Problems associated with the use of the term "antibiotics"

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Microbiology
• Drug Nomenclature

Background:

• The term "antibiotics" is widely misused for antibacterial drugs.
• Existing terminology like "antibiosis" and "antibiogram" is also imprecise.
• Drug repurposing necessitates clearer drug class designations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for replacing "antibiotics" with "antibacterial drugs."
• To argue against the use of imprecise terms like "narrow-spectrum" and "reserve antibiotics."
• To promote explicit use of "drug" to encompass new indications.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of term usage.
• Analysis of traditional versus precise terminology.
• Examination of drug repurposing examples.

Main Results:

• Traditional terms like "antibiotics" are more prevalent than precise alternatives.
• Terms such as "narrow-spectrum antibiotics," "reserve antibiotics," "chemotherapeutics," and "tuberculostatics" should be discontinued.
• Antibacterial drugs are used for non-antibacterial purposes, and vice versa, highlighting nomenclature issues.

Conclusions:

• Adopting precise drug class nomenclature is crucial for scientific accuracy.
• Explicitly using "drug" facilitates understanding of expanded therapeutic roles.
• A rational nomenclature system is essential for pharmacology.