How a medicine moves from where you took it into your bloodstream.
Glossary
Plain-language definitions for words you may see on a prescription label, pharmacy printout, or official FDA document. Definitions explain meaning — they never tell you what to do with a medicine.
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Build-up of a drug when doses arrive faster than clearance.
The chemical in a product that produces the intended effect.
Hives that come on suddenly and last less than six weeks.
Compulsive substance use that continues despite harm.
Two substances with similar effects summing together.
How closely medicine use matches what was prescribed.
An unwanted or harmful response to a medicine taken as intended.
A rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction affecting the whole body.
Deeper swelling under the skin, often around the eyes, lips, or throat.
A drug that blocks a receptor rather than activating it.
Effects from blocking acetylcholine, such as dry mouth and blurred vision.
A medicine used to reduce nausea and vomiting.
A medicine that blocks histamine at its receptors.
A medicine intended to reduce anxiety.