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Drugs can be classified in many ways: by the way they are
dispensed--over the counter or by prescription; by the substance
from which they are derived-plant, mineral, or animal; by the form
they take-capsule, liquid, or gas; and by the way they are administered-by
mouth, injection, inhalation, or direct application to the skin
(absorption). Drugs are also classified by their names. All drugs
have three names: a chemical name, which describes the exact structure
of the drug; a generic or proprietary name, which is the official
medical name assigned by the United States Adopted Name Council
(a group composed of pharmacists and other scientists); and a brand
or trade name given by the particular manufacturer that sells the
drug. If a company holds the patent on a drug-that is, if the company
has the exclusive right to make and sell a drug, then the drug is
available under one brand name only. After the patent expires, typically
after 17 years in the United States, other companies can also manufacture
the drug and market it under the generic name, or give it a new
brand name.
Another way to categorize drugs is by the way they act against diseases
or disorders: chemotherapeutic drugs attack specific organisms that
cause a disease without harming the host, while pharmocodynamic
drugs alter the function of bodily systems by stimulating or depressing
normal cell activity in a given system. The most common way to categorize
a drug is by its effect on a particular area of the body or a particular
condition.
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