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Pharmacy & Pharmacology vocabulary · Pharmacodynamics and Drug Action

Potency

Meaning in pharmacy & pharmacology, with examples

/ˈpoʊtənsi/nounAdvanced term

In pharmacy & pharmacology, potency means: The amount of a drug needed to produce a given effect; a highly potent drug works at a very small dose.

In Turkish: potens, etki gücü

How it is used

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.

Example sentences

  1. Fentanyl's potency is much greater than morphine's, so its doses are measured in micrograms.

  2. Topical steroids are grouped by potency, from mild hydrocortisone to very potent clobetasol.

Common collocations

  • high potency
  • relative potency
  • compare potency
  • potency of a drug
  • efficacyThe ability of a drug to produce the wanted effect; in pharmacology, the maximum effect a drug can produce, however high the dose.
  • receptorA 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.
  • opioidA strong painkiller that acts on opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, such as morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, codeine or tramadol.
  • corticosteroidA 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.

More terms: Pharmacodynamics and Drug Action

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