Lists of drugs

Lists of Drugs

A List of Drugs refers to a comprehensive catalog of pharmaceutical drugs that are approved for use in medical treatment by regulatory authorities. These lists are often categorized based on various factors such as the drug's therapeutic use, chemical structure, and mechanism of action.

Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains a list of essential medicines, which includes the most effective, safe, and cost-effective medicines needed in a health system. This list is updated every two years and serves as a guide for countries to create their national drug lists.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a list of approved drugs. This list includes both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. The FDA's list is updated regularly as new drugs are approved or existing drugs are withdrawn from the market.

Classification of Drugs

Drugs can be classified in several ways. One of the most common methods is by therapeutic use. This involves grouping drugs based on the medical condition they are used to treat. For example, antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, while antidepressants are used to treat depression.

Another common method of classification is by chemical structure. This involves grouping drugs based on their chemical makeup. For example, opioids are a class of drugs that include substances derived from the opium poppy, as well as synthetic analogs.

Drugs can also be classified by their mechanism of action, which refers to how they produce their effects in the body. For example, beta blockers work by blocking the action of certain hormones in the heart and blood vessels.

See Also

• List of pharmaceutical companies
• List of withdrawn drugs
• List of illegal drugs
• List of over-the-counter drugs
• List of prescription drugs