Common Terms Related to Medications

Define Commonly Used Terms: Establish a foundational vocabulary of terms frequently encountered in the context of medication and prescriptions.
Drug Naming Conventions: Describe the three primary methods by which drugs are named: Chemical, Generic, and Brand names.
Drug Classification: Identify and distinguish between the various ways drugs are classified, including their target of action, therapeutic purpose, and pharmacological mechanism.

Abbreviation: Letters or numbers written in a shortened format on a medical prescription.
Acute: Refers to an illness or disease that is short in duration but severe in nature.
Addiction: A state of being physically or emotionally dependent on a specific drug.
Administration: The specific method or process by which a medicine is given to a patient.
Adverse Drug Reactions: Effects of a drug that are unwanted, unintended, or harmful.
Analgesic / Painkiller: A pharmaceutical agent specifically used to produce the relief of pain.
Antacid: A drug used to neutralize stomach acid or act against acid.
Anthelmintics: A category of drugs administered specifically to combat parasitic worms.
Antibacterial: A substance used to kill bacteria or act against bacterial growth.
Anticoagulant: A substance that thins the blood by preventing the clotting process (acting against clotting).
Contraindication: A specific situation or condition of a patient that makes the administration of a particular drug inadvisable or prohibited.
Chronic: Refers to a long-term, ongoing illness or disease state.
Indication: The condition as diagnosed that suggests or necessitates the use of a particular drug.
Dispensing: The professional process of preparing medicines based on a prescription, which includes providing labeled directions for use.

Dose: The intended amount of medicine to be taken at one single time.
- Therapeutic Dose: The specific amount of a drug required to bring about the desired therapeutic effect.
- Toxic Dose: An amount of a drug at which the body's health is threatened; this level can be possibly fatal.
- Overdose: The administration or consumption of more than the recommended amount of a medication.
Dosage Forms: The physical form in which pharmaceutical products are made available for administration. Common examples include:
- Tablets
- Creams
Strength: The specific amount or concentration of the active ingredient contained per individual dose form.
Local Administration: When a drug is administered directly onto its intended site of action.
Systemic Administration: When a drug is administered into the body and then distributed throughout the entire system via the circulation (bloodstream).
Interaction: A phenomenon occurring when more than one drug is used simultaneously, causing the effects to combine and result in either a greater action or a lesser action than intended.
Prophylaxis: A medicine or treatment utilized specifically to prevent the occurrence of an illness or disease.
Hypnotic: A class of drug administered to help promote or induce sleep.

Drugs are identified by three distinct types of names:

Chemical Name: This name describes the exact chemical composition and molecular structure of the drug.
- Example 1: $2-Acetoxybenzoic\,acid$
- Example 2: $N-acetyl-para-aminophenol$
Generic Name: A name assigned by the United States Adopted Name Council. It is designed to be less complicated, easier to remember, and is commonly used in clinical practice.
- Example 1: Aspirin
- Example 2: Paracetamol (also known as Acetaminophen)
Brand Name: The proprietary name assigned by the pharmaceutical company that is marketing the drug.
- Example 1: Despirine
- Example 2: Dolo-650

Drugs can be classified using several different frameworks based on how they work or what they are intended to do:

Target of Action: Classification according to where the drug works in the body or where the action is specifically targeted.
- Examples: Cardiovascular drugs (targeting the heart/vessels), respiratory drugs (targeting the lungs/airways).
Therapeutic Classification: Classification based on the purpose of the drug or the main physiological change it induces in the body.
- Examples: Antipyretics (to reduce fever), Analgesics (to reduce pain).
Pharmacological Classification: Classification based on the mechanism of action (MOA) or what the drug does at the molecular level.
- Examples: Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers.

Therapeutic classification focuses on the actual therapeutic effect or the physiological change brought about by the drug:

Effect: Influence blood clotting $\rightarrow$ Classification: Anticoagulants
Effect: Lower blood cholesterol $\rightarrow$ Classification: Antihyperlipidemic
Effect: Lower blood pressure $\rightarrow$ Classification: Antihypertensives
Effect: Treat allergy symptoms $\rightarrow$ Classification: Antihistamines

Pharmacologic classification focuses on the specific mechanism of action (how the drug achieves its result) at a molecular level:

Mechanism: Lowers plasma volume $\rightarrow$ Classification: Diuretics
Mechanism: Blocks heart calcium channels $\rightarrow$ Classification: Calcium channel blockers
Mechanism: Dilates peripheral blood vessels $\rightarrow$ Classification: Vasodilators
Mechanism: Dilates the airway (bronchi) $\rightarrow$ Classification: Bronchodilators
Mechanism: Blocks the target site for norepinephrine $\rightarrow$ Classification: Beta blockers