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1.6: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    90394
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    adverse drug event
    when an individual is harmed by a drug
    adverse effect
    an effect of a drug that is undesired
    biologic
    a drug isolated from natural resources and developed through biomolecular science, immunology, and genetic engineering and produced through biotechnological processes
    biosimilar
    a drug that is synthetically produced and has similar properties to a specific biologic; although it does go through testing, it does not go through the same rigorous testing that a biologic does
    brand name
    the unique identifier of a drug assigned by the drug company and marketed to consumers; also known as a trade name
    chemical name
    a method for identifying drugs built around the drug’s specific chemical structure or composition; often of most use to the chemist or pharmacist
    complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
    alternative medicine refers to using a treatment instead of mainstream conventional medicine. Complementary therapy refers to using both alternative and conventional medicine together. Treatments may include massage, acupuncture, acupressure, mind–body interventions, herbs, vitamins, or dietary supplements.
    counterfeit drug
    a product that is illegally manufactured or mislabeled regarding the identity or source and appears to be a genuine product; may be harmful to the client
    drug
    a chemical that exerts an effect on the living body; a compound used in the prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or cure of a condition or disease
    drug formulary
    the list of prescription drugs that are covered by an insurance plan or carried by a medical institution
    drug prototype
    use of one drug within a class to represent all other drugs within the class—a “class representative”
    enteral administration
    the administration of medications into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
    generic name
    the name of a drug, usually derived from the chemical name, that uniquely identifies the drug
    intramuscular injection
    the administration of medication into the muscle of a client (usually deltoid or ventrogluteal in an adult and the vastus lateralis in an infant under age 2)
    intravenous
    the administration of a medication directly into the bloodstream through a vein
    over-the-counter (OTC) drug
    a drug or medication available without prescription
    parenteral administration
    the administration of medication elsewhere besides the enteral (GI) route
    percutaneous administration
    the application of drugs to the skin or mucous membranes
    pharmacogenetics
    the study of the body’s hereditary response to drugs
    pharmacokinetics
    the movement of a drug through the body, or “what the body does to the drug”
    pharmacologic classification
    refers to how a group of drugs can be organized by how they work in the body—the mechanism of action
    pharmacology
    the study of medicines (or drugs) or the study of the biological effects of chemicals on the body
    side effect
    an effect of a drug that is undesired
    subcutaneous injection
    the administration of a medication into adipose tissue
    synthetic drug
    a chemical compound produced in a laboratory by a drug manufacturer or illegally by individuals for illicit purposes
    teratogenic
    harmful to a fetus by causing severe malformations or death
    therapeutic classification
    refers to how a group of drugs can be organized by the diagnosis or disease being treated
    therapeutic effects
    the effects that are expected and desired from a particular medication

    This page titled 1.6: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax.

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