Prescription medication
Prescription medication
Prescription medication (pronunciation: /prɪˈskrɪpʃ(ə)n mɛdɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/) refers to the licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription. Different jurisdictions have different definitions of what constitutes a prescription drug.
Etymology
The term "prescription" comes from the Latin word "praescriptio," which means "to write before." This refers to the practice of physicians writing a list of medicines and instructions for patients before they can obtain the medicine. "Medication" comes from the Latin word "medicatio," meaning "healing."
Related terms
- Over-the-counter drug: A drug that can be purchased without a prescription.
- Generic drug: A drug that is equivalent to a brand-name product in dosage, strength, route of administration, quality, and performance characteristics.
- Brand-name drug: A drug sold by a pharmaceutical company under a specific name or trademark and that is protected by a patent.
- Pharmacist: A healthcare professional who practices in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use.
- Pharmacy: A location where pharmaceuticals are sold, also a type of shop where medicines are compounded or dispensed.
- Drug interaction: A situation in which a substance affects the activity of a drug when both are administered together.
See also
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