Editing Medication (section)

==Definition==
Medication is a medicine or a [[chemical compound]] used to [[Therapy|treat]] or [[cure]] illness. According to ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', medication is "a substance used in treating a disease or relieving [[pain]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Medication Definition & Meaning |url=https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/medication |access-date=31 March 2022 |website=Britannica Dictionary |language=en-US |archive-date=31 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331172048/https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/medication |url-status=live }}</ref>

As defined by the [[National Cancer Institute]], [[dosage forms]] of medication can include [[Tablet (pharmacy)|tablets]], [[Capsule (pharmacy)|capsules]], liquids, [[Cream (pharmacy)|creams]], and patches. Medications can be administered in different ways, such as [[by mouth]], by [[Intravenous therapy|infusion into a vein]], or by [[Ear drop|drops put into the ear]] or [[Eye drop|eye]]. A medication that does not contain an [[active ingredient]] and is used in research studies is called a [[placebo]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 February 2011 |title=Definition of medication |url=https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/medication |access-date=24 November 2022 |website=National Cancer Institute |language=en |archive-date=29 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129084105/https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/medication |url-status=live }}</ref>

In Europe, the term is "medicinal product", and it is defined by EU law as:

* "Any substance or combination of substances presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease in human beings; or"
* "Any substance or combination of substances which may be used in or administered to human beings either with a view to restoring, correcting, or modifying physiological functions by exerting a [[pharmacological]], [[immunological]] or metabolic action or to making a [[medical diagnosis]]."<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=http://ec.europa.eu/health/files/eudralex/vol-1/dir_2004_27/dir_2004_27_en.pdf |title=Directive 2004/27/EC |work=Official Journal of the European Union. |date=30 April 2004 |at=L136 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429020803/https://ec.europa.eu/health//sites/health/files/files/eudralex/vol-1/dir_2004_27/dir_2004_27_en.pdf |archive-date=Apr 29, 2021}}</ref>{{rp|36}}

In the US, a "drug" is:
* A substance (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body.
* A substance intended for use as a component of a medicine but not a device or a component, part, or accessory of a device.
* A substance intended for use in the [[diagnosis]], cure, mitigation, treatment, or [[prevention of disease]].
* A substance recognized by an official [[pharmacopeia]] or [[Formulary (pharmacy)|formulary]].
* Biological products are included within this definition and are generally covered by the same laws and regulations, but differences exist regarding their manufacturing processes (chemical process versus biological process).<ref>FDA, "[https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/InformationOnDrugs/ucm079436.htm Drugs@FDA Glossary of Terms]". {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108175048/https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases/drugsfda-glossary-terms |date=8 January 2023 }}.</ref>