolin, gastrointestinal adsorbent).

Agonist

a drug that reacts with and activates physiological receptors and induces the associated biologic response (morphine, opioid receptor agonist; isoproterenol, beta-adrenergic receptor agonist).

Alcohol-Abuse Deterrent

 a drug that alters physiology so that unpleasant symptoms follow ingestion of ethanol-containing products (disulfiram)

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Inhibitor

a drug that blocks the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid by aldehyde dehydrogenase (disulfiram).

Alkalinizer, Systemic

 a drug that raises the internal body pH; it is useful in restoring normal pH in patients with systemic acidosis (sodium bicarbonate).

Alkylating Agent

 an antineoplastic drug that attacks malignant cells by reacting covalently with their DNA (chlorambucil).

Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitor

 a drug that blocks the digestion of carbohydrates into simple sugars that will increase blood sugar levels (oral diabetic drugs).

Alpha Receptor Agonist

 a drug that activates sympathetic nervous system alpha receptors, for example, to induce vasoconstriction (nor-epinephrine).

Alpha Receptor Antagonist

 a drug that reacts asymptomatically with sympathetic nervous system alpha receptors and prevents their endogenous activation, for example, to induce vasodilation (phentolamine).

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Alpha Reductase Inhibitor

 a drug that decreases the levels of available 5-reductase prior to testosterone's binding with the enzyme, reducing levels of dihydrotestosterone.

Amebicide

 an agent used to treat amoebozoa infections (metronidazole).

Anabolic Steroid

 an androgen analogue with relatively greater anabolic activity; it is used to treat catabolic disorders (methandrostenolone).

Analeptic

 a central nervous system stimulant, sometimes used to stimulate respiration during severe central nervous system depression (dox-apram, modafinil).

Analgesic

a drug that suppresses pain perception (nociception) without inducing unconsciousness (morphine sulfate, opioid analgesic; aspirin, nonopioid analgesic).

Androgen

 a hormone that stimulates and maintains male reproductive function and sex characteristics (testosterone).

Anesthetic, General

 a drug that eliminates pain perception by inducing unconsciousness (ether, inhalation anesthetic; thiopental sodium, intravenous anesthetic; midazolam).

Anesthetic, Local

 a drug that eliminates pain perception in a limited body area by local action on sensory nerves (procaine, lidocaine).

Anesthetic, Topical

 a local anesthetic that is effec-live upon application to mucous membranes (tetracaine)

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor

 a drug that inhibits biotransformation of angiotensin I into vasoconstricting angiotensin II; it is used to treat hypertension (captopril, ramipril).

Anorexiant

 a drug that acts on the brain to reduce the appetite.

Anorexic

 a drug that suppresses appetite, usually by elevating mood (phentermine, sibutramine).

Antacid

 a drug that neutralizes excess gastric acid (calcium carbonate).

Antagonist

 a drug that reacts asymptomatical-ly with physiological receptors and prevents their endogenous activation (naloxone, opioid receptor antagonist; propranolol and metopro-lol, beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists).

Anthelmintic

 a drug that eradicates intestinal

worm infestations (mebendazole)

Antiacne Agent

 a drug that combats the lesions of acne vulgaris (isotretinoin).

Antiadrenergic

 a drug that inhibits response to sympathetic nerve impulses and adrenergic drugs; a sympatholytic drug (phentolamine, alpha adrenergic antagonist; metoprolol, beta-adrenergic antagonist).

Antiamebic

 a drug that kills or inhibits protozoan parasites such as Entamoeba histolytica, causative agent or amebiasis metronidazole, intestinal antiamebic; chloroquine, extraintes-tinal antiamebic).

Antiandrogen

 a drug that inhibits response to androgenic hormones.

Antianemic

 a drug used to treat anemia; see Hematopoietic, Hematinic (ferrous sulfate).

Antianginal

 a coronary vasodilator useful in preventing or treating attacks of angina pectoris (nitroglycerin).

Antiarrhythmic

 a cardiac depressant usetul in suppressing rhythm irregularities of the heart (amiodarone HCI; procainamide).

Antiarthritic

 a drug that reduces the joint inflammation of arthritis (anakinra, celecoxib, ibuprofen).

Antibacterial

 a drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic bacteria (penicillin G, systemic antibacterial; nitrofurantoin, urinary antibacte-rial; bacitracin, topical antibacterial).

Antibiotic

 a drug originally of microbial origin used to kill or inhibit bacterial and other infections (clarithromycin, penicillin, levofloxacin).

Anticholesterol Agent

 a drug that lowers plasma cholesterol level (cholestyramine resin; atorvastatin, rosuvastatin calcium; simvastatin; ezetimibe).

Anticholinergic

 a drug that inhibits response to parasympathetic nerve impulses and choliner-gic drugs; a parasympatholytic drug (ipratro-pium bromide).

Anticholinesterase Antidote

 a drug that reactivates cholinesterase enzyme after its inactivation by organophosphate poisons (pralidoxime).

Anticoagulant Antagonist

 a drug that opposes overdosage of anticoagulant drugs (phytona-dione, supplies vitamin K to oppose vitamin K-antagonist anticoagulants).

Anticoagulant, for Storage of Whole Blood

 a nontoxic agent added to collected blood to prevent clotting (anticoagulant citrate dextrose solution).

Anticoagulant, Systemic

 a drug administered to slow the clotting of circulating blood (warfarin sodium).

Anticonvulsant

 an antiepileptic drug administered prophylactically to prevent seizures, or a drug that arrests convulsions by inducing general central nervous system depression (phenytoin, antiepileptic prophylactic; diaze-pam, central nervous system depressant anti-convulsant).

Antidepressant

 a centrally acting drug that induces mood elevation, useful in treating mental depression (amitriptyline).

Antidiabetic

 a drug that supplies insulin or stimulates the secretion of insulin; it is useful in treating diabetes mellitus (insulin injection, supplies insulin; glipizide, stimulates insulin secretion; pioglitazone HCI, exenatide).

Antidiarrheal

 a drug that inhibits intestinal peri-stalsis; it is used to treat diarrhea (diphenoxyl-ate; bismuth subsalicylate; loperamide HCI).

Antidiuretic

a drug that promotes renal water reabsorption, thus reducing urine volume; it is used to treat neurogenic diabetes insipidus (desmopressin).

Antidiuretic

 a drug that promotes renal water reabsorption, thus reducing urine volume; it is used to treat neurogenic diabetes insipidus (desmopressin).

Antidote, General Purpose

a drug that reduces the effects of ingested poisons (or drug over-doses) by adsorbing toxic material (activated charcoal).

Antidote, Specific

 a drug that reduces the effects of a systemic poison (or drug overdose) by a mechanism that relates to the particular poison (dimercaprol, specific antidote for arsenic, mercury, and gold poisoning; flumazenil, complete or partial reversal of the sedative effects of benzodiazepines).

Antieczematic

a topical drug that aids in control of chronic exudative skin lesions (coal tar).

Antiemetic

 a drug that suppresses nausea and vomiting (ondansetron hydrochloride).

Antineuritic

 a drug that aids in control of bed-wetting (enuresis) (imipramine).

Antiepileptic

 a drug that prevents epileptic seizures upon prophylactic administration (val-proic acid; topiramate).

Antiestrogen

 a drug that inhibits the action of estrogenic hormones (tamoxifen).

Antitibrinolytic

 a drug that promotes hemosta sis by inhibiting clot dissolution (fibrinolysis) (aminocaproic acid)

Antifilarial

 a drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic filarial worms (diethylcarbamazine)

Antiflatulent

 a drug that reduces gastrointestinal gas (simethicone).

Antifungal, Systemic

 a drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic fungi (fluconazole).

Antifungal, Topical

 a drug applied externally to kill or inhibit pathogenic fungi (tolnaftate).

Antiglaucoma Agent

 a drug that lowers intraocular fluid pressure; it is used to treat glaucoma (methazolamide and acetazolamide reduce fluid formation; isofluorphate promotes fluid drainage).

Antigonadotropin

 a drug that inhibits anterior pituitary secretion of gonadotropins; it is used to suppress ovarian malfunction (danazol)

Antigout Agent

a drug that reduces tissue deposits of uric acid in chronic gout or suppresses the intense inflammatory reaction or acute gout (allopurinol for chronic gout; indometha cin for acute gout).

Antihemophilic

a drug that replaces blood clotting factors absent in the hereditary disease hemophilia (antihemophilic factor).

Antiherpes Agent

a drug that inhibits replication of herpes simplex virus; it is used to treat genital herpes (acyclovir).

Antihistaminic

 a drug that antagonizes histamine action at H1 histamine receptors; it is useful in suppressing the histamine-induced symptoms of allergy (chlorpheniramine male-ate; cetirizine, fexofenadine HCI).

Antihyperlipidemic

 a drug that lowers plasma cholesterol and lipid levels (atorvastatin).

Antihypertensive

 a drug that lowers arterial blood pressure, especially the elevated diastolic pressure of hypertension (metoprolol; atenolol).

Antihypocalcemic

 a drug that elevates plasma calcium level; it is useful in treating hypocalcemia (parathyroid injection).

Antihypoglycemic

 a drug that elevates plasma glucose level; it is useful in treating hypoglycemia (glucagon).

Anti-infective, Topical (or Local)

 a drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic microorganisms and is suitable for sterilizing skin and wounds (povidone iodine liquid soap).

Anti-inflammatory

 a drug that inhibits physiological response to cell damage (inflammation) (prednisolone, adrenocorticosteroid; ibupro-fen, nonsteroid).

Antileishmanial

 a drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic protozoa of the genus Leishmania (hydroxystilbamidine isethionate).

Antileprotic

 a drug that kills or inhibits Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy (dapsone).

Antilipemic

 an agent that reduces lipid levels in the blood.

Antimalarial

 a drug that kills or inhibits protozoa of the genus Plasmodium, the causative agents of malaria (chloroquine).

Antimanic

 a drug that suppresses the excitement phase (mania) of bipolar disorder (lithium carbonate)

Antimetabolite

 a drug that attacks malignant cells or pathogenic cells by serving as a nonfunctional substitute for an essential metabolite (fluorouracil, antineoplastic antimetabolite).

Antimigraine Agent

 a drug that reduces incidence or severity of migraine vascular headaches (sumatriptan)

Anti-Motion Sickness Agent

 a drug that suppresses motion-induced nausea, vomiting, and vertigo (dimenhydrinate hydrochloride).

Antimuscarinic

 an anticholinergic drug that inhibits symptoms mediated by acetylcholine receptors of visceral organs (muscarinic receptors) (atropine sulfate).

Antinauseant

 a drug that suppresses nausea and vomiting; an antiemetic (ondansetron).

Antineoplastic

 a drug that attacks malignant (neoplastic) cells in the body (chlorambucil, alkylating agent).

Antiparasitic

 a drug that eradicates parasitic arthropods, helminths, protozoa, etc. (permethrin for scabies. mebendazole for intestinal worms, metronidazole for amebic dysentery, malathion for head lice).

Antiparkinsonian (antidyskinetic)

 a drug that suppresses the neurologic disturbances and symptoms of parkinsonism (levodopa).

Antiperistaltic

 a drug that inhibits intestinal motility; an antidiarrheal drug (diphenoxylate hydrochloride).

Antiplatelet Agent

 a drug that inhibits aggregation of blood platelets; it is used to prevent heart attack (aspirin; clopidogrel bisulfate).

Antiprogestin

a type of hormone antagonist that antagonizes or suppresses the actions of progesterone (mifepristone)

Antiprotozoal

 a drug that kills or inhibits pathogenic protozoa (metronidazole)

Antipruritic

 a drug that reduces itching (pruritus) (trimeprazine, systemic antipruritic, menthol, topical antipruritic).

Antipsoriatic

a drug that suppresses the lesions and symptoms ot psoriasis (methotrexate, systemic antipsoriatic; anthralin, topical antipsoriatic).

Antipsychotic

 a drug that suppresses the symptoms of psychoses of various diagnostic types (haloperidol).

Antipyretic

 a drug that restores normal body temperature in the presence of fever (acetaminophen)