| A | B |
|---|
| Food and Drug Administration | Governmental agency having the legal responsibility for enforcing proper drug manufacture and clinical use |
| United States Pharmacopeia | An authoritative list of drugs, formulas, and preparations that sets a standard for drug manufacturing and dispensing |
| Additive action | Drug action in which the combination of two similar drugs is equal to the sum of the effects of each |
| Aerosol | Particles of drug (in solution) suspended in air |
| Absorption | How drugs pass into the bloodstream |
| Addiction | Physical and psychological dependence on, and craving for, a drug |
| ACE inhibitor | Lowers blood pressure; angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors block the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II (a powerful vasoconstrictor) |
| Amphetamine | Central nervous system stimulant; used to prevent narcolepsy (seizures of sleep), to suppress appetite, and to calm hyperkinetic children |
| Androgen | Hormone made by the testes and adrenal glands; used for male hormone replacement and to treat endometriosis and breast cancer in women |
| Analgesic | Pertaining to without sensitivity to pain; a drug that relieves pain |
| Anaphylaxis | An exaggerated hypersensitivity reaction of the body to a foreign organism (antigen) or drug; can produce severe symptoms and shock |
| Anesthesia | Condition of being without nervous sensation |
| Anesthetic | Drug that reduces or eliminates sensation; two classifications--general and local |
| Antacid | Gastrointestinal drug that neutralizes acid in the stomach |
| Antianginal | Drug that relieves angina (chest pain due to insufficient flow of blood to the heart muscle) |
| Antiarrhythmic | Cardiovascular drug that helps restore heart rhythm to a regular cycle |
| Antibiotic | A substance that acts against microorganisms, such as bacteria; chemical substance, produced by a plant or microorganism, that has the ability to inhibit or kill foreign organisms in the body; examples--antifungals, cephalosporins, erythromycin, tetracycline, antituberculars, penicillins, quinolones, and sulfonamides |
| Anticoagulant | Drug that prevents blood clotting |
| Anticonvulsant | Drug that prevents convulsions (abnormal brain activity) |
| Antidepressant | Drug used to relieve symptoms of depression |
| Antidiabetic | Drug used to prevent diabetes mellitus |
| Antidote | An agent given to counteract unwanted effects of a drug |
| Antidiarrheal | Pertaining to drugs used to prevent diarrhea |
| Antiemetic | Agent that prevents nausea and vomiting |
| Antihistamine | Agent that blocks the action of histamine production in the body and helps prevent symptoms of allergy |
| Antihypertensive | Agent that lowers blood pressure |
| Antinauseant | Agent that relieves nausea and vomiting; antiemetic |
| Antipyretic | Pertaining to an agent that acts to relieve fever |
| Antiplatelet | Drug that reduces the tendency of platelets to stick together |
| Antipruritic | Pertaining to an agent that acts to relieve itching |
| Antiulcer drug | Drug that inhibits the secretion of acid by cells of the lining of the stomach |
| Barbiturate | Sedative-hypnotic drug from barbituric acid |
| Bactericidal | Drug that kills bacteria (-cidal means to kill) |
| Antiviral | Drug that acts against viruses such as the herpesvirus and HIV |
| Bacteriostatic | Drug that inhibits bacterial growth |
| Beta-blocker | Drug that blocks the action of epinephrine at sites on receptors of heart muscle cells, the muscle lining of blood vessels, and bronchial tubes; antiarrhythmics, antianginals, and antihypertensives |
| Bronchodilator | Drug that relaxes the smooth muscle lining bronchial tubes and is used to treat asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis |
| Brand name | Commercial name for a drug; trade or proprietary name; it is the private property of the individual drug manufacturer, and no competitor may use it |
| Caffeine | Central nervous system stimulant |
| Calcium channel blocker | Drug that blocks the entrance of calcium into heart muscle and muscle lining the blood vessels |
| Cardiotonic | Drug that promotes the force and efficiency of the heart |
| Cathartic | Strong drug that relieves constipation |
| Chemotherapy | Treatment using drugs; used to destroy microorganisms, parasites, or malignant cells within the body |
| Chemical name | Chemical formula for a drug |
| Calcium antagonist | Drug that blocks the entrance of calcium into heart muscle and muscle lining of blood vessels; used as an antiarrhythmic, antianginal, and antihypertensive; calcium channel blocker |
| Contraindications | Factors in the patient's condition that prevent the use of a particular drug or treatment |
| Diuretic | Drug that increases the production of urine and thus reduces the volume of fluid in the body; antihypertensive |
| Emetic | Drug that promotes vomiting |
| Cardiovascular drug | Drug that acts on the heart and blood vessels; this category of drug includes ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium antagonists, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and diuretics |
| Estrogens | Female hormones, normally produced by the ovaries, that are used for symptoms associated with menopause and to prevent post-menopausal osteoporosis and hot flashes |
| Erythromycin | An antibiotic that is produced from a red mold |
| Generic name | The legal noncommercial name for a drug |
| Gastrointestinal drug | Drug that relieves symptoms of diseases in the gastrointestinal tract; examples include antacids, antiulcer drugs, antidiarrheal drugs, cathartics, laxatives, purgatives, and antinauseants (antiemetics) |
| Endocrine drug | A hormone or hormone-like drug; examples include androgens, estrogens, progestins, SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators), thyroid hormone, and glucocorticoids |
| Glucocorticoid | Hormone from the adrenal cortex that raises blood sugar and reduces inflammation |
| Hypnotic | Pertaining to a condition of sleep (a trance-like state); agent that produces sleep |
| Hypodermic | Pertaining to under the skin |
| Iatrogenic | Pertaining to an adverse condition that is caused or produced by a physician or a specific treatment; an effect that is produced as a result of mistakes in drug use or of individual sensitivity to a drug |
| Idiosyncrasy | An unexpected effect produced in a particularly sensitive individual but not seen in most patients |
| Inhalation | Administration of drugs in gaseous or vapor form through the nose or mouth |
| Intrathecal | Pertaining to within the sheath of membranes surrounding the spinal cord |
| Intravenous | Pertaining to within a vein |
| Laxative | A medicine that loosens the bowel contents and encourages evacuation (also called an aperient) |
| Purgative | A strong cathartic that evacuates the entire GI system |
| Medicinal chemistry | Study of new drug synthesis; relationship between chemical structure and biological effects |
| Molecular pharmacology | Study of interaction of drugs and subcellular entities such as DNA, RNA, and enzymes |
| Narcotic | Pertaining to a substance that produces stupor (has a morphine or opium-like action); habit-forming drug (potent analgesic) that relieves pain by producing stupor or insensibility |
| Oral administration | Drugs are given by mouth |
| Parenteral | Pertaining to injection of drugs other than through the intestines; in parenteral admdinistration drugs are given by injection into the skin, muscles, or veins (any route other than through the digestive tract) |
| Pharmacodynamics | Study of the effects of a drug within the body; includes the processes of a drug (absorption, metabolism, and excretion) |
| Pharmacology | Study of drugs |
| Pharmacist | Specialist who studies and dispenses drugs |
| Respiratory drug | Drug prescribed for the treatment of asthma, emphysema, and infections of the respiratory system (example - bronchodilators) |
| Receptor | Target substance with which a drug interacts in the body |
| Rectal administration | Drugs are inserted through the anus into the rectum |
| Pharmacokinetics | The calculation of drug concentration in tissues and blood over a period of time |
| Physicians' Desk Reference | Reference book that lists drug products |
| Progestin | Prescribed for abnormal uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance |
| Sedative | Mildly hypnotic drug that relaxes without necessarily producing sleep |
| Stimulant | Agent that excites and promotes activity |
| Side effect | A toxic effect that routinely results from the use of a drug |
| Sublingual drug administration | Drugs are given by placement under the tongue |
| Synergism | Condition of working together; the drug action in which the combination of two drugs causes an effect that is greater than the sum of the individual effects of each drug alone; also called potentiation |
| Syringe | Instrument (tube) to introduce or withdraw fluids from the body |
| Subcutaneous | Pertaining to under the skin |
| Synergistic | Pertaining to synergism (the drug action in which the sum of the effects of giving two drugs together is greater than that of giving each drug alone) |
| Tolerance | Drug action in which larger and larger doses must be given to achieve the desired effect; the patient becomes resistant to the action of the drug as treatment progresses |
| Topical application | Drugs are applied locally on the skin or mucous membranes of the body (examples--ointments, creams, and lotions) |
| Toxic | Pertaining to poison |
| Toxicology | A branch of pharmacology that studies harmful chemicals and drugs and their effects on the body |
| Toxicity | Harmful effects of a drug |
| Tranquilizer | Drug used to control anxiety and severe disturbances of behavior |
| Benzodiazepines | Mild tranquilizers used to control minor symptoms of anxiety |
| Phenothiazines | Control more severe behavioral disturbances |
| Transport | Movement of a drug across a cell membrane into body cells |
| Vasoconstriction | Drugs that narrow the walls of blood vessels and thereby raise blood pressure |
| Vasodilation | Dilate the walls of blood vessels to lower blood pressure |
| Vitamin | A substance in foods that is essential in small quantities for growth and good health (life-giving amines) |
| Vasodilator | Substance that causes blood vessels to widen |
| PDR | Physicians' Desk Reference |
| gm | gram |
| HRT | hormone replacement therapy |
| qs | sufficient quantity |
| IM | intramuscular |
| Mg | milligram |
| NSAID | nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug |
| subq | subcutaneous injection |
| oz | ounce |
| PCA | patient-controlled administration |
| Q | every |
| qns | quantity not sufficient |
| Usual Order of Drug Prescription | Name of the drug, Dosage, Route of administration, Time of administration, Optional qualifying phrase to indicate why the prescription is being written (i.e., for pain) |
