Drug, over-the-counter (OTC)


Drug, over-the-counter (OTC): A drug for which a prescription is not needed.

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  • Drug, sulfa

    Drug, sulfa: One of the sulfonamides, the sulfa-related antibiotics which are used to treat bacterial and some fungal infections. The first sulfa drug was prontosil. It was discovered by the German physician and chemist Gerhard Domagk in 1935. The sulfa family of drugs includes sulfadiazine, sulfamethizole (brand name: Thiosulfil Forte), sulfamethoxazole (Gantanol), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), sulfisoxazole […]

  • Drug, prescription

    Drug, prescription: A drug requiring a prescription, as opposed to an over-the-counter drug, which can be purchased without one. The word “prescription” comes from the Latin “praescriptus” compounded from “prae”, before + scribere, to write = to write before. Historically, a prescription was written before the drug was prepared and administered. A prescription has several […]

  • Drug, tocolytic

    Drug, tocolytic: A medication that can inhibit labor, slow down or halt the contractions of the uterus. Tocolytic agents are widely used today to treat premature labor and permit pregnancy to proceed and so permit the fetus to gain in size and maturity before being born.

  • Drugs during pregnancy, dangerous

    Drugs during pregnancy, dangerous: A teratogen is an agent that can disturb the development of the embryo or fetus. Teratogens halt the pregnancy or produce a congenital malformation (a birth defect). Classes of teratogens include radiation, maternal infections, chemicals, and drugs. Drugs that are capable of acting as teratogens include: ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors […]

  • Drugs, anti-angiogenesis

    Drugs, anti-angiogenesis: Cancer cells secrete angiostatin and Endostatin, which halt the process of developing new blood vessels (angiogenesis). Developing new blood vessels is a rate-limiting step in tumor growth. Angiostatin is a piece of a larger protein, plasminogen, that the body uses in blood clotting. This explains why cancer patients have a higher rate of […]


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