Key Terms
Antibiotics
a chemical substance with the ability to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria by interfering with bacteria life processes.
Antihyperlipidemic Drugs
A class of cardiovascular drugs that fight cholesterol and triglycerides.
Atypical antipsychotics drugs
First-line choices for schizophrenia and other psychoses that address specific neurotransmitters
Corticosteroids
steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex often used to reduce inflammation and pain.
Analgesia
Substance used to relieve pain
Anticonvulsants
A drug to control seizures.
Antihypertensive Agents
Drugs that work against high blood pressure
Benzodiazepines (BZD)
A class of drugs that acts as a sedative, hypnotic, anti-anxiety medication, and anticonvulsant. Many of these drugs share the suffix -pam.
Depression
A condition characterized by anxiety, hopelessness, irritability, intense sadness, loss of concentration, pessimism, and problems with eating and sleeping.
Bioequivalent drugs
A generic drug that delivers approximately the same amount of active ingredient into a healthy volunteer’s bloodstream in the same amount of time as the innovator or brand name drug.
Antidepressants
Drugs that work to lift moods and/or change perceptions
Anti-inflammatory drugs
A drug that removes swelling from skin and internal organs.
Beta-adrenergic blockers (Beta blockers)
Class of drugs that slow the fight or fight response to stress and make the heart beat slower with less force by blocking the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. Many of these drugs share the suffix -phrine, as in norepinephrine and epinephrine, and -olol as in atenolol and metoprolol.
Muscle relaxants
Drugs that reduce or prevent skeletal muscle contraction and pain.
GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease)
A GI disease characterized by radiating burning or pain in the chest and an acid taste; caused by backflow of acidic stomach contents across an incompetent lower esophageal sphincter; also referred to as heartburn.
Anti-diabetic drugs:
A class of drugs that supply insulin or lower sugar or stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin. The sulfonylureas class of drugs are the most common ones.
Antipsychotic drugs
Medications used to manage disordered thoughts and personality behaviors, such as delusions, hallucinations, mania, and severe agitation.
Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs):
This class of drugs blocks calcium from entering the cells of the blood vessels to keep them from getting rigidity.
Narcotic
Class of drug that numbs or blunt the senses, induces sleep, or has other psychoactive properties, including the opium-based and opium-like drugs.
HDL (High-density lipoprotein):
The "good cholesterol" that picks up floating low-density lipoproteins (the “bad cholesterol”) and sweeps them away through the bloodstream
Antihistamines
Common terms for drugs that block the H1 receptor; drugs used to treat and lessen the symptoms of allergies
ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
A disorder that manifests itself in difficulty focusing or concentrating, over-activity, and difficulty with impulsive conduct.
Cephalosporin antibiotics
Antibiotic drugs developed to act like penicillin against bacteria.
NSAID (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs):
A class of drugs that provide pain, swelling, and fever reduction.
Hyperthyroidism
A condition caused by excess thyroid hormone and marked by increased metabolic rate; also called thyrotoxicosis.