Definition

Noun: A prescription medicine is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a written order (a prescription) from a licensed healthcare professional, such as a doctor or dentist, before a pharmacist can dispense it to a patient. This is due to its potential for harm, risk of misuse, or need for professional supervision.

Usage

This term is used to distinguish medications that require a prescription from those available "over-the-counter" (OTC). It emphasizes the controlled and regulated nature of the drug's distribution. - You must have a valid prescription from a doctor to obtain a prescription medicine. - The pharmacy cannot give you that antibiotic; it is a prescription medicine.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "To be on prescription medicine": This phrase describes the state of regularly taking one or more prescribed drugs.
  • He has been on prescription medicine for his blood pressure for years.

Variants and Related Words

• Prescription drug: A direct synonym for prescription medicine.
• Rx medication: An informal or shorthand term, where "Rx" is the symbol for a medical prescription.
• Controlled substance: A stricter legal category of prescription medicines with high potential for abuse (e.g., strong painkillers). Not all prescription medicines are controlled substances.

Synonyms

• Prescription drug
• Ethical drug (a term used mainly in the pharmaceutical industry)

Antonyms

• Over-the-counter (OTC) medicine
• Non-prescription drug

Related Phrases

• To fill a prescription: The act of a pharmacist providing the prescribed medicine to the patient.
  • I need to go to the pharmacy to fill my prescription for this medicine.
• Prescription-only: A label indicating the legal status of the medicine.
  • This is a prescription-only medication.

Noun

1. a drug that is available only with written instructions from a doctor or dentist to a pharmacist
   • he told the doctor that he had been taking his prescription regularly