What Does
Drug Therapy Mean?
Drug therapy involves the administration of drugs to treat or prevent disease. It is used to treat a variety of illnesses and diseases ranging from psychiatric illnesses to the treatment of cancer.
This type of therapy is also referred to as pharmacotherapy.
Safeopedia Explains Drug Therapy
Medication prescribed via this type of therapy comes in various forms—taken orally as a pill or liquid, or injected into the tissues or muscles.
Drug therapy plays an important role in treating psychiatric illness, though oftentimes, it is combined with talk therapy for a more effective outcome.
The treatment of diseases such as cancer, HIV infection, and diabetes sometimes requires multiple drugs with different active ingredients to be administered. This is known as combination therapy.
A common problem that occurs during drug therapy is that the patient may build up a tolerance to the drugs taken, thus leading to higher required doses in order for the drug to be effective.