- 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