Indication
Condition for which a drug is used.
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Pharmacology Basics
Foundational drug terms for nursing and medical students.
medicine pharmacy student
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Contraindication
Reason a drug should not be used.
Side effect
Unintended effect that may occur at normal doses.
Adverse reaction
Harmful or unintended response to a drug.
Dose
Amount of drug given at one time.
Route of administration
How a drug enters the body (oral, IV, IM, etc.).
Half-life
Time for drug concentration to fall by half.
Agonist
Drug that activates a receptor.
Antagonist
Drug that blocks a receptor.
Absorption
Movement of drug into the bloodstream.
Metabolism
Chemical alteration of a drug, often in the liver.
Excretion
Removal of drug or metabolites from the body.
Therapeutic effect
Desired beneficial action of a drug.
Tolerance
Reduced response after repeated use.