Prescription Drugs Flashcards
OTC Drugs
Over-the-Counter drugs (OTC) – drugs dispensed without a prescription.
Legend Drugs
These drugs may not be dispensed by a pharmacist without a prescription from a physician, osteopath, dentist, etc. Labels on these medications carries the legend: “Caution! Federal law prohibits dispensing without a prescription.”
Controlled Drugs
These drugs require additional safeguards for storage. Refills are also limited. Both State and Federal government agencies promulgate regulations regarding these drugs. The Federal agency is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Schedule I
Drugs in this schedule have no accepted medical use in the United States and have a high abuse potential. Examples are heroin, marijuana, LSD, peyote, etc. Schedule 1 drugs are illegal to prescribe.
Schedule II
Drugs in this schedule have a high abuse potential with severe psychic or physical dependence liability. Included are certain narcotic analgesics, stimulants, and depressant drugs. Examples are opium, morphine, fentanyl, codeine, hydromorphone, cannabis THC, methadone, meperidine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, phenmetrazine, methylphenidate, amobarbital, pentobarbital, secobarbital, methaqualone, and phencyclidine.
Schedule III
Drugs in this schedule have an abuse potential less than those in Schedules I and II and include compounds containing limited quantities of certain narcotic analgesics. This includes drugs such as Tylenol # 1 (8 mg), Tylenol # 2 (15 mg), Tylenol #3 (30 mg), and Tylenol #4 (60 mg) that contain less than 90 mg of codeine.
Schedule IV
Drugs in this schedule have an abuse potential less than those listed in Schedule III and include such drugs as barbital, phenobarbital, chloral hydrate, benzodiazepines including diazepam, midazolam, oxazepam, triazolam, flurazepam, etc
Schedule V
Drugs in this schedule have an abuse potential less than those listed in Schedule IV and consist primarily of preparations containing limited quantities of certain narcotic analgesic drugs used for antitussive (cough syrup) and antidiarrheal purposes.
Superscription
The date when the prescription order is written; the name, address and age of the patient; and the symbol R/ or Rx (an abbreviation for “recipe“ - the Latin for “take thou.“)
Inscription
The name and strength of the medication prescribed.
Subscription
The directions to the pharmacist, usually consisting of a short sentence such as: “make a solution,” “mix and place into 10 capsules,” or “dispense 10 tablets.“
***Signatura (SIG:)
From the Latin “signa,” meaning “write,” “make,” or “label,” this sections contains the directions for the patient. These are written in English; however, doctors continue to insert Latin abbreviations, e.g. “1 cap t.i.d. pc,” which the pharmacist translates into English, “take one capsule three times daily after meals.
Labeling
When the doctor wants his patient to know the name of the drug, the box on the prescription form marked “Label” should be checked.
Refills
The doctor should designate the number of refills he wishes the patient to have.
Generics
A doctor may express the desire to dispense a non-proprietary or “generic-named” preparation instead of the trade name item. Some Rx pads have a box designated “N.P.P.” In this way, the pharmacist can use a generic form of the drug which may be less expensive to the patient.
