Pharmacology Flashcards

• Addiction


  Physical and psychological dependence on and craving for a drug.
• Additive action


  Effect when combination of two similar drugs is equal to the sum of their individual effects.
• Aer/o


  Combining form for the word 'air'.
• Aerosol


  Particles of drug (in solution) that suspend in air.
• Alges/o


  Combining form for the word 'sensitivity to pain'.
• Amoxicillin


  Generic name for a newer variation of an antibiotic drug in the same class as penicillin.
• Amphetamine


  Central nervous system stimulant.
• Ana-


  Prefix for the word 'upward'.
• Analgesic


  Drug used to relieve pain.
• Anaphylaxis


  Exaggerated hypersensitivity reaction to a previously encountered drug or foreign protein.
• Anesthesia


  Condition of being without nervous sensation; drugs that produce loss of sensation throughout the entire body.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor


  Drug that lowers blood pressure.
• Antacid


  Drug that neutralizes acid in the stomach; treatment for epigastric discomfort.
• Antagonistic action


  Drug action in which one drug has the opposite effect as another drug.
• Anti-, contra-


  Prefix for the word 'against'.
• Antianginal


  Drug that prevents chest pain due to ischemia.
• Antiarrhythmic


  Drug that returns the heart to its regular cycle.
• Antibiotic


  Substance that acts against microorganisms, such as bacteria; treats bacterial pneumonia.
• Anticoagulant


  Treatment for thrombosis.
• Anticonvulsants


  Drugs that treat epilepsy and prevent abnormal brain activity.
• Antidote


  Agent given to counteract unwanted effect of a drug.
• Antiemetic


  Agent that acts against vomiting.
• Antihistamine


  Agent that acts against histamine production in the body; treats anaphylaxis.
• Antihypertensive


  Drug that reduces and treats high blood pressure.
• Antinauseant


  Drug that prevents vomiting and nausea.
• Antiplatelet


  Drug that reduces the ability of thrombocytes to stick together and form a clot.
• Antipruritic


  Agent that acts to relieve itching.
• Antipyretic


  Agent that acts to relieve fever; drug that lowers body temperature.
• Antiseptic


  Substance that fights against infection.
• Aromatase inhibitor


  Reduces estrogen in the blood by blocking an enzyme.
• Bactericidal


  Pertaining to killing microorganisms.
• Barbiturate


  Sedative drug.
• Benzodiazepine


  Drug that acts as a sedative.
• Beta-blocker


  Drug that stops the action of epinephrine at sites on receptors of heart muscle cells; antiarrhythmic, antihypertensive, and antianginal drug.
• Bisphosphonate


  Drug that prevents bone loss and osteopenia.
• Brand name


  Commercial name for a drug; trademark or trade name.
• Bronch/o


  Combining form for the word 'bronchial tube'.
• Bronchodilator


  Drug that relaxes the smooth muscle lining bronchial tubes; used to treat asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
• Caffeine


  Stimulant substance found in coffee and tea.
• Calcium channel blocker


  Drug that blocks the entrance of calcium into heart muscle and lining of blood vessels; antihypertensive, antiarrhythmic, and antianginal drug.