Pharmacy & Pharmacology Vocabulary: 100 Key English Terms
Pharmacists and pharmacy students meet English everywhere: in pharmacology textbooks, product information, clinical guidelines, research papers and, for many, at the counter with patients. This glossary gathers the words you need first, from dosage forms, routes and prescriptions to pharmacokinetics, side effects, drug classes, clinical trials and regulation. Each entry explains the meaning, shows how pharmacists really use the word and gives its Turkish equivalent.
100 terms
10 topics
44 core terms
200 example sentences
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No account needed. Read the meaning, see where the term is used, then study the examples. Click any word in the lesson for help. You can also select a word and press Alt + Enter.
Dosage Forms
tablet
noun
Meaning
A solid dosage form made by pressing a powder of the active ingredient and other substances into a small flat or round shape, which is usually swallowed.
Where you use it
The most common dosage form. Tablets can be film-coated, scored (with a line so they can be broken), chewable, dispersible, effervescent or modified-release. Patients often just say 'pills'. A frequent counselling question is whether a tablet can be crushed or split.
Examples
These tablets have a special coating, so swallow them whole rather than chewing them.
Her mother can't swallow tablets, so we're looking for a liquid alternative.
Usage note
'Pill' is informal, and 'the pill' usually means the contraceptive pill. In professional writing use 'tablet'.
Common phrases
take a tablet · swallow a tablet whole · film-coated tablet · crush a tablet · split a tablet
A solid dosage form in which the medicine is held inside a small shell, usually made of gelatin, that dissolves in the stomach or intestine.
Where you use it
Capsules can be hard (two halves filled with powder or pellets) or soft (one sealed piece, often containing a liquid or oil). Pharmacists are often asked whether capsules can be opened, whether they contain animal gelatin, and how they differ from tablets.
Examples
Please don't open the capsules; the coating on the granules protects them from stomach acid.
Is there a capsule that doesn't contain gelatin?
Common phrases
hard capsule · soft capsule · gelatin capsule · open a capsule · swallow a capsule
The physical form in which a medicine is made and given, such as a tablet, capsule, syrup, cream, injection, patch or suppository.
Where you use it
Used in textbooks, product information and pharmaceutics courses, where dosage forms are grouped as solid, liquid, semi-solid and gaseous. Pharmacists choose a suitable dosage form for children, older people or patients who cannot swallow. Also called pharmaceutical form.
Examples
The same drug is available in three dosage forms: tablets, an oral solution and an injection.
We need a dosage form that can be given through a feeding tube.
Common phrases
solid dosage form · liquid dosage form · oral dosage form · choose a dosage form
The substance in a medicine that produces its therapeutic effect, as opposed to the other ingredients that give the product its shape, taste or stability.
Where you use it
Found on every pack and leaflet with its amount per unit, for example 'each tablet contains 500 mg paracetamol'. Pharmacists compare active ingredients so that patients do not take the same drug twice under different brand names. Also called active substance, or active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in manufacturing.
Examples
Both products have the same active ingredient, so she shouldn't take them together.
Check the active ingredient, not just the brand name on the box.
Common phrases
contain an active ingredient · same active ingredient · list of active ingredients · active pharmaceutical ingredient
A liquid dosage form in which fine particles of a drug are spread through a liquid without dissolving, so it must be shaken before each dose.
Where you use it
Common for children's medicines, especially antibiotics. Some come as a powder that is reconstituted with water before use; once mixed, they keep only for a short time and some must be stored in the fridge. The standard label wording is 'Shake well before use'.
Examples
Shake the suspension well and use the oral syringe to measure each dose.
Once mixed, the antibiotic suspension only keeps for a limited time, so check the date on the label.
Common phrases
oral suspension · shake the suspension · reconstitute a suspension · antibiotic suspension
A greasy, semi-solid preparation with little or no water that is applied to the skin or eyes and stays on the surface longer than a cream.
Where you use it
Pharmacists compare ointments with creams (oil and water mixed, less greasy, easier to spread), gels and lotions. Ointments suit dry, scaly skin and protect it well, but patients may find them messy. Eye ointments are often used at night because they blur vision for a while.
Examples
The ointment works better on her dry eczema than the cream did.
This eye ointment can blur your vision for a while, so many people use it at bedtime.
Common phrases
apply an ointment · eye ointment · thin layer of ointment · ointment base
A small device that delivers a measured dose of medicine as a fine spray or powder that the patient breathes into the lungs, mainly for asthma and COPD.
Where you use it
The main types are metered-dose inhalers (MDIs), often used with a spacer, and dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Patients often name them by colour, such as 'my blue inhaler' for a reliever, although colours vary by product. Checking inhaler technique is one of a pharmacist's most important counselling tasks.
Examples
Can you show me how you use your inhaler at home?
Using a spacer with this inhaler helps more of the medicine reach the lungs.
Common phrases
use an inhaler · inhaler technique · reliever inhaler · preventer inhaler · dry powder inhaler
Describes a tablet or capsule designed to release its drug slowly, or at a particular time or place, rather than all at once after swallowing.
Where you use it
Shortened to MR, and similar letters appear in product names: SR (sustained-release), XL, ER or XR (extended-release), CR (controlled-release). These products allow fewer daily doses and steadier blood levels. They should usually not be crushed or chewed, and different MR brands are not always interchangeable.
Examples
Don't crush that tablet; it's a modified-release form.
The modified-release version is taken once a day instead of three times.
Any ingredient in a medicine other than the active ingredient, such as a filler, binder, colouring, sweetener or preservative, that helps the product work and keep.
Where you use it
Listed in the patient leaflet, often as 'other ingredients'. Excipients are usually inactive but can matter for some patients: lactose in lactose intolerance, gelatin for vegetarians and some religious groups, alcohol or sugar in liquids, and certain dyes or preservatives for people with allergies.
Examples
This tablet contains lactose as an excipient, so let's check whether that's a problem for her.
Generic versions may use different excipients from the original brand.
Common phrases
contain excipients · list of excipients · excipient with known effect · inactive excipient
Describes a tablet or capsule with a special coating that does not dissolve in stomach acid but breaks down later, in the small intestine.
Where you use it
Shortened to EC. The coating protects the stomach from an irritating drug, as with some low-dose aspirin products, or protects an acid-sensitive drug from the stomach, as with many proton pump inhibitors. EU product information calls these products gastro-resistant. They should not be crushed or chewed.
Examples
This aspirin is enteric-coated, so swallow it whole.
Crushing an enteric-coated tablet destroys the protective layer.
Common phrases
enteric-coated tablet · enteric coating · gastro-resistant · do not crush
The way a medicine enters the body, for example by mouth, through the skin, by injection into a vein or muscle, or by breathing it in.
Where you use it
A core idea in pharmaceutics and pharmacology, because the route affects how fast and how much of a drug acts. Prescriptions show it in short form: PO (by mouth), IV, IM, SC, PR (rectal) and SL (under the tongue). People often just say 'the route': 'What route is it given by?'
Examples
The route of administration was changed from IV to oral once he could eat again.
Always confirm the route of administration before you prepare an injection.
Common phrases
route of administration · oral route · change the route · parenteral route
Taken by mouth and swallowed, so that the medicine is absorbed through the digestive system; the most common route for medicines.
Where you use it
Used for the route (oral administration) and for products (oral tablets, oral solution, oral suspension). On prescriptions the route is often written PO, from the Latin 'per os'. With patients, pharmacists usually just say 'by mouth'.
Examples
Most patients prefer oral treatment to injections.
The oral solution is easier to give to small children.
Usage note
'Oral' (by mouth) and 'aural' (about the ear) sound the same in many accents, so listen for the context. Ear drops are usually called 'ear drops' or 'otic' preparations.
Given directly into a vein, either as a quick injection or as a slow infusion, so that the medicine reaches the bloodstream at once.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to IV in writing and speech ('IV antibiotics', 'switch from IV to oral'). Hospital pharmacists check IV doses, the compatibility of mixtures and infusion rates. A quick IV injection is a bolus; a slow one is an infusion or, informally in the UK, a drip.
Examples
Intravenous paracetamol is used when the patient cannot take anything by mouth.
When a drug is given intravenously, its bioavailability is 100 percent by definition.
Common phrases
intravenous infusion · intravenous injection · IV antibiotics · IV to oral switch · give intravenously
A way of giving a medicine with a needle and syringe or a pen device into a vein, a muscle or the tissue under the skin; also the liquid medicine itself.
Where you use it
Used for the act ('give an injection'), the product ('insulin injection', 'solution for injection') and the event ('she had her flu injection'). Patients may say 'jab' (UK) or 'shot' (US). Injections are named by route: intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous.
Examples
The nurse will give you the injection in your upper arm.
This vial contains a powder for solution for injection, so it must be reconstituted first.
Common phrases
give an injection · have an injection · solution for injection · injection site · insulin injection
Applied directly to a part of the body, such as the skin, the eyes or the inside of the nose, usually to act at that place rather than throughout the body.
Where you use it
Used for creams, ointments, gels, eye drops and sprays: topical steroids, topical antibiotics, topical NSAIDs. The opposite is 'systemic'. Some topical medicines still reach the blood, especially on large areas or broken skin, so pharmacists explain how much to apply.
Examples
A topical NSAID gel may be enough for his knee pain.
Topical steroids come in different strengths, from mild to very potent.
Usage note
Do not confuse 'topical' with 'tropical'. In general English 'topical' also means connected with current news.
Given by injection into the fatty tissue just under the skin, from where the medicine is absorbed slowly into the blood.
Where you use it
Abbreviated SC, SQ or subcut; safety guidelines prefer 'subcut' or the full word, because SC and SQ can be misread. Insulin, low-molecular-weight heparins and many biological medicines are given this way, often by patients themselves with pens or pre-filled syringes, so pharmacists teach injection technique.
Examples
Insulin is given as a subcutaneous injection, usually into the abdomen or thigh.
Let me show you how to give the subcutaneous injection with this pen.
Given by injection deep into a muscle, such as the upper arm, thigh or buttock, from where the medicine is absorbed into the blood.
Where you use it
Abbreviated IM, as in 'IM injection' or 'give IM'. Many vaccines and some antibiotics, hormones and long-acting antipsychotics (depot injections) are given this way. Absorption is usually faster than from subcutaneous tissue but slower than intravenous use.
Examples
Most vaccines are given by intramuscular injection into the upper arm.
In anaphylaxis, adrenaline is given intramuscularly into the outer thigh.
Common phrases
intramuscular injection · given intramuscularly · IM route · depot injection
Placed under the tongue and left to dissolve, so that the drug is absorbed directly into the blood through the lining of the mouth.
Where you use it
Abbreviated SL. This route gives a fast effect and avoids first-pass metabolism in the liver. The classic example is glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) for angina, as a tablet or spray. Buccal is a similar route in which the tablet is held between the gum and the cheek.
Examples
Put the sublingual tablet under your tongue and let it dissolve; don't swallow it.
The sublingual route bypasses the liver on the first pass.
A written or electronic order from a doctor or other authorised prescriber that tells the pharmacist which medicine to supply and how the patient should use it.
Where you use it
The most basic word at the pharmacy counter. Doctors write or issue a prescription; pharmacists check and dispense it, or in the US fill it. Medicines that need one are called prescription-only. Rx is a common short form, and many countries now use electronic prescriptions.
Examples
Do you have a prescription for this, or would you like something you can buy without one?
The prescription didn't say which strength to give, so I called the GP to check.
Usage note
Do not confuse 'prescription' with 'recipe'. A recipe tells you how to cook a dish; in a pharmacy you always say prescription.
Common phrases
write a prescription · dispense a prescription · fill a prescription · repeat prescription · prescription-only medicine
The amount of a medicine taken or given at one time, such as one tablet, two puffs of an inhaler or 5 millilitres of a liquid.
Where you use it
One of the commonest words in pharmacy. A dose can be high, low, usual, maximum, missed or double. Pharmacists check whether a dose suits the patient's age, weight and kidney function, and explain what to do about a missed dose. As a verb, 'dose' means to give a dose.
Examples
The dose looks too high for a child of this weight. Let's check it with the prescriber.
What should I do if I miss a dose?
Usage note
'Dose' is one amount at one time; 'dosage' is the whole plan of how much, how often and for how long.
Common phrases
miss a dose · double dose · maximum dose · adjust the dose · single dose
To decide that a patient should have a particular medicine or treatment and to write an official order for it.
Where you use it
Doctors prescribe a drug for a condition or to a patient. In some countries nurses and pharmacists can also prescribe after extra training. The person who prescribes is the prescriber; the noun is prescribing, as in 'generic prescribing' or 'prescribing errors'.
Examples
The GP prescribed a short course of antibiotics.
Is this medicine often prescribed for children?
Usage note
Do not confuse 'prescribe' (order a medicine) with 'proscribe' (officially forbid).
Common phrases
prescribe a drug · prescribe for a condition · prescribing error · independent prescriber
How much of a medicine to take, how often and for how long, for example two tablets three times a day for five days.
Where you use it
Found in product information under headings such as 'dosage and administration' or 'posology'. Pharmacists check that the dosage suits the patient and that it has been adjusted for kidney or liver problems. In everyday speech many people use 'dose' and 'dosage' as if they meant the same.
Examples
For children, the dosage is based on body weight.
Please read the dosage instructions on the label carefully.
Usage note
In Turkish 'doz' and 'dozaj' are often used interchangeably, but careful English separates them: 'a dose of 500 mg', but 'a dosage of 500 mg twice daily'.
Common phrases
recommended dosage · dosage instructions · adjust the dosage · dosage and administration
A further supply of a medicine that is allowed on the same prescription, so that the patient does not need a new prescription each time.
Where you use it
Mainly American: a prescription may say 'refills: 3', and patients ask for or call in a refill. In the UK the usual term is 'repeat prescription', and patients order their repeats. Pharmacists check that a refill is not requested too early and that the patient is still using the medicine correctly.
Examples
You have two refills left on this prescription.
I'd like to order a refill of my inhaler, please.
Common phrases
request a refill · no refills · refill a prescription · repeat prescription
An instruction meaning that a medicine is taken only when the patient has the symptom it treats, such as pain or breathlessness, not at fixed times.
Where you use it
Written PRN on charts and prescriptions, from the Latin 'pro re nata'. A clear instruction also states the reason and a maximum, such as 'as needed for pain, up to four times a day'. UK patients may also hear 'when required'. Pharmacists check how often patients actually use their as-needed medicines.
Examples
She uses her blue inhaler as needed, about twice a week.
The paracetamol is prescribed as needed, so check when she last had a dose.
Usage note
Write 'as needed' as two words after a verb, but hyphenate it before a noun: 'take as needed', 'an as-needed medicine'.
Common phrases
take as needed · as-needed medication · PRN dose · when required
A larger first dose, or a few larger doses, given at the start of treatment to bring the drug quickly to an effective level in the blood.
Where you use it
Used mainly for drugs with a long half-life that would otherwise take days or weeks to reach steady state, such as amiodarone or digoxin, and in emergencies. After the loading dose the patient continues on a lower maintenance dose. Pharmacists check that the two are not confused on the chart.
Examples
The patient was given a loading dose of digoxin in the emergency department.
Make sure the loading dose isn't repeated tomorrow by mistake.
Common phrases
give a loading dose · loading dose of · followed by a maintenance dose · oral loading dose
Two times a day, usually about twelve hours apart, such as morning and evening; one of the most common directions on prescriptions and labels.
Where you use it
Written BD or b.d. in the UK and BID or b.i.d. in the US, from the Latin 'bis in die'. Related patterns are once daily, three times daily (TDS/TID) and four times daily (QDS/QID). On labels 'twice a day' may be clearer, and pharmacists often turn it into real times such as 'with breakfast and dinner'.
Examples
The prescription has been changed from three times daily to twice daily.
Twice daily means morning and evening, roughly twelve hours apart.
Usage note
In hospitals 'twice daily' and 'every 12 hours' are not always the same: 'every 12 hours' means exact intervals, while 'twice daily' is often given at fixed medicine round times, such as 8 am and 6 pm.
Common phrases
take twice daily · twice-daily dosing · once daily · three times daily
The regular dose given after the start of treatment to keep the drug at a steady, effective level in the body over time.
Where you use it
Often contrasted with the loading dose. It may be adjusted according to the patient's response, blood levels or kidney function. 'Maintenance therapy' describes long-term treatment that keeps a condition under control, such as a preventer inhaler in asthma.
Examples
After the loading dose, she'll continue on a lower maintenance dose.
The maintenance dose was reduced because his kidney function had got worse.
The study of what the body does to a drug: how it is absorbed, distributed, metabolised and eliminated, and how its level in the blood changes over time.
Where you use it
Often shortened to PK, as in 'PK studies' or 'PK parameters' such as half-life, clearance and bioavailability. The four processes are remembered as ADME. As the name of a science it takes a singular verb ('Pharmacokinetics is…'); for one drug's properties, both 'is' and 'are' are used.
Examples
The pharmacokinetics of this drug change in older patients with reduced kidney function.
Pharmacokinetics explains why some drugs are taken once a day and others four times a day.
Usage note
A useful memory aid: pharmacokinetics is what the body does to the drug; pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body.
Common phrases
pharmacokinetics of a drug · PK study · pharmacokinetic parameters · population pharmacokinetics
The time it takes for the amount or concentration of a drug in the blood to fall to half of its starting level.
Where you use it
Written t½ in textbooks. A drug has a short or long half-life, which helps explain how often it is given. With regular dosing, steady state is reached after about four to five half-lives, and most of a drug is gone about four to five half-lives after the last dose. The plural is half-lives.
Examples
Because of its long half-life, the drug only needs to be taken once a day.
In kidney failure, the half-life of many drugs increases.
Common phrases
long half-life · short half-life · elimination half-life · plasma half-life
The movement of a drug from the place where it is given, such as the gut or the skin, into the bloodstream.
Where you use it
The A in ADME. Pharmacists describe absorption as fast, slow, reduced or delayed, often because of food, antacids or stomach problems. Many oral drugs are absorbed mainly in the small intestine. The verb is 'absorb': 'Iron is better absorbed on an empty stomach.'
Examples
Antacids can reduce the absorption of some antibiotics, so the doses need to be taken at different times.
Food slows the absorption of this tablet but does not change the total amount absorbed.
The proportion of a dose that reaches the general circulation unchanged and can act in the body; by definition it is 100 percent for intravenous drugs.
Where you use it
Shown as F in formulas and given as a percentage or fraction. Oral bioavailability can be low because of poor absorption or first-pass metabolism. It explains why oral and IV doses of the same drug can differ, and it is the basis of bioequivalence studies for generics.
Examples
The oral bioavailability of this drug is only about 30 percent.
Because its bioavailability is so high, the IV and oral doses are almost the same.
The chemical changes that the body, mainly the liver, makes to a drug, usually turning it into substances that are less active and easier to remove.
Where you use it
The M in ADME. Many drugs are metabolised by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, so substances that inhibit or induce these enzymes cause many interactions. The products are called metabolites. Some drugs, called prodrugs, only become active after metabolism; codeine, for example, is partly turned into morphine.
Examples
Liver disease can slow the metabolism of many drugs.
Rifampicin speeds up the metabolism of hormonal contraceptives and can make them less effective.
Usage note
British English writes 'metabolise', American English 'metabolize'; both spellings appear in textbooks.
Common phrases
drug metabolism · hepatic metabolism · active metabolite · CYP450 metabolism
The removal of a drug from the body through metabolism and excretion, mainly by the kidneys into urine and by the liver into bile.
Where you use it
Used in phrases such as renal elimination, elimination half-life and elimination rate. Excretion is the step in which the drug or its metabolites actually leave the body. Reduced kidney function slows the elimination of many drugs, so pharmacists check renal function and may suggest a dose change.
Examples
Elimination of this drug is almost entirely renal.
Slower elimination in older patients can cause the drug to build up in the body.
The point during regular dosing when the amount of drug entering the body equals the amount being removed, so blood levels stay within a stable range.
Where you use it
Reached after about four to five half-lives. This is why some drugs take days or weeks to show their full effect, and why blood levels are often measured only once steady state has been reached. Typical phrases are 'reach steady state' and 'steady-state concentration'.
Examples
Wait until the drug reaches steady state before you check the level.
With a half-life of 36 hours, it takes about a week to reach steady state.
Common phrases
reach steady state · steady-state concentration · at steady state · time to steady state
The volume of blood plasma from which a drug is completely removed per unit of time, usually given in millilitres per minute or litres per hour.
Where you use it
A key PK parameter: together with the volume of distribution it determines half-life. Pharmacists often use creatinine clearance (CrCl), estimated with the Cockcroft-Gault equation, when checking doses of drugs removed by the kidneys. A drug can be 'cleared by the kidneys' or show 'reduced clearance'.
Examples
His creatinine clearance is 25 mL/min, so we need to check whether the dose should be reduced.
Renal clearance falls with age, so some drugs stay in the body longer.
Usage note
In general English 'clearance' can also mean official permission or a sale of old stock; in pharmacokinetics it always describes how fast a drug is removed.
Common phrases
creatinine clearance · renal clearance · reduced clearance · total body clearance
The breakdown of a swallowed drug in the gut wall and liver before it reaches the general circulation, which lowers the amount that can act in the body.
Where you use it
Also called the first-pass effect. Drugs absorbed from the gut travel through the portal vein to the liver first. Drugs with high first-pass metabolism, such as glyceryl trinitrate, are given by other routes (sublingual, IV, patches), or their oral doses are much higher than the IV dose.
Examples
Because of extensive first-pass metabolism, the oral dose is much higher than the IV dose.
The sublingual route avoids first-pass metabolism because the drug goes straight into the blood.
The amount of a drug in a given volume of blood plasma at a particular time, used to describe how a drug behaves and to check that levels are safe.
Where you use it
Key terms are Cmax (peak concentration), Tmax (time to peak) and trough level (the lowest level, just before the next dose). In therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), pharmacists interpret levels of drugs such as vancomycin, gentamicin, lithium and digoxin. On the ward people simply say 'drug levels'.
Examples
The plasma concentration peaks about two hours after an oral dose.
We need a trough level to check the plasma concentration of vancomycin before the next dose.
The science that studies how drugs act on living organisms, including how they work, what effects they have and how the body absorbs and removes them.
Where you use it
A core subject for pharmacy and medical students, divided into pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with branches such as clinical pharmacology and toxicology. 'The pharmacology of a drug' means everything about how it works. The adjective is pharmacological; a specialist is a pharmacologist.
Examples
We have a pharmacology exam on antibiotics next week.
To answer that question, you need to understand the pharmacology of beta blockers.
Usage note
Pharmacology is the science; pharmacy is the profession and the place. A pharmacologist usually works in research, a pharmacist with patients and medicines.
Common phrases
clinical pharmacology · basic pharmacology · pharmacology of a drug · pharmacology lecture
The study of what a drug does to the body: how it produces its effects, which receptors or targets it acts on and how the effect changes with the dose.
Where you use it
Often shortened to PD and paired with PK in 'PK/PD'. Key ideas include receptors, agonists and antagonists, efficacy, potency and dose-response curves. A pharmacodynamic interaction happens when two drugs have similar or opposite effects, for example two sedating medicines taken together.
Examples
Pharmacodynamics helps explain why older patients can be more sensitive to sedatives.
Today's lecture covers the pharmacodynamics of opioids.
Common phrases
pharmacodynamics of a drug · PK/PD · pharmacodynamic interaction · pharmacodynamic effect
A protein on or inside a cell that a drug or a natural substance such as a hormone binds to, starting a change in how the cell works.
Where you use it
Receptors are named after what binds to them: beta-adrenergic, histamine H1 or mu opioid receptors. Drugs bind to, activate, stimulate or block receptors. Pharmacology students learn which receptors explain both the main effect and the side effects of a drug.
Examples
Salbutamol acts on beta-2 receptors in the airways.
Older antihistamines enter the brain and block receptors there, which is why they cause drowsiness.
Common phrases
bind to a receptor · block a receptor · receptor site · beta receptor · opioid receptor
A drug that binds to a receptor and activates it, producing an effect similar to that of the body's own natural substance.
Where you use it
Agonists can be full or partial: a partial agonist cannot produce the maximum effect even at high doses. Typical phrases are 'beta-2 agonist' for reliever inhalers and 'opioid agonist' for morphine. The adjective is agonistic.
Examples
Salbutamol is a short-acting beta-2 agonist.
Buprenorphine is a partial agonist at opioid receptors.
A drug that binds to a receptor without activating it and so blocks the effect of the body's own substances or of other drugs.
Where you use it
Many drug classes are antagonists even though their names say 'blocker': beta blockers, H2 blockers. Antagonists can be competitive or non-competitive. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, reverses the effects of an opioid overdose by pushing opioids off their receptors.
Examples
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used in emergencies.
Beta blockers act as antagonists at beta-adrenergic receptors.
Common phrases
receptor antagonist · competitive antagonist · opioid antagonist · act as an antagonist
The specific way a drug produces its effect in the body, such as blocking an enzyme, activating a receptor or stopping bacteria from building cell walls.
Where you use it
Shortened to MOA in notes and slides. 'What is the mechanism of action of…?' is a classic exam and interview question. Product information has a section on it, and knowing the mechanism helps you predict side effects and interactions.
Examples
The mechanism of action of statins is inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase in the liver.
Can you explain the mechanism of action of penicillin in simple words?
Common phrases
explain the mechanism of action · novel mechanism of action · same mechanism of action · unknown mechanism of action
A measure of a drug's safety that compares the dose that causes harm with the dose that gives the wanted effect; a narrow index means these doses are close together.
Where you use it
Mostly heard in 'narrow therapeutic index' (NTI), for drugs such as warfarin, digoxin, lithium and phenytoin. These drugs often need blood level monitoring, and small changes in dose, brand or interactions can matter. 'Therapeutic window' and 'therapeutic range' describe the safe and effective concentration range.
Examples
Lithium has a narrow therapeutic index, so regular blood tests are essential.
Drugs with a narrow therapeutic index need extra care when switching brands.
Common phrases
narrow therapeutic index · wide therapeutic index · therapeutic window · therapeutic range
The ability of a drug to produce the wanted effect; in pharmacology, the maximum effect a drug can produce, however high the dose.
Where you use it
Common in trial reports and product information: 'efficacy and safety', 'proven efficacy', 'lack of efficacy'. Researchers often separate efficacy (how well a drug works in ideal trial conditions) from effectiveness (how well it works in everyday practice). The adjective is efficacious, but 'effective' is more common.
Examples
The trial showed similar efficacy for the two drugs, but fewer side effects with the new one.
A partial agonist has lower efficacy than a full agonist.
Usage note
Do not mix up efficacy and potency: a more potent drug works at a lower dose, but it is not necessarily more effective.
Common phrases
efficacy and safety · clinical efficacy · proven efficacy · lack of efficacy
The amount of a drug needed to produce a given effect; a highly potent drug works at a very small dose.
Where you use it
A pharmacology term, often shown by the EC50 or ED50 on a dose-response curve. It is used to compare drugs in the same class, for example opioids, or topical steroids, which are ranked from mild to very potent. A more potent drug is not automatically better; clinically, efficacy and safety matter more.
Examples
Fentanyl's potency is much greater than morphine's, so its doses are measured in micrograms.
Topical steroids are grouped by potency, from mild hydrocortisone to very potent clobetasol.
Common phrases
high potency · relative potency · compare potency · potency of a drug
A reduced response to a drug after repeated use, so that a higher dose is needed to get the same effect as before.
Where you use it
Seen with opioids, benzodiazepines and nitrates, among others. A patient 'develops' or 'builds up' tolerance to a drug or to one of its effects; with opioids, tolerance to nausea is common but tolerance to constipation is not. Tolerance is not the same as addiction, although both can occur with the same drug.
Examples
Patients usually develop tolerance to the nausea within a few days.
A nitrate-free period each day helps to prevent tolerance.
Usage note
In general English 'tolerance' also means accepting other people's views. In pharmacy, 'well tolerated' means that a drug causes few side effects, which is a different idea.
Common phrases
develop tolerance · build up tolerance · tolerance to · cross-tolerance
The time between taking a medicine and the moment it starts to have a noticeable effect.
Where you use it
Usually described as rapid or slow, and often paired with 'duration of action'. It depends on the route and the formulation: an IV drug or a sublingual spray acts within minutes, while a tablet usually takes longer. When patients ask 'How long until it works?', they are asking about the onset of action.
Examples
Rapid-acting insulin has a much faster onset of action than long-acting insulin.
Antidepressants have a slow onset of action, so patients may not feel better for a few weeks.
Common phrases
rapid onset of action · slow onset of action · duration of action · onset and duration
An effect of a medicine that is not the main reason for taking it; most side effects are unwanted, such as nausea, drowsiness or a headache.
Where you use it
The everyday word that both patients and pharmacists use. Medicines have or cause side effects, which can be common, rare, mild or serious. Patient leaflets list possible side effects by how often they happen. Scientific and regulatory texts prefer 'adverse effect' or 'adverse drug reaction'.
Examples
The most common side effect of this medicine is a dry mouth, and it often gets better after a week or two.
Have you noticed any side effects since you started the new tablets?
Common phrases
cause side effects · common side effect · serious side effect · report a side effect · experience side effects
A change in the effect of a medicine caused by another medicine, a food, a drink or a disease, which can make the medicine weaker, stronger or more harmful.
Where you use it
Pharmacists check for interactions every time they dispense. You will meet drug-drug, drug-food and drug-disease interactions, often graded as minor, moderate or major. Grapefruit juice with some statins and alcohol with sedating medicines are classic examples.
Examples
The software flagged a drug interaction between clarithromycin and simvastatin.
Is there a drug interaction between these two, or can he take them together?
Usage note
Say 'an interaction between A and B' or 'A interacts with B'; 'interacts to' is wrong.
Common phrases
check for drug interactions · potential drug interaction · major drug interaction · drug-food interaction
A condition or situation in which a particular medicine should not be used because the risk of harm is too high, such as pregnancy, an allergy or a certain disease.
Where you use it
Listed in every product information and checked before dispensing. Contraindications can be absolute (never use) or relative (use only with great care). The adjective is very common: 'This drug is contraindicated in severe liver disease.' 'Caution' or 'precaution' means the drug can be used, but carefully.
Examples
Asthma is a contraindication to non-selective beta blockers such as propranolol.
Check the contraindications before you hand over the medicine.
Usage note
Say 'contraindicated in pregnancy' and 'a contraindication to a drug'; when another medicine is the problem, say 'contraindicated with'.
Common phrases
absolute contraindication · relative contraindication · contraindicated in · check for contraindications
A response of the immune system to a medicine or other substance that it wrongly treats as harmful, causing signs such as a rash, itching, swelling or difficulty breathing.
Where you use it
Pharmacists always ask 'Do you have any allergies?' and record drug allergies, especially to penicillin. A reaction can be mild or severe; the most severe form is anaphylaxis. Patients often call any side effect an allergy, so pharmacists ask what exactly happened.
Examples
She had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin as a child, so we'll avoid penicillins.
Was it a true allergic reaction, or did the tablets just upset your stomach?
Usage note
The correct preposition is 'to': 'He's allergic to penicillin', not 'allergic from' or 'allergic against'.
Common phrases
have an allergic reaction · severe allergic reaction · drug allergy · record an allergy
A harmful and unintended response to a medicine used at normal doses, ranging from a mild rash to serious damage to the liver, kidneys or blood.
Where you use it
Shortened to ADR. It is the formal term in pharmacovigilance and hospital notes, while patients say 'side effect'. ADRs are often classed as Type A (predictable, dose-related) and Type B (unpredictable, such as allergies). Health professionals report suspected ADRs to the national medicines regulator.
Examples
We reported the suspected adverse drug reaction to the regulator.
Older patients on many medicines have a higher risk of an adverse drug reaction.
Common phrases
report an adverse drug reaction · suspected adverse drug reaction · serious ADR · ADR reporting
An amount of a medicine or other substance that is more than the body can safely handle, taken by accident or on purpose, which can cause poisoning or death.
Where you use it
Used as a noun ('a paracetamol overdose') and a verb ('overdose on a drug'), and often shortened to OD in hospitals. Pharmacists help prevent accidental overdose by checking that patients are not taking the same ingredient in several products. Some overdoses have specific antidotes, such as naloxone for opioids.
Examples
Accidental overdose is a risk when patients take several cold remedies that all contain paracetamol.
A toddler was brought in after an accidental overdose of iron tablets.
Common phrases
accidental overdose · take an overdose · overdose on · treat an overdose · opioid overdose
The harmful effects a drug or chemical has on the body, especially at high doses or blood levels, or the degree to which a substance is poisonous.
Where you use it
Often named after the organ affected: hepatotoxicity (liver), nephrotoxicity (kidney), ototoxicity (ear), cardiotoxicity (heart). Pharmacists talk about signs of toxicity, for example digoxin or lithium toxicity, and monitor blood levels to avoid it. The adjective is toxic.
Examples
Nausea and changes in vision can be signs of digoxin toxicity.
Aminoglycosides can cause kidney and ear toxicity, so blood levels are monitored.
Common phrases
signs of toxicity · drug toxicity · liver toxicity · risk of toxicity
A sudden, severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can affect breathing, blood pressure and the skin within minutes.
Where you use it
A medical emergency, treated first with intramuscular adrenaline (called epinephrine in the US). Patients at risk may carry adrenaline auto-injectors, and pharmacists show them how to use them. The adjective is anaphylactic, as in 'anaphylactic reaction' or, informally, 'anaphylactic shock'.
Examples
She had anaphylaxis after a wasp sting and now carries two auto-injectors.
Pharmacists who give vaccines are trained to recognise and treat anaphylaxis.
Usage note
The stress is on 'LAX': ana-phy-LAX-is.
Common phrases
go into anaphylaxis · treat anaphylaxis · risk of anaphylaxis · anaphylactic reaction
The use of many medicines at the same time by one patient, often defined as five or more, which raises the risk of interactions and side effects.
Where you use it
A major topic in the care of older people. Polypharmacy can be appropriate or problematic; pharmacists help by reviewing medicines and supporting the safe stopping of those no longer needed, a process called deprescribing. The word appears in guidelines, audits and medication review notes.
Examples
She's taking eleven different medicines a day; that's a clear case of polypharmacy.
Polypharmacy increases the risk of falls in older patients.
Common phrases
problematic polypharmacy · reduce polypharmacy · polypharmacy in older people · deprescribing
A state in which the body has adapted to a drug, so that stopping it suddenly causes withdrawal symptoms; it can be physical, psychological or both.
Where you use it
Linked with opioids, benzodiazepines and some sleeping tablets, which is why these are often prescribed for short periods and reduced gradually. Physical dependence can occur without addiction, which also involves craving and compulsive use despite harm. Pharmacists may notice warning signs such as early requests for supplies.
Examples
Long-term use of benzodiazepines can lead to dependence.
Physical dependence on opioids is expected with long-term use and is not the same as addiction.
A chemical substance that changes how the body works and is used to prevent, diagnose or treat a disease; in everyday speech it can also mean an illegal substance.
Where you use it
The standard word in pharmacology, science and regulation: drug class, drug interaction, drug development, drug safety. With patients, 'medicine' or 'medication' is often safer, because 'drugs' alone can sound like illegal substances. In the US a pharmacy shop is also called a drugstore.
Examples
This drug is mainly cleared by the kidneys, so we need to check her renal function first.
Which drugs is he taking at the moment, including anything he buys himself?
Usage note
Turkish 'ilaç' covers both medicine and drug, but English 'drugs' without context often suggests illegal drugs. Ask a patient 'Are you taking any medicines?' rather than 'Are you taking any drugs?'
Common phrases
prescription drug · drug class · drug development · drug safety · take a drug
A medicine that kills bacteria or stops them from growing, used to treat or prevent bacterial infections; antibiotics do not work against viruses.
Where you use it
Antibiotics are grouped into classes such as penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides and quinolones. Pharmacists talk about a course of antibiotics, broad- and narrow-spectrum antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. Explaining why a cold or flu does not need antibiotics is a common counselling task.
Examples
Antibiotics won't help a viral sore throat, but these lozenges may ease the pain.
He's on a seven-day course of antibiotics for a chest infection.
Common phrases
course of antibiotics · broad-spectrum antibiotic · prescribe antibiotics · antibiotic resistance · on antibiotics
A medicine that relieves pain without making the patient unconscious, from simple products such as paracetamol to strong opioids such as morphine.
Where you use it
The professional word; patients say 'painkiller'. Analgesics are grouped as non-opioids (paracetamol, NSAIDs) and opioids (weak ones such as codeine, strong ones such as morphine), and the WHO analgesic ladder shows how they are combined. Pharmacists often advise on OTC analgesics and check for duplicate ingredients.
Examples
Which analgesic is the safest choice for him, given his stomach ulcer?
Paracetamol is a simple analgesic with very little anti-inflammatory effect.
Usage note
Paracetamol is called acetaminophen in the US and Canada; it is the same drug.
Short for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug: a medicine such as ibuprofen, naproxen or diclofenac that reduces pain, fever and inflammation.
Where you use it
Said as 'EN-sed' and used constantly in community and hospital pharmacy. NSAIDs work by blocking COX enzymes. Before supplying them, pharmacists ask about stomach ulcers, kidney problems, asthma and blood thinners, because NSAIDs can cause stomach bleeding and affect the kidneys.
Examples
He's on warfarin, so an NSAID isn't a good choice for his back pain.
Long-term NSAID use can damage the stomach lining.
Usage note
Aspirin is an NSAID, but paracetamol is not; this is a common exam and counselling point.
Common phrases
take an NSAID · topical NSAID · NSAID use · avoid NSAIDs
A medicine used to lower high blood pressure, such as an ACE inhibitor, an angiotensin receptor blocker, a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide diuretic.
Where you use it
Used as a noun and as an adjective ('antihypertensive treatment'). Patients just say 'blood pressure tablets'. Many patients take two or three antihypertensives together. Pharmacists counsel about dizziness on standing up and check interactions, for example with NSAIDs, which can raise blood pressure.
Examples
He's on three antihypertensives, but his blood pressure is still high.
Most ACE inhibitors, a common group of antihypertensives, end in -pril.
A medicine that slows down blood clotting, used to prevent and treat clots in conditions such as atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Where you use it
Examples are warfarin, heparins and the newer direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) such as apixaban and rivaroxaban. Patients call them 'blood thinners'. They are high-risk medicines, so pharmacists check doses, interactions, INR results for warfarin and signs of bleeding.
Examples
Because she's on an anticoagulant, we need to check before she buys ibuprofen.
Warfarin is an anticoagulant that needs regular INR blood tests.
Usage note
Antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin and clopidogrel also reduce clotting, but they work differently and are not anticoagulants, even though patients may call both 'blood thinners'.
Common phrases
oral anticoagulant · on anticoagulants · start anticoagulation · direct oral anticoagulant
A medicine that blocks the effects of histamine, used mainly to relieve allergy symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes and hives.
Where you use it
Divided into older, sedating antihistamines such as chlorphenamine and newer, less sedating ones such as cetirizine and loratadine. Many are sold over the counter for hay fever. Pharmacists warn about drowsiness, especially with driving and alcohol.
Examples
Since you drive for work, a non-drowsy antihistamine would suit you better.
Cetirizine is a second-generation antihistamine.
Common phrases
non-drowsy antihistamine · sedating antihistamine · take an antihistamine · oral antihistamine
A strong painkiller that acts on opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, such as morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, codeine or tramadol.
Where you use it
Used for moderate to severe pain. Common side effects are constipation, nausea and drowsiness; the most dangerous is slowed breathing. Most strong opioids are controlled drugs. Pharmacists counsel on safe use, check doses carefully and in some countries supply naloxone, the opioid antidote.
Examples
Patients on regular opioids often need a laxative as well.
Is this opioid dose higher than what she was given in hospital?
Usage note
'Opiate' is sometimes used as a synonym, but strictly it means drugs that come from the opium poppy, such as morphine and codeine; 'opioid' covers all of them, including synthetic drugs.
A medicine that lowers LDL cholesterol by blocking an enzyme the liver uses to make cholesterol, used to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Where you use it
Statin names end in -statin: atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, pravastatin. Pharmacists counsel about muscle aches and check interactions; some statins interact with grapefruit juice and with drugs such as clarithromycin. Patients often call them 'cholesterol tablets'.
Examples
Simvastatin is usually taken in the evening because the body makes most of its cholesterol at night.
Have you had any muscle pain since you started the statin?
Common phrases
start a statin · on a statin · statin therapy · high-intensity statin
A medicine used to treat depression and some other conditions, such as anxiety disorders and certain kinds of long-term pain.
Where you use it
Main groups are SSRIs such as sertraline and fluoxetine, SNRIs, tricyclics and others. Pharmacists explain that the full effect often takes a few weeks, that early side effects may settle, and that stopping suddenly can cause discontinuation symptoms. Interactions that can cause serotonin syndrome are checked carefully.
Examples
It can take two to four weeks before the antidepressant starts to help.
He wants to stop his antidepressant, so I suggested he talk to his doctor about reducing it gradually.
Common phrases
start an antidepressant · come off antidepressants · SSRI antidepressant · discontinuation symptoms
A medicine similar to hormones made by the adrenal glands, used to reduce inflammation and calm the immune system in conditions such as asthma, eczema and arthritis.
Where you use it
Often just called steroids. They come in many forms: tablets (prednisolone), inhalers (beclometasone), creams (hydrocortisone) and injections (dexamethasone). Long courses of tablets can cause serious side effects and must not be stopped suddenly, so some patients carry a steroid card.
Examples
Rinse your mouth after using the corticosteroid inhaler to help prevent oral thrush.
She has been on oral corticosteroids for months, so they must not be stopped suddenly.
Usage note
Corticosteroids are not the same as the anabolic steroids that some athletes misuse to build muscle.
A medicine that makes the kidneys remove more salt and water from the body, used for high blood pressure, heart failure and fluid build-up (oedema).
Where you use it
Main types are loop diuretics (furosemide), thiazides (bendroflumethiazide, hydrochlorothiazide) and potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone). British patients call them 'water tablets'. Pharmacists explain the best time of day to take them and watch for changes in potassium and kidney function.
Examples
Most people take their diuretic in the morning so they don't have to get up at night.
Furosemide is a loop diuretic often used in heart failure.
A medicine that blocks the effects of adrenaline on beta receptors and slows the heart rate, used for angina, heart failure, irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure.
Where you use it
Names end in -olol: bisoprolol, metoprolol, atenolol, propranolol. Some are cardioselective (mainly beta-1), others non-selective. Pharmacists check for asthma, because non-selective beta blockers can cause bronchospasm, and counsel about tiredness, cold hands and not stopping suddenly. Also spelled beta-blocker.
Examples
He's on a beta blocker, so his heart rate doesn't go up much when he exercises.
Bisoprolol is a cardioselective beta blocker.
Common phrases
on a beta blocker · cardioselective beta blocker · non-selective beta blocker · start a beta blocker
A medicine that strongly reduces the amount of acid the stomach makes, used for heartburn, reflux and stomach ulcers and to protect the stomach from other drugs.
Where you use it
Shortened to PPI. Names end in -prazole: omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole. They are often prescribed with NSAIDs for patients at risk of stomach bleeding. Long-term use is reviewed regularly, and PPIs are among the drugs most often considered for deprescribing.
Examples
She's on naproxen for her arthritis, so a proton pump inhibitor was added to protect her stomach.
Has anyone reviewed whether he really still needs the proton pump inhibitor?
Common phrases
take a proton pump inhibitor · PPI therapy · long-term PPI use · co-prescribe a PPI
A health professional trained in medicines who checks prescriptions, supplies medicines, advises people on using them safely and works with doctors on patients' treatment.
Where you use it
Used for community (retail) pharmacists, hospital pharmacists and clinical pharmacists. Patients say 'ask the pharmacist'. Do not mix it up with 'pharmacy', which is the place or the profession, or with 'pharmacy technician', a trained assistant who supports the pharmacist.
Examples
The pharmacist noticed that the new antibiotic could interact with the patient's warfarin.
If you have any questions about your medicines, please speak to your pharmacist.
Usage note
In British English 'chemist' or 'chemist's' is an everyday word for a pharmacist or a pharmacy; in American English a chemist is only a scientist who works in chemistry.
Common phrases
community pharmacist · hospital pharmacist · clinical pharmacist · ask the pharmacist · registered pharmacist
To prepare and supply a medicine to a patient against a prescription, usually after checking it, labelling it and explaining how to use it.
Where you use it
A key verb in pharmacy practice: pharmacists dispense prescriptions and dispense medicines to patients. Related words are dispensing (the process), dispensary (the room where it happens) and dispensing error. In everyday American English people more often say 'fill a prescription'.
Examples
We dispensed over three hundred prescriptions yesterday.
Never dispense a medicine if the prescription is unclear; contact the prescriber first.
The conversation in which a pharmacist explains to a patient how to use a medicine, what to expect from it and which side effects or warnings to watch for.
Where you use it
A central part of pharmacy practice, exams and placements. Pharmacists counsel patients on new medicines, inhaler technique or how to take antibiotics. Good patient counselling uses plain words, checks understanding (for example with the teach-back method) and adds written information.
Examples
Patient counselling for a new inhaler should include a check of the patient's technique.
We have a quiet room for patient counselling at the back of the pharmacy.
Usage note
British English writes 'counselling' and 'counsellor'; American English writes 'counseling' and 'counselor'. Do not confuse 'counsel' (advise) with 'council' (a group of officials).
Common phrases
provide patient counselling · counsel a patient · counselling session · counselling points
The date printed on a medicine pack after which the manufacturer no longer guarantees that the product is fully effective and safe to use.
Where you use it
British English says 'expiry date', American English usually 'expiration date', and packs often show 'EXP'. Pharmacies check their stock regularly and remove out-of-date items. Some products have a shorter 'use within' period once opened, such as eye drops, or once mixed, such as antibiotic suspensions.
Examples
Please check the expiry date before you put the stock on the shelf.
These eye drops have an expiry date next year, but once opened they should be used within four weeks.
Common phrases
check the expiry date · past its expiry date · expiration date · out-of-date stock
The label a pharmacy sticks on a dispensed medicine, showing the patient's name, the drug and strength, the directions for use, the date and the pharmacy's details.
Where you use it
Standard in the UK and US, where labels may also carry warnings such as 'May cause drowsiness'. Directions must be clear and specific; 'as directed' on its own is discouraged. Labels are printed from the dispensing software and checked against the prescription before the medicine is handed over.
Examples
The dispensing label says to take one tablet twice a day with food.
Check that the dispensing label matches the prescription before you bag the medicine.
The extent to which a patient takes a medicine as agreed with the prescriber, at the right dose and times and for the right length of time.
Where you use it
Poor adherence is very common, especially with long-term medicines for conditions without symptoms, such as high blood pressure. Pharmacists support adherence with counselling, reminder charts, pill organisers and medication reviews. 'Adherence' has largely replaced the older word 'compliance', which suggested the patient simply had to obey.
Examples
His blood pressure isn't controlled, but the real problem may be adherence, not the drug.
A weekly pill organiser has really improved her adherence.
A common instruction meaning that a medicine should be taken during or just after a meal, often to reduce stomach upset or to improve absorption.
Where you use it
One of the commonest phrases on labels and in counselling, with variants such as 'take with or after food' and 'take with a meal'. The opposite is 'take on an empty stomach', often explained as about an hour before food or two hours after. Pharmacists explain the reason so that patients remember it.
Examples
Take these with food; they can upset your stomach if you take them on their own.
The label says 'take with food', so I have mine with breakfast.
Common phrases
take with or after food · take on an empty stomach · take with a meal · take with plenty of water
The printed leaflet inside a medicine pack that explains in plain language what the medicine is for, how to take it, its possible side effects and how to store it.
Where you use it
Shortened to PIL and called the package leaflet in EU rules. Health professionals use the more technical summary of product characteristics (SmPC); in the US the professional document is the package insert or prescribing information. Pharmacists encourage patients to keep the leaflet and read it.
Examples
All the possible side effects are listed in the patient information leaflet.
The patient information leaflet says to keep the bottle in the fridge after opening.
Common phrases
read the patient information leaflet · package leaflet · summary of product characteristics · package insert
The preparation by a pharmacist of a medicine made for an individual patient, such as a liquid for a child who cannot swallow tablets, when no suitable licensed product exists.
Where you use it
The usual term in American English; British pharmacists often say extemporaneous preparation. Compounding needs suitable equipment, accurate calculations and careful records, and sterile compounding of injections is done in clean rooms. The verb is 'compound a medicine'.
Examples
We're compounding an oral solution for the baby because the drug only comes as tablets.
Sterile compounding of chemotherapy is done in the hospital's aseptic unit.
Common phrases
compound a medicine · sterile compounding · compounding pharmacy · extemporaneous preparation
The system of keeping temperature-sensitive medicines, such as vaccines and insulin, within a set range, usually 2–8 °C, all the way from manufacture to the patient.
Where you use it
Pharmacies keep cold-chain products in a dedicated pharmaceutical fridge and record its minimum and maximum temperatures every day. A cold-chain breach or temperature excursion must be reported, and the affected stock assessed before use. Patients are told to carry these items in a cool bag.
Examples
The fridge failed overnight, so we may have a cold chain breach for the vaccines.
Insulin pens that are not yet in use must stay in the cold chain.
A structured check of all the medicines a patient takes, usually done with the patient, to make sure each one is still needed, effective, safe and taken correctly.
Where you use it
Carried out by pharmacists in GP practices, community pharmacies, hospitals and care homes. It often leads to stopping, changing or simplifying medicines and is a key tool against problematic polypharmacy. Typical phrases are 'do a medication review', 'book a medication review' and 'structured medication review'.
Examples
After the medication review, two of her tablets were stopped and one dose was reduced.
I'd like to book a medication review with the practice pharmacist.
Common phrases
carry out a medication review · book a medication review · structured medication review · annual medication review
A research study in people that tests whether a new medicine or treatment is safe and works, usually by comparing it with a placebo or an existing treatment.
Where you use it
Trials run in phases: Phase I, small and often in healthy volunteers, for safety; Phase II for effect and dose; Phase III, in large patient groups, to confirm benefit; Phase IV after approval. People enrol in or take part in a trial. Hospital pharmacists often manage trial medicines.
Examples
She is taking part in a clinical trial of a new diabetes drug.
The clinical trial was stopped early because the benefit was so clear.
Common phrases
take part in a clinical trial · run a clinical trial · Phase III clinical trial · clinical trial results
A dummy treatment that looks like the real medicine but contains no active ingredient, used in clinical trials for comparison with the drug being tested.
Where you use it
Trials are often placebo-controlled: one group gets the drug and the other a placebo. The placebo effect is a real improvement that comes from expecting to get better; the nocebo effect is the opposite, when expecting side effects brings them on. The plural is placebos.
Examples
Patients in the control group received a placebo that looked exactly like the real tablet.
Some of the improvement was probably a placebo effect.
Common phrases
placebo effect · placebo-controlled trial · receive a placebo · compared with placebo
Describes a trial in which neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the real treatment and who is receiving a placebo or comparator.
Where you use it
Blinding, also called masking, reduces bias. A single-blind trial hides the treatment only from participants; an open-label trial hides it from no one. Hospital pharmacists often help by preparing identical-looking trial medicines and keeping the randomisation codes.
Examples
It was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 2,000 patients.
Because the study was double-blind, even the doctors didn't know which tablets were real.
Common phrases
double-blind trial · double-blind study · single-blind · open-label · break the blind
A person's voluntary agreement to take part in research or to have a treatment, given after the purpose, risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
Where you use it
Required for every clinical trial and recorded on a signed consent form. Participants can withdraw consent at any time without giving a reason. People give, obtain, seek or withdraw informed consent; in British English researchers also 'take consent'.
Examples
No patient can be enrolled before informed consent has been obtained.
The research nurse took informed consent and gave him a copy of the form.
Common phrases
obtain informed consent · give informed consent · withdraw consent · consent form
A study in which participants are put into groups by chance, one receiving the treatment being tested and another a placebo or standard treatment, so results can be fairly compared.
Where you use it
Shortened to RCT and seen as the most reliable way to test whether a treatment works. Random allocation (randomisation) balances other factors between the groups. Pharmacists read RCTs when evaluating evidence, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses combine the results of several RCTs. British texts spell it 'randomised'.
Examples
A large randomized controlled trial found no benefit from the supplement.
Is there any evidence from randomized controlled trials, or only from observational studies?
Common phrases
conduct a randomized controlled trial · large randomized controlled trial · evidence from RCTs · systematic review
The main outcome a clinical trial measures to decide whether a treatment works, such as survival, the number of heart attacks or a change in blood pressure.
Where you use it
Trials have a primary endpoint, chosen in advance, and secondary endpoints. A surrogate endpoint is a measurement, such as cholesterol or blood pressure, used instead of a clinical outcome like heart attacks, which takes longer to appear. A trial 'meets' or 'misses' its primary endpoint.
Examples
The trial met its primary endpoint, a reduction in hospital admissions for heart failure.
Blood pressure is only a surrogate endpoint; what really matters is fewer strokes.
Describes the stage of drug development before testing in humans, when a compound is studied in the laboratory and in animals for its activity and safety.
Where you use it
Preclinical studies include in vitro (cell and tissue) and in vivo (animal) tests of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicity. Their results support the application to start the first trials in humans, and most compounds fail at this stage. In drug companies people talk about the preclinical pipeline.
Examples
The compound looked promising in preclinical studies but caused liver damage in Phase I.
Preclinical toxicology data are needed before the first dose is given to humans.
Common phrases
preclinical studies · preclinical data · preclinical development · preclinical testing
Describes a medicine that can be bought without a prescription, in a pharmacy or, for some products, in ordinary shops and supermarkets.
Where you use it
Shortened to OTC ('OTC painkillers'). Also used without hyphens as an adverb: 'available over the counter'. In the UK, medicines are grouped as GSL (general sales list), P (pharmacy medicines) and POM (prescription-only medicines). Pharmacists ask about OTC products because they can still interact or cause side effects.
Examples
Are you taking any over-the-counter medicines or herbal products?
Many antihistamines are available over the counter.
Common phrases
over-the-counter medicine · buy over the counter · available over the counter · OTC painkiller
A medicine with the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form and effect as an original branded medicine, usually sold after the original's patent has expired.
Where you use it
Often just called a generic ('switch to the generic'). A generic must be shown to be bioequivalent to the original, called the reference or originator product. Generics are usually cheaper, and many health systems encourage generic prescribing. Excipients, colour and shape may differ, which can confuse patients.
Examples
The generic drug works in the same way; it just looks different and costs less.
Once the patent expired, several generic drugs came onto the market.
Common phrases
generic version · generic prescribing · switch to a generic · generic name
The name a company gives to its product, written with a capital letter, as opposed to the generic name of the active ingredient that everyone uses.
Where you use it
Pharmacists constantly translate between brand names and generic names, because patients usually remember the brand. Textbooks and guidelines use generic names, which are mostly international (INN), while brand names differ from country to country. 'Proprietary name' and 'trade name' are formal synonyms.
Examples
She knew the brand name of her blood pressure tablet but not the generic name.
Write the generic name in the notes, not the brand name.
Usage note
Generic names are written in lower case (ibuprofen) and brand names with a capital letter. Look-alike and sound-alike names are a well-known cause of dispensing errors.
Common phrases
sold under the brand name · brand-name drug · branded product · generic name
A medicine with a risk of misuse or dependence, such as morphine or some sleeping tablets, whose prescribing, storage and records are strictly controlled by law.
Where you use it
Shortened to CD in UK pharmacies, where CDs are kept in a locked CD cabinet and recorded in a CD register. In the US they are called controlled substances and are grouped into Schedules I to V. Pharmacists check the special prescription rules and keep exact stock records.
Examples
Morphine is a controlled drug, so the supply has to be entered in the register.
Two pharmacists checked the controlled drug stock at the end of the day.
Common phrases
controlled drug register · controlled drug cabinet · controlled substance · Schedule II drug
The science and activities of detecting, assessing, understanding and preventing adverse effects and other safety problems of medicines once they are on the market.
Where you use it
Built on spontaneous reports from health professionals and patients, such as the Yellow Card scheme in the UK and MedWatch in the US. Drug companies have pharmacovigilance departments and a qualified person responsible for it. Safety signals can lead to new warnings or even the withdrawal of a drug.
Examples
She works in pharmacovigilance, assessing reports of side effects from across Europe.
Pharmacovigilance picked up rare liver problems that the trials had missed.
Common phrases
pharmacovigilance system · pharmacovigilance department · safety signal · spontaneous reporting
The official permission from a medicines regulator that allows a company to sell a medicine for specific uses, doses and patient groups.
Where you use it
The standard term in the UK and the EU, abbreviated MA; the company holding it is the marketing authorisation holder (MAH). In the US people usually talk about FDA approval instead. The approved product information sets out the licensed uses; prescribing outside them is called off-label or unlicensed use.
Examples
The company has applied for a marketing authorisation for the new vaccine.
Using the drug in children is outside its marketing authorisation.
Usage note
American English spells it 'authorization'. Informally, 'licence' (UK) or 'license' (US) is also used for the same idea.
Common phrases
grant a marketing authorisation · apply for a marketing authorisation · marketing authorisation holder · off-label use
The situation in which two products containing the same drug release it into the blood at the same rate and to the same extent, so they can be expected to work in the same way.
Where you use it
The basis for approving generic drugs. Bioequivalence studies, usually in healthy volunteers, compare AUC (total exposure) and Cmax; normally the 90% confidence interval of the ratio must fall within 80–125%. The adjective is bioequivalent: 'The generic is bioequivalent to the reference product.'
Examples
The company carried out a bioequivalence study in 30 healthy volunteers.
Bioequivalence means the generic gives the same blood levels, not that the tablets look the same.
Common phrases
bioequivalence study · demonstrate bioequivalence · bioequivalent to · reference product
Short for good manufacturing practice: the rules and quality systems that make sure medicines are produced and controlled consistently to the right quality standards.
Where you use it
Used across the pharmaceutical industry: GMP guidelines, GMP inspections, GMP certificates and GMP-compliant facilities. Regulators inspect manufacturers regularly. GMP belongs to a family of 'good practice' rules, with GCP (good clinical practice) for trials and GDP (good distribution practice) for storage and transport.
Examples
The factory passed its GMP inspection without any major findings.
A preventable mistake in prescribing, dispensing, preparing, giving or monitoring a medicine, whether or not it actually harms the patient.
Where you use it
Common types are wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong patient, wrong route and wrong time. A mistake caught before it reaches the patient is a near miss. Pharmacies report errors and learn from them; look-alike sound-alike (LASA) names, unclear abbreviations and interruptions are well-known causes.
Examples
The medication error happened because the two drug names look so similar.
Every medication error, even a near miss, should be reported.
Common phrases
report a medication error · prevent medication errors · near miss · dispensing error
An official list of medicines that a hospital, health system or insurer has approved for use, often with guidance on how they should be prescribed.
Where you use it
Hospital pharmacists manage the formulary, and drugs are described as 'on formulary' or 'non-formulary'. New drugs are added through a drugs and therapeutics committee. The word also appears in reference books such as the British National Formulary (BNF). In the US, insurers' formularies decide which drugs they pay for.
Examples
That antibiotic isn't on our hospital formulary, so we'll need approval from microbiology.
Let me check the formulary for the recommended alternative.
Common phrases
hospital formulary · on formulary · non-formulary drug · formulary committee
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn pharmacy & pharmacology vocabulary
Learn each word together with the verbs pharmacists use with it: dispense a prescription, take a tablet, report an adverse reaction, counsel a patient, store in the fridge. These partnerships make your English sound professional much faster than single words.
Read real pharmacy texts in English, such as patient information leaflets, product information for professionals, clinical guidelines and pharmacology textbooks, and notice how doses, warnings and interactions are described.
Learn the typical endings of drug class names: -olol for beta blockers, -pril for ACE inhibitors, -sartan for ARBs, -statin for statins, -prazole for proton pump inhibitors. They help you recognise unfamiliar drug names at once.
Keep two lists: technical words for colleagues and notes (contraindicated, bioavailability, hepatotoxic) and plain words for patients (you shouldn't take this if…, how much gets into your blood, it can affect the liver).
Notice UK and US differences, such as paracetamol and acetaminophen, dispense and fill, repeat prescription and refill, adrenaline and epinephrine, and learn first the version used where you plan to study or work.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between pharmacy and pharmacology?
Pharmacy is the profession and the place: preparing, dispensing and advising on medicines, and the shop or hospital department where this happens. Pharmacology is the science of how drugs act on the body and how the body handles them. Pharmacy students study pharmacology as one of their core subjects, alongside pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry and clinical pharmacy.
Should I say drug, medicine or medication?
All three can mean a substance used to treat or prevent illness. 'Drug' is the normal word in pharmacology and science (drug interaction, drug class), but in everyday speech it can also mean an illegal substance, so with patients 'medicine' or 'medication' often sounds better. 'Medication' is common in clinical settings and in American English; British patients often say 'medicine' or 'tablets'.
What do abbreviations like PO, BID and PRN mean on a prescription?
Many prescription abbreviations come from Latin: PO means by mouth, BID (UK: b.d.) means twice a day, TID or TDS three times a day, QID or QDS four times a day and PRN as needed. Because abbreviations can be misread and cause medication errors, many hospitals and safety organisations now ask prescribers to write instructions out in full, so learn both the short and the long forms.
Should I learn generic names or brand names in English?
Learn generic names first. Textbooks, guidelines and research papers use them, and they are mostly the same around the world because they come from the international nonproprietary name (INN) system. Brand names change from country to country. A few generic names also differ between the UK and the US, for example paracetamol and acetaminophen, or salbutamol and albuterol.
How can I improve my pharmacy English before I study or work abroad?
Read real pharmacy texts in English every week: patient information leaflets, product information, clinical guidelines and short articles in pharmacy journals. Practise explaining a medicine to an imaginary patient in plain words, out loud, and learn the common prescription abbreviations. If you need an English test for registration, check the pharmacy regulator's official website, because the accepted tests and scores change from time to time.
