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'''Medication''' (also called '''medicine''' or '''pharmaceutical drugs''') is the use of legal [[drug]]s to [[Treatment|treat]] or cure an [[Disease|illness]]. Some drugs are freely sold. They are called over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Other drugs are so powerful or dangerous that a doctor must give permission to use the drug. The note from the doctor is called a "[[prescription]]." These drugs are called prescription drugs, prescription medicines, or prescription only medicines (POM).
'''Medication''' (also called '''medicine''' or '''pharmaceutical drugs''') is the use of licenced [[drug]]s to [[Treatment|treat]] or cure an [[Disease|illness]]. Some drugs are freely sold. They are called over the counter (OTC) drugs. Other drugs are so powerful or dangerous that a doctor must give permission to use the drug. The note from the doctor is called a "prescription." Some drugs are sold only when the purchaser shows a medical prescription to the seller of medicines. These drugs are called prescription only [[medicine]]s (POM).
[[Category:Drugs]]
== Terminology ==
There are many different words used to describe important things about medications.
=== Dosage ===
Dosage is how much medication needs to be taken to make the medication do what it is supposed to.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dosage |title=Dosage |accessdate=January 26, 2015}}</ref>
Dosage is very important because all medicines can be [[poison]]s if they are taken in large amounts.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kirschner, MPH, MD |first=Melvin H. |date=September 3, 2009 |title=All Medicines are Poison! Making Your Way through the Medical Minefield |url= |location= |publisher=AuthorHouse |page= |isbn=978-1449011659}}</ref> If a person takes too much of a medication, they can get very sick or even die. This is called an [[overdose]]. For example, if a person takes too much [[Paracetamol|acetaminophen]] (also called paracetamol, Tylenol, or Panadol), they can badly hurt their [[liver]].<ref name=nwe>{{cite web |url=http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Acetaminophen |title=Acetaminophen |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=New World Encyclopedia |publisher=Paragon Publishers |accessdate=January 25, 2016 |quote=}}</ref>
Some dosages are based on age. For example, children often need less medication than adults. Others are based on body weight. Sometimes, normal dosages have to be changed if a person has certain medical problems, like [[kidney failure]].
=== Action ===
Action is what the medication is supposed to do: the helpful effects that the medicine is supposed to have on the body.
Many drugs have more than one action. For example, acetaminophen is an [[analgesic]] (it kills [[pain]]) and an [[antipyretic]] (it makes [[fever]]s go away).<ref name=medlineapap>{{cite web |url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a681004.html |title=Acetaminophen |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=August 15, 2014 |website=MedlinePlus |publisher=United States National Library of Medicine |accessdate=January 25, 2016|quote=}}</ref>
=== Indication ===
An indication is a reason why a medication is given.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mw4.m-w.com/medical/indication |title=Indication - Medical Definition and More from Merriam-Webster |accessdate=January 25, 2015}}</ref>
Many drugs have more than one indication. For example, acetaminophen's indications include pain and fever.<ref name=medlineapap />
=== Contraindication ===
A contraindication is a reason why a medication should not be given.
Almost all medicines, even over-the-counter medications, have some contraindications. For example, acetaminophen should not be given to people who are [[Allergy|allergic]] to acetaminophen.<ref name=nwe /> For these people, acetaminophen is "contraindicated," and another medicine should be used instead. Acetaminophen is also contraindicated in people who have [[liver disease]].<ref name=nwe />
[[File:Drug Package Insert (FDA 115) (8206409270).jpg|thumb|right|Cartoon showing how long the list of possible side effects can be]]
=== Side effects and adverse effects ===
{{Main|Adverse effect (medicine)}}
A person takes a medication because they want it to do certain things. When the medication also does other things that the person did not want, these are called side effects. For example, acetaminophen can cause [[nausea]].<ref name=medlineapap /> This is a side effect of acetaminophen.
Adverse effects are side effects that are dangerous or harm the body. For example, in some people, acetaminophen can hurt the liver.<ref name=nwe /> This is an adverse effect of acetaminophen.
Most medicines have many possible side effects. This does not mean that anyone who takes the medicine will have those side effects. For example, not everyone who takes acetaminophen gets nausea. A side effect is just a possible effect that a medicine can have on the body.
== Medication names ==
All medications have a few different names.
===Chemical name===
When a medication is first discovered, it is given a chemical name. This name describes the [[atom]]s or [[molecule]]s in the medication. Usually, only [[scientist]]s use this name.<ref name=naming>{{cite web |url=http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/drugs/brand-name-and-generic-drugs/overview-of-generic-drugs-and-drug-naming |title=Overview of Generic Drugs and Drug Naming |last1=Vivian, PharmD, MS |first1=Eva M. |website=Merck Manual: Consumer Version |publisher=Merck & Co., Inc. |accessdate=January 25, 2016 |quote=}}</ref>
For example, the chemical names for acetaminophen are N-acetyl-para-aminophenol and para-acetyl-amino-phenol.
===Generic name===
Every country has one generic (official) name for every medicine.<ref name=naming />
In the United States, a medicine is given an official generic name after the [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) says a it is safe to be sold. For example, acetaminophen is the official generic name used in the United States. (Paracetamol is the generic name used in the [[United Kingdom]] and some other countries.)
Sometimes, generic names come from a medicine's chemical name. For example, acetaminophen is named after N-'''acet'''yl-para-'''amino-phen'''ol, and paracetamol is named after '''par'''a-'''acet'''yl-'''am'''ino-phen'''ol'''.
{{multiple image
| align = left
| direction = vertical
| width = 200
| image1 = Tylenol rapid release pills.jpg
| caption1 = Tylenol 500 mg capsules
| image2 = Panadol.jpg
| caption2 = Panadol 500 mg tablets
}}
===Brand name===
Each company that makes a drug gives that drug a brand name. No other company is allowed to use this name.<ref name=naming />
For example, in the United States, the most common brand name for acetaminophen is Tylenol. One of the companies that makes acetaminophen (Johnson & Johnson) chose the name "Tylenol" for its acetaminophen. Another company that makes acetaminophen (GlaxoSmithKline) chose "Panadol" as its brand name. Like with most medicines, there are many other brand names for acetaminophen.
===Abbreviations===
Some medicines have unofficial [[abbreviation]]s. For example, acetaminophen is sometimes abbreviated APAP. This comes from the drug's chemical name: N-'''A'''cetyl-'''P'''ara-'''A'''mino-'''P'''henol.
===All the same medicine===
No matter which of these names is used, they all describe the same medicine. For example, there is no difference between N-acetyl-para-aminophenol, acetaminophen, paracetamol, Tylenol, Panadol, and APAP.
== How medications are given ==
{{See also|List of medical abbreviations#Medications#How to take medications|l1=Medical abbreviations for routes of administration}}
There are many ways that medications can be given. These are called "routes of administration."
For most medications to work, they need to get into the [[Circulatory system|bloodstream]]. The blood carries the medicine around the body and takes it where it is needed. The way a medication is given affects:
* The path that the medicine takes to get into the bloodstream and how long this takes
* How much of the medicine gets into the bloodstream
* How much of the medicine reaches the [[tissue]] where it is needed
* How long the medicine's effects will last
=== By mouth ===
The most common way of giving medicine is ''by mouth''. The medicine comes in a pill or liquid that a person [[Swallowing|swallows]].<ref name=fda>{{cite web |url=http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/FormsSubmissionRequirements/ElectronicSubmissions/DataStandardsManualmonographs/ucm071667.htm |title=Routes of Administration |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=December 7, 2014 |website=United States [[Food and Drug Administration]] |publisher=United States Department of Health and Human Services |accessdate=January 25, 2016 |quote=}}</ref>
When taken by mouth, medication gets into the bloodstream through the [[digestive system]]. It takes a while, usually 15–20 minutes, for the medicine to get through parts of the digestive system and get taken up into the bloodstream. Also, a very small amount of the medicine actually gets into the bloodstream. This is because [[acid]] in the [[stomach]] kills most of the medicine before it can be taken up into the bloodstream.<ref name=absorption>{{cite web |url=http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/clinical-pharmacology/pharmacokinetics/drug-absorption |title=Drug Absorption |last1=Le, PharmD, MAS, BCPS-ID |first1=Jennifer |last2= |first2= |website=Merck Manual Professional Version |publisher=Merck & Co., Inc. |accessdate=January 28, 2016 |quote=}}</ref>
Medicines taken by mouth often last longer than medicines taken by other routes of administration.<ref name=pros>{{cite web |url=http://www.doctors.net.uk/_datastore/ecme/mod1227/Drug_dosage_Table1.pdf |title=Pros and cons of different routes of drug administration |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Doctors.net.uk |publisher= |accessdate=January 27, 2016 |quote=}}</ref>
Not every medication can be given by mouth. With some medicines, like [[insulin]], the acid in the stomach will change the medicine or break it down so much that it will not work.<ref name=absorption />
=== Into a vein ===
{{Main|Intravenous}}
[[Image:Intravenous therapy 2007-SEP-13-Singapore.JPG|thumb|A person gets medicine through an IV in their hand]]
Some medicines can be given through a [[needle]] placed into a [[vein]]. This way of giving medicine is called ''[[Intravenous|intravenous (IV)]]''.<ref name=fda />
This is one of the fastest ways to get medicine into the bloodstream. Veins carry blood, so when a medication is given ''intravenously'', it goes right into the bloodstream immediately. It takes less than a minute for blood to flow around the entire body. This means that when given intravenously, a medicine will reach the brain within a minute or less. All of the medicine (100%) gets into the bloodstream.<ref name=pros />
However, IV medications will not last as long as medications given by mouth. This is because the body starts [[Metabolism|metabolizing]] medications (breaking them down so the body can get rid of them) as soon as the medicine gets into the bloodstream.<ref name=absorption />
Not every medicine can be given intravenously.
=== Into a muscle ===
Some medicines can be given through a needle placed into a big [[muscular system|muscle]], like the muscles in the upper arm, [[thigh]], or [[buttocks]]. This way of giving medicine is called ''intramuscular (IM)''.<ref name=fda />
When a medicine is given ''intramuscularly'', the medicine gets into the bloodstream through smaller [[blood vessel]]s in the muscles. This takes longer than an IV [[injection]], because the medicine is not being injected directly into a blood vessel. However, the medicine still reaches the bloodstream faster than medicines given by mouth.<ref name=pros />
Also, not all of the medicine gets into the bloodstream because some of it gets caught in the soft [[tissue]] in the muscle and never reaches the blood vessels.<ref name=absorption />
=== Breathed in ===
Some special medicines can be [[Inhalation|breathed in]]. This way of giving medicines is called ''by inhalation'' (sometimes abbreviated INH).<ref name=fda /> This can be especially helpful for [[lung]] problems like [[asthma]]. Since the medicine is breathed right into the lungs, it can start working on the lungs right away.<ref name=pros />
=== Other routes ===
There are many other routes of administration. For example:<ref name=fda />
* Into the [[bone]] ''(intraosseous (IO)).'' A needle is placed into a large bone, like the [[femur]] (thigh bone), and medicines are given into the [[bone marrow]]. Any medicine that can be given into a vein can also be given into a bone. Like with IV medicines, all of the medicine gets into the bloodstream, immediately. IO medicines can only be given by certain medical professionals, like [[Medical doctor|doctors]] and [[paramedic]]s.
* Into the [[rectum]] ''(per rectum (PR))''. Some medicines can be given into the rectum. The medicine does not get into the bloodstream very quickly. This route is mostly used with people who cannot swallow medicines, like very young children or people who are [[vomit]]ing (throwing up).
* Under the [[skin]] ''(subcutaneous (sub-q))''. Some special medicines can be given through a needle placed under the skin. For example, insulin is often given this way.
* Into the [[nose]] ''(intranasal)''. Some special medicines can be sprayed into the nose. When a medicine is given ''intranasally'', all of the medicine will go to the brain, immediately. For example, [[naloxone]] (which is used to treat [[opiate]] [[overdose]]s) can be given intranasally.
There are many other routes of administration.<ref name=fda />
Many medicines can be given more than one way. For example, acetaminophen can be given by mouth, into the rectum, or into a vein.<ref>{{cite journal |date=January 2012 |title=Three Routes of Acetaminophen: Three Ways to Achieve the Same Result |url=http://professionals.ufhealth.org/files/2011/11/0112-drugs-therapy-bulletin.pdf |journal=Drugs & Therapy Bulletin |publisher=University of Florida |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=1-3 |doi= |accessdate=January 25, 2016}}</ref>
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==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Drugs]]