Editing Medication (section)

== Classification ==
{{main|Drug class}}

One of the key classifications is between traditional [[small molecule]] drugs; usually derived from chemical synthesis and [[biologic medical product|biological medical product]]s; which include [[recombinant proteins]], [[vaccines]], [[blood products]] used therapeutically (such as [[IVIG]]), [[gene therapy]], and [[cell therapy]] (for instance, [[stem cell]] therapies).{{cn|date=May 2023}}

Pharmaceuticals or drugs or medicines are classified into various other groups besides their origin on the basis of pharmacological properties like mode of action and their pharmacological action or activity,<ref>[https://www.medthority.com/drugs/ https://www.medthority.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108175035/https://auth.medthority.com/login?state=hKFo2SBSR2puZC1ZQ3pZdUQ5UVJGbzlnNElqYktia2c2MXl6d6FupWxvZ2luo3RpZNkgTUptdUZCVTF1bHExdGxRRTBGa2tvZEdBdjlGbU0tREajY2lk2SBxMHRZQk50aEpOM29UTURaM1dmQWF1UHRpdkdGcWd3OA&client=q0tYBNthJN3oTMDZ3WfAauPtivGFqgw8&protocol=wsfed&wtrealm=https%3A%2F%2Fmedthority.com&wctx=WsFedOwinState%3DxcTT6ENAj9wrgjDRMmflf7KNXqenWwGg3b3WlWdkmRTyS2Q3Oj-3SDX_SF_E2rzVEBrKiwDstZtdEDWM0ezH05jm4DBiCGWKGqRZ03AnhHzUPxALAtTi6450_lRP9bYD_bjOurgq0MB9prg4iWRlow&wa=wsignin1.0 |date=8 January 2023 }} database of prescription pharmaceutical products including drug classifications https://www.medthority.com/drugs/ </ref> such as by [[chemical property|chemical properties]], mode or [[route of administration]], [[biological system]] affected, or [[therapeutic effect]]s. An elaborate and widely used [[classification system]] is the [[Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System]] (ATC system). The [[World Health Organization]] keeps a list of [[essential medicines]].

A sampling of classes of medicine includes:
# [[Antipyretic]]s: reducing fever (pyrexia/pyresis)
# [[Analgesic]]s: reducing [[pain]] (painkillers)
# [[Antimalarial drug]]s: treating [[malaria]]
# [[Antibiotic]]s: inhibiting [[Microorganism|germ]] growth
# [[Antiseptic]]s: prevention of germ growth near [[burn]]s, [[Cut (wound)|cuts]], and [[wound]]s
# [[Mood stabilizer]]s: [[Lithium (medication)|lithium]] and [[valproate]]
# [[Hormone replacement]]s: [[Premarin]]
# [[Oral contraceptive]]s: Enovid, "biphasic" pill, and "triphasic" pill
# [[Stimulant]]s: [[methylphenidate]], [[amphetamine]]
# [[Tranquilizer]]s: [[meprobamate]], [[chlorpromazine]], [[reserpine]], [[chlordiazepoxide]], [[diazepam]], and [[alprazolam]]
# [[Statin]]s: [[lovastatin]], [[pravastatin]], and [[simvastatin]]
Pharmaceuticals may also be described as "specialty", independent of other classifications, which is an ill-defined class of drugs that might be difficult to administer, require special handling during administration, require patient monitoring during and immediately after administration, have particular regulatory requirements restricting their use, and are generally expensive relative to other drugs.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=103|title = Specialty Pharmaceuticals|date = 25 November 2013|journal = [[Health Aff. (Millwood)|Health Affairs]]|access-date = 28 August 2015|vauthors = Spatz I, McGee N|department = Health Policy Briefs|at = What's The Background?|archive-date = 6 September 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150906190339/http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=103|url-status = live}}</ref>