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MERCK MANUAL
Consumer Version
HEALTH TOPICS
HEALTHY LIVING
SYMPTOMS
EMERGENCIES
DRUG INFO
RESOURCES
COMMENTARY
ABOUT US
HEALTH TOPICS
HEALTHY LIVING
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Health Topics
Medications
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Overview of Medications
Medication Errors
Using medication organizers
Understanding prescriptions
Prescribing medications
Dispensing and administering medications
Storing medications properly
Taking expired medications
Overview of Medication Safety and Effectiveness
Prescription or nonprescription medications
Medication names
Medication groups and classes
Making the most of treatment with medications
Evaluating Medication Effectiveness and Safety
More Information
Drug Design and Development
Stages of Drug Development
Placebos
Benefits Versus Risks of Medications
Adverse Drug Reactions
Severity of Adverse Drug Reactions
Risk Factors for Adverse Drug Reactions
Use of Several Medications
Age
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Overdose Toxicity
Administration and Kinetics of Drugs
Drug Absorption
Tablets
Capsules
Enteric coatings
Controlled-release formulations
Causes of Low Bioavailability
Drug Elimination
Drug elimination in the urine
Drug elimination in the bile
Other forms of drug elimination
Nanomedicine
Introduction to Administration and Kinetics of Drugs
Drug Administration
Oral route
Injection routes
Sublingual and buccal routes
Rectal route
Vaginal route
Ocular route
Otic route
Nasal route
Inhalation route
Nebulization route
Cutaneous route
Transdermal route
Drug Distribution Within the Body
Drug Metabolism
Brand-Name and Generic Medications
Overview of Generic Medications and Medication Naming
Patent Protection for Medications
Nonprescription Generic Medications
More Information
Bioequivalence and Interchangeability of Generic Medications
Bioequivalence
Evaluation and approval procedures
Interchangeability and substitution
More Information
Biologic Medications
Drug Dynamics
Definition of Drug Dynamics
Site Selectivity
Receptors on Cells
Agonists and antagonists
Enzymes
Chemical Interactions
Drug Action
Reversibility
Affinity and Intrinsic Activity
Potency, Efficacy, and Effectiveness
Factors Affecting Response to Medications
Overview of Response to Medications
Effects of age on drug response
Genetic Makeup and Response to Medications
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions
Duplication
Opposition (antagonism)
Alteration
Drug-Nutrient Interactions
Food
Dietary supplements
Alcohol
Drug-Disease Interactions
Tolerance and Resistance to Medications
Tolerance
Resistance
Prevention and Treatment
Adherence to Medication
Results of not adhering
Children and adherence
Older adults and adherence
Improving adherence
Over-the-Counter Medications
Overview of Over-the-Counter Medications
History of Medication Regulation in the United States
Safety Considerations
Reclassifying prescription medications as over-the-counter medications
Choosing and using over-the-counter medications
Reading the labels of over-the-counter medications
More Information
Precautions With Over-the-Counter Medications
Children
Older Adults
Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
People With Chronic Disorders
Drug-Drug Interactions
Medication Overlap
More Information
