ethical drug
- noun
- /ˈɛθɪkəl drʌg/
- Archaic
:
medicamento de prescripción
- The pharmacist cannot sell an ethical drug without a valid prescription.
Examples
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Only a licensed physician can prescribe an ethical drug for this condition.
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An ethical drug requires a prescription.
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Doctors are careful when prescribing any ethical drug due to potential side effects.
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Many ethical drugs are used to treat chronic illnesses.
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Prescribing an ethical drug ensures that patients receive appropriate treatment under medical supervision.
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To obtain an ethical drug, you must provide your prescription from a healthcare professional.
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Patients should be aware that an ethical drug can only be dispensed with a valid doctor's prescription.
Synonyms
253
3.0
A medicine you can get only with a doctor's written order
76
3.3
A medicine you can only get with a written order from a doctor
5
3.3
A medicine you can only get with a doctor's written order
Antonyms
How Restricted
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal meanings 'ethical' (moral) and 'drug' (medicine) do not compose to give 'prescription-only medicine'—here 'ethical' is a specialized, industry-specific sense meaning prescription-only rather than morally good. This technical usage is unpredictable for an average B1 learner who knows the constituent words, so the phrase is not derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Ethical drug may come from a time when doctors, not shops, chose which medicines people should take, and the word ethical suggested 'right' or careful use by a doctor. That's why ethical drug means a medicine you can get 'only with a prescription'.