7 topics with brief breakdowns: definitions, key facts, and class questions.
In this section, we break down one of the most frequent causes of errors in prescription forms: Latin chemical nomenclature. You will learn how to correctly construct the names of salts, esters, and hydrocarbon radicals so you never confuse sulfates with sulfites, or nitrates with nitrites.
The material is divided into theory and practice. First, we will cover the grammatical models for forming the names of salts and esters, learn basic hydrocarbon radicals, and understand the principles of drug naming. Then we will move on to the applied block: translation of prescriptions and complex pharmaceutical terms.
During classes and credit tests, instructors most commonly "trip up" students on the agreement of words in the names of acid and basic salts, as well as on the spelling of radicals (-aethylium, -methylium). Be sure to complete our prescription workshop to get practice with typical tasks and feel confident during your Latin exam.
In which case is the name of the metal in a salt placed?
The name of the cation (metal or radical) is always written first in the genitive case (Genitivus).
According to what scheme are Latin names of esters formed?
Their names are formed following a strictly analogous scheme to the names of salts, consisting of two components.
How to identify a hydrocarbon radical in a drug name?
In the Latin name of a drug, the radical can usually be recognized by the characteristic suffix -yl-, which is written without spaces together with the main root.
In which case are the names of substances written after Rp.?
The names of substances after Recipe (Take) are always placed in the Genitive case (Genitivus singularis or pluralis).
In which case are finished dosage forms written out when their quantity is indicated?
The name of the form (e.g., tablets) is written out in the accusative case plural: Tabulettas.
How to accurately determine the gender of a drug if it ends in -um?
All pharmaceutical substances and medicinal products ending in -um in Latin always belong to the neuter gender (neutrum) and decline strictly according to the rules of the second declension.
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