Glossary of Selected Drug Terminology

Bioequivalent drugs: Two versions of a drug are absorbed and metabolized at the same rate in the body. This is used to compare generic versions of a medication.

Chelate: A chemical compound with a ring structure that usually contains a metal ion held by coordinate bonds.

Chemical derivation or affiliation: The origin or derivation of a compound. Chemically affiliated compounds commonly exhibit similar pharmacological actions, but may have different therapeutic uses. Sulfa drugs and statins are examples of affiliated compounds.

Generic drugs: Drugs marketed under their nonproprietary name rather than a brand name.

Over-the-counter (OTC) drug: A medication that can be sold without a prescription. Synonyms are proprietary drug, patent medicine and nonprescription drug.

Pharmacobiotechnology: The transfer of genetic material from one organism to another, permitting the later to produce in quantity a component of the former that is useful as a drug.

Pharmacodynamics: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action. Operationally, pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body.

Pharmacoepidemiology: The study of the utilization and effects of drugs in large numbers of people.

Pharmacogenomics: The study of the interaction of an individual's genetic makeup and his response to a drug.

Pharmacognosy: The study of drugs that are derived from nature (i.e., plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, marine organisms, minerals), as well as the search for new therapeutic agents from natural sources. Pharmacognosy is closely related to both botany and plant chemistry, and while these branches of pharmacognosy are still fundamentally important, there has been rapid development in other areas such as phytochemistry and pharmacology.

Pharmacokinetics: The study of the quantitative relationships of the rates of drug absorption, distribution, biotransformation and elimination processes; data from pharmacokinetic studied is used to establish dosage and frequency of dosage for desired therapeutic response. Operationally, pharmacokinetics describes what the body does to the drug.

Pharmacologic Action: The mechanism of action of a drug - how it works. An example would be "chelating agents" such as dimercaprol and penicillamine, two drugs that selectively form soluble chelates with metal ions such as lead or mercury to promote the excretion of these metals in the body.

Pharmacology: The study of the action and/or mechanism of action of drugs on living tissue. In its entirety, pharmacology embraces the knowledge of the history, source, physical and chemical properties, compounding, biochemical and physiological effects, mechanisms of action, absorption, distribution, biotransformation and excretion, and therapeutic and other uses of drugs.

Pharmacotherapeutics: The use of drugs in the prevention and treatment of disease.

Pharmacy: The art and science of preparing, compounding, stabilizing, preserving and dispensing medications and the provision of drug and related information. Also a place where drugs are stored, compounded and dispensed.

Phytochemistry: The biochemical study of plants; concerned with the identification, biosynthesis, and metabolism of chemical constituents of plants.

Research & Development Pipeline: The progress of a drug/compound from the point of discovery through testing, the regulatory process, and post-marketing. A drug can be in this pipeline for years before it is launched, and may undergo several name changes during this time.

Therapeutic/Diagnostic Use: Describes the desired effect, or medical application of a drug. Some examples of therapeutic/diagnostic classifications are antiemetics, anorectics, muscle relaxants, antineoplastics, and antimalarials.

Toxicology: The aspect of pharmacology that deals with the adverse effects of drugs. Concerned not only with drugs used in therapy, but also with other chemicals that may be responsible for household, environmental, or industrial intoxication.

Online Glossaries

Glossary of Terms and Symbols Used in Pharmacology
A comprehensive list of terms and symbols used in pharmacology, developed by a professor emeritus at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Glossary of Terms Used in Medicinal Chemistry
This alphabetical list of terms (linked to definitions) is broadly applicable to pharmacology, in that it includes concepts of toxicology, drug design and development, and other areas of medicinal chemistry.

MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary
This searchable dictionary is based on the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, and includes terms from all areas of medicine and health sciences.