Medical glossary

Leaflet and pack

INN

International non-proprietary name of the active substance; these names are assigned by the World Health Organization.

Brand name

The name under which a particular manufacturer markets a medicine; one substance can have several.

Dosage form

The form in which a medicine is made: tablets, capsules, solution, ointment, drops and others.

Batch number

The production lot number printed on the pack; it is useful, for example, when reporting a side effect.

Expiry date

The date until which the manufacturer guarantees the quality of the medicine, provided the storage conditions are followed.

Package leaflet

The instructions for medical use that come inside the pack with the medicine.

Quality

Pharmacopoeia

A collection of quality standards for medicines, made up of pharmacopoeial monographs.

State pharmacopoeia

The pharmacopoeia that applies in a country; in Russia, the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation.

Pharmacopoeial monograph

A document that sets out the quality requirements for a substance or dosage form and the methods used to test them.

Identification

Confirmation that a medicine really contains the stated substance.

Impurities

Foreign substances whose content in a medicine is limited by the standard.

Active substance

The component of a medicine responsible for its effect on the body.

Excipients

Components that give a medicine its form, taste or stability; people can be allergic to them too.

Taking medicines

Prescription (treatment)

The doctor's decision on which medicine to use, how and for how long.

Prescription (document)

The document on which a pharmacy supplies a prescription-only medicine; it is valid for a limited time.

Dosing schedule

The timing of how a medicine is taken; it is set by the doctor and the leaflet.

Strength

The amount of active substance in one unit of a dosage form; which strength to use is decided by the doctor in line with the leaflet.

Over-the-counter medicine

A medicine supplied without a prescription; it still has contraindications and interactions.

Measuring device

The spoon, cap or dropper supplied with a liquid form; it is better to measure the medicine with it rather than with kitchen cutlery.

Safety

Contraindications

Conditions in which a medicine must not be used.

Precautions

Circumstances in which a medicine is used with special care and under a doctor's supervision.

Adverse reaction

An unexpected harmful change in how you feel that is linked to the use of a medicine.

Interaction

The effect of one medicine on how another works, and the effect of food, alcohol or supplements.

Pharmacovigilance

Monitoring the safety of medicines after they reach the market; in Russia, Roszdravnadzor is involved in it.

Allergic reaction

The immune system's response to a component of a medicine; with facial swelling or difficulty breathing, call 103 or 112 at once.

Where these words appear in the guide

• Leaflet

  How to read the leaflet section by section, how dosage forms differ and what “prescription only” means.

• First-aid kit

  How to sort out your home first-aid kit: expiry dates, storage conditions, leaflets and keeping medicines away from children.

• Questions

  Questions worth asking your doctor when a medicine is prescribed, your pharmacist, and anyone when a reaction appears.

• Quality

  What a pharmacopoeia and a monograph are, and how to check information about medicines you find online.

Read next

• Leaflet

  How to read the leaflet section by section, how dosage forms differ and what “prescription only” means.

• Quality

  What a pharmacopoeia and a monograph are, and how to check information about medicines you find online.

• Sources

  What the guide is based on, what it deliberately does not do, and why much of it is written in general terms.