Drug Names & Classifications
Question: This drug name is unique, given by the manufacturer, and usually capitalized.
Answer: What is the proprietary name?
Question: This is the slowest method of absorption and is commonly used for at-home medications.
Answer: What is PO (per os)?
Question: These are the two main organs involved in drug metabolism and excretion.
Answer: What are the liver and kidney?
Question: Dosage forms are classified into these three groups.
Answer: What are solid, semi-solid, and liquid?
Question: This is an undesirable secondary effect of a drug.
Answer: What is a side effect?
Question: This drug name is usually not capitalized and is therapeutically equivalent to proprietary drugs.
Answer: What is the generic (or nonproprietary) name?
Question: This route is the fastest method of absorption and reaches higher blood levels quickly.
Answer: What is IV (intravenous)?
Question: This is the body's ability to chemically change a drug for elimination.
Answer: What is biotransformation or metabolism?
Question: This tablet prevents the drug from breaking down in the stomach and dissolves in the intestines.
Answer: What is an enteric-coated tablet?
Question: This is a harmful effect produced by a drug.
Answer: What is an adverse reaction?
Question: This drug name describes the drug's chemical composition and is rarely used in clinical medicine because it's long and complex.
Answer: What is the chemical name?
Question: This route is commonly used for vaccines and involves injection under the skin.
Answer: What is SC or SQ (subcutaneous)?
Question: This is the ideal drug concentration in the body that produces the desired effect without toxicity.
Answer: What is the therapeutic range?
Question: This is the most common route for drug administration.
Answer: What is oral (or enteral)?
Question: This term describes an illness caused by medical treatment or examination.
Answer: What is iatrogenic?
Question: These are the three main classifications of drugs based on their purpose.
Answer: What are diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive drugs?
Question: This route delivers substances directly into the abdominal cavity and is often used in neonates.
Answer: What is IP (intraperitoneal)?
Question: These are the four factors that make up pharmacokinetics, often abbreviated as ADME.
Answer: What are absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion?
Question: Any route administered outside of the gastrointestinal tract is referred to as this.
Answer: What is parenteral?
Question: Veterinary assistants are NOT allowed to do these two things.
Answer: What are induce a patient under anesthesia and prescribe a drug as treatment?
Question: This drug category is considered dangerous due to potential human abuse and is regulated by the DEA.
Answer: What is a controlled substance?
Question: This route is the second fastest at absorption and can't accommodate more than 2-5mL of medication.
Answer: What is IM (intramuscular)?
Question: This higher dose is given at the beginning of treatment to quickly reach therapeutic levels.
Answer: What is a loading dose?
Question: This liquid form contains drug particles that are suspended but not dissolved and must be shaken before administration.
Answer: What is a suspension?
Question: This is the term for pulling back on the plunger to create negative pressure within the syringe.
Answer: What is aspiration?