DEFINITIONS & TERMINOLOGIES

Dispensing
Branch of pharmaceutical science deals with the preparation and supply of medicaments to the
patients in accordance with the prescription given by practitioner under direct supervision of
pharmacist.
Compounding
According to National Association and Board of pharmacy (NABP);
Preparation, mixing, assembly, packaging or labelling of drug or device in the result of
a. Practitioner’s prescription
b. For research purpose (not for sale)
Pharmacy
• An art and science of preparing, compounding, formulating, and dispensing of drugs,
including administrations and discovery of new drugs through research
OR
• Branch of health sciences which deals with preparation, dispensing, and proper utilization of
drugs,
• Mainly concerned with
1. Product oriented activities
2. Patient oriented activities
Pharmacist
• Is a qualified person who is licensed to prepare, dispense, compound and to sell the drugs, also
including extended services i.e.
o TDM
o Pharmacotherapy
o Pharmaco-vigilance
o Pharmaco-economic analysis
o And many others
Hospital pharmacy
• Can be defined as a department or science provided in a hospital under the directions of
qualified pharmacist, where medicines and related supplies are stocked, dispensed,
manufactured in bulk and sterile and supplied on prescription to in-patient, out-patients and
nursing staff.
Clinical pharmacy
• The responsible provision of drug therapy to the patient for the purpose of achieving definite
outcomes that improves a patient quality of life
Community pharmacy
• Independently owned drug store under full time supervision of a qualified licensed pharmacist
meant for responsible provision, stocking, dispensing of drugs and related supplies to general
public through retail sale and to improve community health by preventing disease, promoting
rationale medication, immunization, research, and community education and drug information.
OR
• Place in community where pharmacist practice all aspects of pharmacy profession
independently for betterment of community health.
 Community medicine
(Preventive health / community health)
Science and art of preventing disease, in members of community to promote their health through
their active and continued participation in health programs.
Social medicine
Branch of community medicine (community pharmacy) that highlights role of social factors in the
occurrence of disease illness, disability and premature death
Socialized pharmacy
Provision of subsidized drugs, ancillary supplies, and pharmacy services by state itself to its
citizen free of cost.
Not branch of community pharmacy
Retail Pharmacy
Important aspect of community pharmacy practice in which medicines are supplied to the patients
through retail sale is called Retail Pharmacy.
Retail Price
Price mentioned on the label of product is called Retail price.
It involves counter sale of preparing or dispensing medicines and ancillary supply to individual
customer or patients.
Dispensing services
It is the extemporaneously preparation or dilution of already formulated drugs as per individual
patient requirement.
Second most important aspect of community pharmacy practice is the dispensing services. It
differs from the medical store.
Preventive or Community Health
Art and science of preventing disease in member of community to promote their health through
active and continued participation in health programs is called Community health.
Disease
• A disorder with specific cause and recognizable signs and symptoms
• It is a state of abnormality of structure, or disturbance of function of any body part, organ, or
system, characterized by set of sign and symptoms.
• Clinical (pathogenic), Subclinical (pre-pathogenic), Carrier disease ( dormant )
Patient
• A person who is under Medical care or treatment
• Individual suffering from type of disease or illness at any stage is called patient
Types
o Handicap patient ----- Disable
o Bed-ridden patient ---- cannot move around
o In-patient ---- admitted to hospital for purpose of treatment
o Out-patient ------ treated but not admitted
o Geriatric patient ---- old age patient > 50 years
o Chronic patient ---- extraordinary long ailment period
o Occasional patient ----- occasional catch disease
o Psychic patient ----- presenting mental abnormalities
o Addict ----- use of certain drugs for satisfaction as supreme priority
2 Types according to age groups
o Neonates (Midterm, Preterm) ---- less than 6 months of pregnancy
o Neonates (full term, post term) --- 7month or more of pregnancy
o New-born ------------------- less than 1 month
o Infant ------------------------ 1-24 months
o Young child ---------------- 1-5 years
o Elder child ------------------ 5-12 years
o Adolescent ------------------ 13-15 years
o Man----------------------------18-24 years
o Middle aged man ----------- 30+50 years
o Old man ------- Geriatric ----50years and above
Registered medical practitioner
A medical graduate legally allowed to practice medicine and surgery under a valid license
(PMDC)
General practitioner
A doctor with only a graduate level skill allowed for provision of primary medical and surgical
care
Specialist
A doctor with post graduate qualification and experience allowed to provide in-depth specialized
medical care focused on a field of medicine
Surgeon
Doctor with qualification and experience in surgery allowed practicing detailed surgical
procedures.
Community
Aggregation of peoples living in geographical area, working for common ends, sharing resources
to protect, promote, and achieve common objectives
Society
A collection of community of peoples representing defined cultural and moral values.
Sociology
Study of human and their behavior in a society
Medical society
Study of human response to health and illness
Clinical
Something involving or based on direct observation of patient in a medical facility
Clinical medicine
It is the study of diseases by direct examination of living patients
Clinical pharmacist
Are pharmacist expert in therapeutics that provide scientifically valid information, evaluation and
recommendation to patient and health care professionals about safe, appropriate and cost effective
use of drugs.
Social welfare
Refers to the societies common efforts to support equalize and support and improve social
educational, economical, and health lacking in a society
Pharmacy social welfare
Community pharmacies effort independently or collaboratively with the society or government to
provide basic health and medicine for all
Statistics
Deals with techniques or methods of collection of data, classification, summarizing, interpretation, 3
draw inferences and test hypothesis
Biostatistics
Science which applies tools or principles of statistics on biological data
 Epidemiology
Study of frequency, distribution, and determinants of health related states in human populations
Epidemic
A sudden outbreak of infectious disease that spreads rapidly through the population affecting a
large proportion of peoples
Pandemic
An epidemic that affects vast numbers of peoples in different countries. Eg HIV
Endemic
Occurring frequently in a particular region or population.
Patient Assessment
Patient assessment is a simple or in-depth, logical or professional, visual or factual, perceived or
inquired, routine or critical, eventual or continued, judgment of facts and figures and accordingly
decision about patients
AVPU Schemes
To evaluate responsiveness (level of consciousness LOC) of patient
Determined via AVPU scheme.
1. Alert
2. Responsive to Voice or Verbal,
3. Responsive to Painful stimuli
4. Unresponsive
ABC Scheme
• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation
DOTS
• For detailed physical examination
• Deformities Open injuries
• Tenderness Swelling
PEARL
Pupils are evaluated for

SAMPLE (history taking)

• S-sign & symptoms (V.S)
• A-allergies (food, med, Agents)
• M-medication (current med.)
• P-past med history (Family & patient)
• L-last oral intake (Poison, toxic)
• E-events leading up to call
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Therapeutics
• Branch of medicines which is concerned with application of remedies (medicines) for cure of
disease or relief of symptoms
• Science or art of healing is called therapeutics
 Treatment or therapy
Diagnosis of ailment, recommendation of prescription and provision of medicines or surgery for
its cure is called therapy or treatment
Types
1. Aurvvedic
Using modern pharmacology, clinical practical surgery, pathology, medicinal chemistry and
pharmacy to cure
2. Homeopathy
Application of ancient and physical pharmacy principles to cure
3. Alternative / Traditional medicine
Most commonly called eastern medicines
Medicine or Tib-e-Unani is applying natural principles and traditional surgery to cure
Chemotherapy
• Use of chemical agents to arrest progression, eradicate disease and prevent its occurrence in
body without causing any irreversible damage to healthy tissues
• Treatment of disease by chemical agents
Rehydration therapy
Excessive intake of water to counter the effects of massive body fluid (water) loss
Immune therapy
Application of immunological principles and vaccines to prevent, cure, or promote health from
disease, infection or cancer
HRT (Hormone replacement therapy)
Use of external sources of hormones to maintain adequate body hormone levels for prevention and
cure of diseases or malfunctions and promote body health.
OR
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the use of synthetic or natural female hormones to make
up for the decline or lack of natural hormones produced in a woman's body. HRT is sometimes
referred to as estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), because the first medications that were used in
the 1960s for female hormone replacement were estrogen compounds
Psychotherapy
Treatment of mental disorders and behavioral disturbances using verbal and nonverbal
communication, as opposed to agents such as drugs or electric shock, to alter maladaptive patterns
of coping, relieve emotional disturbance, and encourage personality growth.
OR
The treatment of mental disorders by psychological methods, usually by a psychiatrist or
psychologist
Physiotherapy
• Use of physiological, anatomical and physical principles to treat paralyzed, disabled or
comatose patients through exercise, massage, and physical stress.
• Physical therapy; may include massage, exercise, applied heat, ultrasound, electrotherapy, and
short-wave diathermy (The high-frequency short-wave uses wavelengths of 3 to 30 meters. It
is used to treat chronic arthritis, bursitis, sinusitis, and other conditions)
Radiotherapy
Treatment of disease by means of ionizing radiation; tissue may be exposed to a beam of radiation,
or a radioactive element may be contained in devices (e.g., needles or wire) and inserted directly
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into the tissues or it may be introduced into a natural body cavity
Rehabilitation
• Rehabilitation is a treatment or treatments designed to facilitate the process of recovery from
injury, illness, or disease to as normal a condition as possible
 • Use of patient counselling, patient education, medication, or any type of treatment to convince,
provoke, facilitate, and reinforce patient again towards his normal life after disease or
disability
Adverse drug reaction
Any unintended effect on the body as a result of use of therapeutic drugs, drugs of abuse, or the
interaction of two or more pharmacologically active agents
Types
1. Side effect
Any undesirable reaction to or consequence of a medication or therapy at normal therapeutic
doses.
2. Secondary effect
An indirect consequence of primary drug effects
3. Toxic effects
These results from excessive pharmacological actions of drugs due to overdose, or toxicity
4. Poisoning
Poisoning occurs when any substance interferes with normal body functions after it is
swallowed, inhaled, injected, or absorbed in larger doses.
5. Intolerance (drug intolerance)
Inability to continue taking, or difficulty in continuing to take, a medication because of an
adverse side effect that is not immunity-mediated.
The state of reacting to the normal pharmacologic doses of a drug with the symptoms of over
dosage
6. Idiosyncrasy
A Pt-specific group of reactions to a particular drug – e.g., insomnia, tremor, weakness,
dizziness, or cardiac arrhythmias, which may be seen in some Pts taking adrenergic amines
Drug allergy
Hypersensitivity to a pharmacologic agent. Manifestations range from a mild rash to anaphylactic
shock, depending on the dose, and the allergen sensitivity of the individual
Photosensitivity
• Photosensitivity refers to any increase in the reactivity of the skin to sunlight
• It is the cutaneous reaction resulting from drug induced sensitization to skin.
Drug dependence
A psychological craving for, habituation to, abuse of, or physiologic reliance on a chemical
substance
Drug abuse
Use of drug by self-medication in a manner or amount that deviates from approved medical and
social pattern of use in a given society
Addiction
• A cluster of psychological, behavioral and cognitive phenomena of variable intensity in which
use of psychoactive drug take on high priority.
• Desire to attain and take drug
• Persistent drug seeking behavior
Drug
Any substance or mixture of substances that is manufactured, sold, stored, offered for sale or
represented for internal or external use in the treatment, mitigation, prevention or diagnosis of
6 diseases, an abnormal physical state, or the symptoms thereof in human beings or animals or the
restoration, correction, or modification of organic functions in human beings or animals,
Controlled drug
Any drug coming under any category declared by regional or international regulatory agency as
control drug …..e.g. Opiods sedative hypnotics
 Prescription drugs
A drug to be sold to on a registered medical practitioner’s prescription and a record needed to keep
of such activity.
OTC (Over The Counter)
The drug can be dispensed without registered medical practitioner’s prescription because these are
safe drugs.
Medicines
Proper dosage form of drug having specific therapeutic activity, e.g. Paracetamol, Panadol.
Health
A condition of physical, mental, and social well-being and the absence of disease or other
abnormal condition
Public health
The field of medicine concerned with safeguarding and improving the health of the community as
a whole
OR
Science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental health
through organized community efforts
Pharmacotherapy
Use of proper drug selected for the prevention and treatment of disease is called pharmacotherapy.
Infection
Invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in body tissues, especially that causing local
cellular injury due to competitive metabolism, toxins, intracellular replication, or antigen-antibody
response
Infestation
Invasion through skin, mucous membranes, by the helminthes, insects and mites or ticks.
Pharmacovigilance
It is the pharmacological science relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and
prevention of adverse effects, particularly long term and short term side effects of medicines
OR
It is the science of collecting, monitoring, researching, assessing and evaluating information from
healthcare providers and patients on the adverse effects of medications, biological products,
herbalism and traditional medicines with a view to:
o Identifying new information about hazards associated with medicines
o Preventing harm to patients.
Cold chain
A cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain. An unbroken cold chain is an uninterrupted
series of storage and distribution activities which maintain a given temperature range. It is used to
help extend and ensure the shelf life of products such as vaccines, frozen foods, and
pharmaceutical drugs
Communicable disease
A disease that is transmitted through direct contact with an infected individual or indirectly
through a vector. Also called contagious disease
Non-communicable disease (NCD)
A disease which is not contagious i.e. do not spread from patient to other susceptible persons 7
Vaccine
It is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically
contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from
weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins
 Zoonosis
Infectious disease of animals that can be transmitted directly or indirectly to the humans are called
Zoonotic disease and phenomenon is called Zoonosis.
Club drugs
• The term club drug refers to a wide variety of dangerous drugs. These drugs are often used by
young adults at all-night dance parties, dance clubs and bars.
• They include
1. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also known as Ecstasy XTC,
2. Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), also known as Grievous Bodily Harm,
3. Ketamine,
4. Rohypnol, also known as Roofies
5. Methamphetamine
6. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD),
Phases of addiction
1. Tolerance
It is the first stage of addiction. There is gradual decrease in the effect of drug due to repetition
of drug use. In this case dose should be increase to get similar effect.
2. Habituation
It is not only decrease in the effect of drug due to the repetition but also psychological
dependence develop. Patient feel mental discomfort due to the unavailability of specific drug.
3. Dependence
Due to the use of medication for a longer period of time, patient become dependent on that
specific chemical agent. Existence of life seems impossible without such medications.
Psychological and physical need felt for drug and withdraw of drug produces withdrawal
effects.
Rational use of medicines
• It is the safe and cost effective use of proper medicine.
• Effective use includes pharmacological and cost effective medicinal aspect.
Reactive drug information
It is the information of drug provided to the patients in response to questions arising from the
patients.
Proactive drug information
It is the information of drug provided to the patients without any response to questions arising
from the patients.
Online pharmacy
Community pharmacy that accepts orders through net, fax and telecommunication and provide
home delivery.
Mobile pharmacy
Pharmacies provide pharmaceutical care to patients operated at distant places in case of certain
disasters and epidemics.
Chain pharmacy
Pharmacies working at different places under the supervision of a single pharmacist of common
name is called Chain pharmacy.
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