Prescription Drug

Prescription Drug

A prescription drug (also prescription medication or prescription medicine) is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription. The reason for this difference in substance control is the potential scope of misuse, from drug abuse to practicing medicine without a license and without sufficient education.

Regulation

Different jurisdictions have different definitions of what constitutes a prescription drug. "Rx" (an abbreviation of recipe, from the Latin recipere, "to take") is often used as a short form for prescription drug in North America - a contraction of the Latin word "recipe" (an imperative form of recipere) meaning "take". Prescription drugs are often dispensed together with a monograph (in Europe, a Patient Information Leaflet or PIL) that gives detailed information about the drug.

Prescription requirements

The prescription is a method by which individual medical consultations are abstracted into general principles that can be interpreted by a pharmacist and subsequently dispensed to the patient. Prescription drugs are generally authorized by doctors, although nurse practitioners and pharmacists can also prescribe drugs in some jurisdictions.

Risks and responsibilities

Prescription drug use often entails consultation with a healthcare provider and the dispensing of drugs under a pharmacist. The use of prescription drugs has been increasing since the 1960s. In the U.S., 88% of older adults (62–85 years) use at least 1 prescription drug, while 36% take at least 5 prescription medicines concurrently.

See also

• Drug abuse
• Over-the-counter drug
• Pharmacist
• Pharmacy (shop)

External links

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• World Health Organization (WHO) - Medicines

Prescription Drug Resources
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