Drug therapy
Drug Therapy
Drug therapy (pronunciation: /drʌɡ θɛrəpi/), also known as pharmacotherapy, is a general term for using medication to treat disease.
Etymology
The term "drug therapy" comes from the English word "drug", which is derived from Old French "drogue", possibly from Middle Dutch "droge-vate" (dry barrels), referring to medicinal plants preserved in them, and "therapy", from the Greek "therapeia" meaning healing.
Definition
Drug therapy involves the administration of drugs either to treat a disease or condition, to alleviate symptoms, or to assist in the functioning of bodily processes. The drugs used in drug therapy are pharmaceuticals, prescribed by a medical practitioner or a pharmacist.
Types of Drug Therapy
There are several types of drug therapy, including:
- Chemotherapy: This is the use of drugs to treat diseases such as cancer.
- Antibiotic therapy: This involves the use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections.
- Antiviral therapy: This involves the use of antiviral drugs to treat viral infections.
- Hormone therapy: This involves the use of hormones in medical treatment.
Related Terms
- Pharmacology: The study of drugs, their nature, properties, and effects.
- Pharmaceuticals: The medicinal drugs used in healthcare.
- Prescription: An instruction written by a medical practitioner that authorizes a patient to be issued a medicine or treatment.
- Over-the-counter drug: A drug that can be purchased without a prescription.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Drug therapy
- Wikipedia's article - Drug therapy
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