An Introduction to Pharmaceutical Sciences

3

Drugs, medicines, and regulatory authorities

Learning objective

This chapter looks at the common terms used for drugs – medicines, brand names, generic names, chemical names, prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs – and at how drugs are developed. It describes how regulatory agencies regulate the quality of generic drugs and the role of pharmacopoeias (Figure 3.1).

Figure 3.1 The talking points of Chapter 3

Key concept terms

Bioequivalency

in-vivo equivalency between brand name and generic name drugs regarding pharmacokinetic profiles

Blockbuster drug

a drug whose annual sale is US$1 billion or more

Brand name

trade or proprietary ...