Pharmaceuticals
Submitted by divine_sysop on November 3, 2009 - 22:43
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The term pharmaceutical refers to pharmacy or medicinal drugs. It can be described as a chemical substance that affects the processes of the mind or body. It can be any chemical compound or substance used for medical diagnosis, cure, treatment or prevention of disease. These drugs are also referred to as medicine, medicament or medication.
The word drugs used here should not be confused with narcotic substances used recreationally for their effects on the central nervous system. These include substances that can be abused for their stimulant, depressant, euphoric, or hallucinogenic effects
The drugs or medicines can be administered in a variety of ways: taken by mouth, injected into a muscle, the skin, a blood vessel, a cavity of the body, or applied topically to treat or prevent a disease or condition.
Pharmaceuticals can be classified on the basis of following attributes:
- Chemical properties
- Mode or route of administration
- Biological system
- Therapeutic aspects
Some common types of pharmaceuticals include:
- Antipyretics: The medicines mainly used for reducing fever
- Analgesics: The medicines used for reducing or eliminating pain
- Antiseptics: These medicines are used for the prevention of growth of germs near burns, cuts and wounds
- Antibiotics: These medicines are used to restrain growth of germs
- Anti-malarial Drugs: As the name suggests, these are used for treating malaria
- Antiviral Drugs: A class of drugs used to combat illnesses, such as HIV, that are caused by viruses
- Antimicrobial Drugs: The drugs, mainly penicillin and its derivatives, used to combat viral, fungal, and parasitic infections
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