Medication is a medicine or a chemical compound used to treat or cure illness. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, medication is "a substance used in treating a disease or relieving pain".
As defined by the National Cancer Institute, dosage forms of medication can include tablets, capsules, liquids, creams, and patches. Medications can be given in different ways, such as by mouth, by infusion into a vein, or by drops put into the ear or eye. A medication that does not contain an active ingredient and is used in research studies is called a placebo.
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."
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.
* 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).