Prescription Medications - Overview

Prescription medications are pharmaceutical drugs that require a written order from a licensed healthcare provider.

Prescription Medications FAQ

What is a prescription drug?

Different jurisdictions have different definitions of what constitutes a prescription drug. In North America, ℞, usually printed as "Rx", is used as an abbreviation of the word "prescription". It is a contraction of the Latin word " recipe " (an imperative form of "recipere") meaning "take".

What is a medication used for?

A medication is a prescription drug used to treat a disease. A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease.

How are prescription drugs classified?

Drugs are classified in many ways. One of the key divisions is by level of control, which distinguishes prescription drugs (those that a pharmacist dispenses only on the order of a physician, physician assistant, or qualified nurse) from over-the-counter drugs (those that consumers can order for themselves).

How are prescription drugs dispensed?

Prescription drugs are often dispensed together with a monograph (in Europe, a Patient Information Leaflet or PIL) that gives detailed information about the drug. The use of prescription drugs has been increasing since the 1960s. This section needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources.

Where can I find drug information online?

Drugs.com is the most popular, comprehensive and up-to-date source of drug information online. Providing free, peer-reviewed, accurate and independent data on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines & natural products.

What is a professional drug information database?

Authors incorporate clinical research findings, therapeutic guidelines, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling to ensure that monographs include an evidence-based foundation for safe and effective drug therapy. The Professional Drug Information database is a repository of drug information sourced directly from the FDA.

Where can I find drug information in the UK?

The Drugs.com UK database contains drug information on over 1,500 medications distributed within the United Kingdom. For medications found in the United States, please see the US drug database. For other countries please use the International drug database. ISPAGHULA HUSK GRANULES FOR ORAL SUSPENSION 3.5G.

What information should be included in a prescription book?

Check for drug interactions. Includes information on the severity of an interaction and the type of evidence to support it. General guidance on prescribing and the use of medicines. Includes guidance on prescribing in palliative care, prescription writing and prescribing in renal impairment. Wound management products and elasticated garments.