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Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, absorption via a patch on the skin, suppository, or dissolution under the tongue. In pharmacology, a drug is a chemical substance, typically of known structure, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. [2]
A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy ) is an important part of the medical field and relies on the science of pharmacology for continual advancement and on ...
The simple possession of a prescription-only medicine without a prescription is legal unless it is covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [5] A patient visits a medical practitioner or dentist, who may prescribe drugs and certain other medical items, such as blood glucose-testing equipment for diabetics. Also, qualified and experienced nurses ...
When used appropriately, formularies can help manage drug costs imposed on the insurance policy. [7] However, for drugs that are not on formulary, patients must pay a larger percentage of the cost of the drug, sometimes 100%. Formularies vary between drug plans and differ in the breadth of drugs covered and costs of co-pay and premiums.
The drug must be found to be effective against the disease for which it is seeking approval (where 'effective' means only that the drug performed better than placebo or competitors in at least two trials). The drug must meet safety criteria by being subject to animal and controlled human testing. Gaining FDA approval usually takes several years.
Other national drug prohibition laws include the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (New Zealand), among many others. Within Europe controlled substance laws are legislated at the national rather than by the EU itself, with significant variation between countries in which and how chemicals are classified as ...
Inverse benefit law – Drug benefit-harm ratio falls with marketing; List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions; Medicines reconciliation; Medical device (such as hearing aids, for example) may be specified by a type of prescription; Off-label use – Use of pharmaceuticals for conditions different from that for which they were approved
The opposite of an indication is a contraindication, [4] a reason to withhold a certain medical treatment because the risks of treatment clearly outweigh the benefits. In the United States, indications for prescription drugs are approved by the FDA. Indications are included in the Indications and Usage section of the Prescribing Information.