Pharmaceutical terminology

Pharmaceutical terminology encompasses a wide range of terms used within the field of pharmacy and medicine that relate to the creation, preparation, and use of medications and drugs. This terminology is crucial for healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, physicians, and nurses, to accurately describe the composition, effects, and administration of medications. Understanding these terms is essential for ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceuticals in patient care.

Key Terms

Active Ingredient: The component of a drug that is biologically active and contributes to its therapeutic effect.

Bioavailability: The proportion of a drug or other substance which enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.

Clinical Trial: A research study that tests how well new medical approaches work in people. These trials test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease.

Dosage Form: The physical form of a dose of a chemical compound used as a drug or medication intended for administration or consumption.

Efficacy: The ability to produce a desired or intended result. In pharmacology, it refers to the maximum response achievable from a drug.

Formulary: A list of prescription drugs covered by a prescription drug plan or another insurance plan offering prescription drug benefits.

Generic Drug: A drug product that is comparable to a brand/reference listed drug product in dosage form, strength, route of administration, quality and performance characteristics, and intended use.

Half-life: The time required for the concentration of a drug in the bloodstream to reduce to half its initial value.

Indication: A valid reason to use a certain test, medication, procedure, or surgery. In the context of pharmaceuticals, it refers to the condition or disease for which the drug is prescribed.

Pharmacodynamics: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.

Pharmacokinetics: The study of how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body.

Placebo: A substance with no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing new drugs.

Prescription Drug: A pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed.

Side Effect: A secondary, typically undesirable effect of a drug or medical treatment.