pharmaceutics

English

Etymology

From pharmaceutic +‎ -s; see -ics.

Noun

pharmaceutics (uncountable)

1. The art and science of dispensing medical drugs.

   Hyponym: pharmacology

2. (plurale tantum) medicines, drugs, or other pharmaceutical compounds.
   • 2002, Michel Faber, The Crimson Petal and the White, Canongate Books (2010), page 631:

     ‘One day, I expect pharmaceutics will offer a cure for even the severest mental illnesses.’

Usage notes

Pharmacology is the science of dispensing medical drugs, whereas pharmaceutics also encompasses the non-scientific aspects such as how to make medications more palatable, where raw materials may be obtained, etc.

Translations

pharmacy — see pharmacy