To the Editor Response to Sawyer and Kopale Re. TikTok as a Tool for Learning Top 300 Drugs

Drug discovery is a multifaceted process involving extensive screening, testing, and optimization of lead compounds to identify potential new drugs for therapeutic use. It combines several approaches, including screening large numbers of natural products, chemical modification of known active molecules, identification of new drug targets, and rational design based on biological mechanisms and drug-receptor structure. These approaches are carried out in both academic research laboratories and...

Drug regulation encompasses the management of drug usage by evaluating its safety and efficacy through assessments conducted by regulatory authorities. Regrettably, the history of drug regulation is marred by several catastrophic events. One such incident is the Elixir Sulfanilamide tragedy, in which the toxic compound diethyl glycol was included in a sweet-tasting medication, leading to numerous fatalities. This event prompted the enactment of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938. Under...

Pharmaceutical substances known as xenobiotics are predominantly lipophilic and nonionized. This enables them to permeate lipid bilayers, such as cell membranes, and interact with intracellular target receptors. Lipophilic drugs have an advantage in crossing biological barriers and reaching their intended sites of action. However, lipophilic drugs often have a restricted capacity for renal expulsion or elimination from the body. When these drugs enter the kidneys and undergo glomerular...

A drug dosage regimen describes the specific instructions and schedule for administering a drug to a patient. It considers factors such as drug dosage, frequency, route of administration, and duration of treatment. Designing an appropriate dosage regimen for a patient aims to achieve a target drug concentration at the site of action.
Typically, the starting dose and dosing interval are guided by the manufacturer's recommendations based on clinical trials conducted during and after drug...

The selection of a drug's delivery route depends upon its physicochemical properties, including lipid or water solubility and ionization, as well as the therapeutic requirement, such as immediate or sustained effect. These routes can be divided into three primary categories: enteral, parenteral, and topical.
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the gastrointestinal...

Biotransformation, also known as drug metabolism, is a vital physiological process that chemically alters drugs, facilitating their elimination from the body and terminating their action. This process involves two main phases: phase I and phase II reactions. Phase I reactions, including oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis, introduce or unmask polar functional groups on the drug molecule, thereby increasing its water solubility. By enhancing water solubility, the drug becomes more hydrophilic...