The purposes of drugs

•  Prevent or treat disease or illness;
•  Treat symptoms;
•  Aid in diagnoses;
•  Restore or maintain normal body functions;
•  Reach desired or therapeutic effect.

 

        Local action: When the drug is applied locally or directly to a tissue or organ.

        General, or systemic action: This type of action occurs when the drug enters the bloodstream by absorption or direct injection, affecting tissues and organs, not near the site of entry.

 

Generic and trade names of medications.

A brand name drug is a medicine that’s discovered, developed and marketed by a pharmaceutical company.

Generic drugs have the same active ingredients as brand name drugs already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

An example is the pain reliever Tylenol®. The brand name is Tylenol® and the generic name is acetaminophen.