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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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