Forms and Classification of Drugs and MedicationsBy Adrian from Raleigh, NC on January 30, 2006 Category: Drugs & Medications <span>Drugs and Medications</span> Medicines have been a part of daily life since time immemorial. <span>Pharmacology</span> is the science of how chemical substances interact with living things and living systems. Before the advent of modern pharmacology, people have relied on crude treatments such as those coming from animal and plant parts. The science behind the old practices was little more than folk remedies and was based largely on guesswork and simple observation. Thankfully, today we do not have to rely on crushed roots or animal testicles to acquire substances for medical treatment. Modern chemistry has produced medications that are clean, safe, and predictable. The term “drug” refers to a more general class of chemical substances, which may or may not be medicinal in nature. Medications are licensed and legal drugs administered or taken to reduce or cure medical conditions and illnesses. Drugs may be patented by the companies that make them. Other drugs that do not get patented are called generic drugs. <span>Forms of Drugs</span> Drugs are available in a wide variety of forms and compositions, technically called pharmaceutical forms. These determine how the medication is delivered to the patient. These are:
<span>Classifications of Drugs</span> There are different ways to classify drugs. One classification is for prescription and over-the-counter drugs. <span>Prescription drugs</span> require a physician's prescription before they can be purchased or administered. <span>Over-the-counter drugs </span>do not require a prescription before they can be purchased legally. Generally, this distinction implies that prescription drugs are highly specialized and should not be taken casually. Over-the-counter drugs are safe to use in most cases, barring abuse or deliberate misuse. It is important to note that the actual distinction between prescription and over-the-counter drugs is governed by law. <span>Common Medications </span>Here are a few examples of common medications:
A more technical and elaborate classification system for medications is the <span>Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical</span> classification system (ATC). In 1969, it was decided that an internationally accepted classification system for drugs was needed. At the time, the existing <span>European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association</span> (EPhMRA) classification system was extended and modified and this became the original ATC. The ATC was augmented by a measurement system called the <span>Defined Daily Dose</span> (DDD). In 1981, the <span>World Health Organization</span> (WHO) Regional Office for Europe recommended that the ATC/DDD system be used to international drug studies. In 1982, the WHO Collaborating Center for Drug Statistics Methodology was formed to oversee the development of the ATC/DDD system, a function that exists to this day. The ATC classifies drugs under different groups according to the organ or system which they act on, as well as their chemical, pharmacological, and therapeutic properties. There are 5 levels of groupings based on these properties. |
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