Medication is a substance used to treat, prevent, or relieve the symptoms of disease. It includes prescription drugs, over‑the‑counter medicines, and other medically used chemicals.
From Latin “medicatio” meaning 'a healing, a treatment', from “medicari” 'to heal or cure'. The root “medic-” relates to 'physician' and 'medicine'. English adopted it to refer both to the act of treating and, more commonly now, to the substances used.
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