Potency
Potency
Potency (/poʊtənsi/) is a term used in various fields of medicine to describe the strength or effectiveness of a substance, such as a drug or vaccine. The term is derived from the Latin word "potentia," meaning "power."
Definition
In pharmacology, potency refers to the amount of drug needed to produce a specific effect. It is a measure of drug activity expressed in terms of the amount required to produce an effect of given intensity. A highly potent drug evokes a given response at low concentrations, while a drug of lower potency evokes the same response only at higher concentrations.
Factors Influencing Potency
The potency of a drug can be influenced by various factors, including the drug's chemical structure, its route of administration, and the individual's physiological state. For example, a drug administered intravenously is often more potent than the same drug administered orally.
Related Terms
- Efficacy: The maximum response achievable from a drug. Unlike potency, efficacy is concerned with the maximum response, regardless of the dose.
- Pharmacodynamics: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.
- Pharmacokinetics: The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs.
- Therapeutic Index: A comparison of the amount of a therapeutic agent that causes the therapeutic effect to the amount that causes toxicity.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Potency
- Wikipedia's article - Potency
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski