Term | Definition |
Alchemy | the theory that combining elements of chemistry, metallurgy, physics, and medicine with astrology and spiritualism could turn metals into gold |
Apothecary | latin term for pharmacist, it is also a shop where drugs are sold |
Assault | threatening another with bodily harm |
Battery | causing physical harm to another person |
Brand Name | the proprietary name under which a manufacturer markets a drug; it is also referred to as the trade name |
Broken Contract | the simplest form of torts; a broken promise to do or not do an act |
Chain Pharmacy | a retail pharmacy that consists of many pharmacies located nationally or regionally; most decisions are made at the corporate level |
Chemical Name | the name that describes the chemical structure of a drug |
Child-resistant container | a medication container with a lid that cannot be opened by 80% of children younger than 5 years old, but can be opened by 90% of adults |
Compounding pharmacy | a specialized pharmacy wherein the pharmacist mixes medications that are customized specifically for the unique healthcare needs of the patient |
Controlled Substance | any schedule drug with the potential for abuse |
Defendant | the party being sued |
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) | the U.S. government agency responsible for regulating the safe and use of scheduled drugs |
Drug-Utilization review (DUR) | the process used by a pharmacist to compare an existing treatment to a new treatment |
Ethics | a system of moral standards of conduct and behavior for a person, group, or profession |
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | the U.S. governmental regulatory agency whose purpose is to ensure the safety and efficacy of all food and drugs currently on the market |
Formulary | a lost of pre-approved drugs that can be ordered, stocked, and administered at a given facility; also a term used by insurance companies for what medications they will pay for |
Franchise Pharmacy | a small chain of community pharmacies that have the right to use the name of a company and market a company's goods or services within a certain territory or location |
Generic Name | the non-proprietary name of a drug |
Health-maintenance organization (HMO) | a type of healthcare plan that provides care that is focused on keeping patients healthy or managing chronic diseases in an effort to decrease hospitalizations and emergency room visits |
Home health care | the delivery of medical, nursing, and pharmaceutical services to patients at home |
Home infusion pharmacy | a pharmacy that provides intravenous medications and supplies needed for their administration to patients who are home bound |
Hospital pharmacy | an institutional pharmacy that dispenses drugs and provides drug information to inpatients and healthcare professionals in the hospital |
Independent pharmacy | a community pharmacy that is owned and operated by one pharmacist or a group of pharmacists |
Institutional pharmacy | a facility organized under a corporate structure that provides pharmaceutical care to an institutional facility or organized healthcare system |
Law | a rule of conduct or procedure established to represent the minimum level of acceptable standards |
Legend drugs | drugs that require a prescription because they are not considered safe for use without medical supervision |
Libel | written communication of false statements against another individual |
Long-term care facility | an institution that provides a broad range of services for patients requiring a longer length of stay. these facilities may include nursing homes or assisted-living facilities |
Long-term care pharmacy | a pharmacy that is owned by or contracts with a long-term-care facility to provide prescription medications to the residents of that facility |
Mail-order pharmacy | a centralized pharmacy operation that dispenses a large number of prescriptions; prescriptions are delivered in the mail |
Malpractice | negligence in meeting the standard of care |
Managed-care organization | an organization that controls the financing and delivery of healthcare services for those who are involved in a specific healthcare plan; it is designed to control costs by keeping patients healthy |
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) | the professional association that helps to develop uniform standards for all state boards of pharmacy |
Negligence | conduct that falls below the standards of behavior established by law |
Nuclear Pharmacy | a specialized pharmacy that promotes health through the safe and effective use of radioactive drugs for diagnosis and therapy |
Over-the-counter drugs (OTC) | drugs that can be legally obtained without a prescription and are generally safe for use without medical supervision |
Parenteral | a route of administration by which the medication is administered by a needle or catheter into one or more layers of the skin |
Pharmacist | a licensed professional trained to prepare and dispense medications, provide drug information, and monitor response to therapy |
Pharmacognosy | the study of medicinal properties of natural products form plant and animal sources and minerals |
Pharmacology | the study of drugs, their properties, and their mechanism of action |
Pharmacy technician | a paraprofessional who can assist in all daily activities, under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist, that do not require the professional judgement of a pharmacist |
Plaintiff | the person or party filing a case |
Point-of-service plan (POS) | a type of managed healthcare plan that is a hybrid of an HMO and a PPO. it is called s a point-of-service plan because each time a member seeks medical care, he or she must decide which option-HMO or PPO- to choose |
Preferred provider organization (PPO) | a type of managed healthcare plan that is similar to an HMO in that it has a preferred provider network, but patients do not need to see a primary care physician for a referral to a specialist |
Primary care physician | a type of doctor who serves a gatekeeper to control access to healthcare and costs |
Professional standard | reference point or norm by which quality of a product or the performance of a professional is measured |
Regulation | a written rule or established guideline that exists to carry out a federal or state law |
Retail pharmacy | any independent, chain, or franchise pharmacy that dispenses prescription drugs to outpatients; also known as a community pharmacy |
Slander | verbal communication of false statements against another individual |
Standard of care | the level of performance that is expected of a healthcare worker in carrying out his or her professional duties |
State boards of pharmacy | regulatory bodies that oversee pharmacy activities in each individual state |
Tort | a legal term for a lawsuit of personal injury that one citizen commits against another |
United States Pharmacopeia (USP) | a non-governmental, independent scientific organization that sets standards for all over-the-counter and prescription medications and other healthcare products manufactured or sold in the U.S. |
USP-NF | a compendium containing standards set by the USP for medicines, dosage forms, drug substances, excipients, dietary supplements, inert ingredients, and medical devices |