# drug, medicine, medication, preparation, ...



## Chubby

Can anyone explain to me the difference, if any, between medicine and medication?

Thank you.


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## river

1. medicine, medication-- substance that treats, prevents, or alleviates the symptoms of disease.
2. medication -- the act of treating with medicines or remedies.


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## AmethystSW

Also medicine can refer to the practice of medicine itself.


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## piotr1980

Hello,

Could you please explaine to me a difference between :
*- drug*
*- medicament*
*- medicine*

I need to take* a drug, medicament, medicine.* (as I am sick)

Many thanks
Piotr


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## SwissPete

piotr1980 said:


> *- drug*
> *- medicament*
> *- medicine*


 
Here is my attempt: *drug, medication* (not medicament), *medicine* are pretty much interchangeable. Drug has a connotation ('street drug').
Wait for more suggestions...


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## Matching Mole

Medicament is a word found in dictionaries but not much used. You are unlikely to hear it used in normal conversation.

Medicine (singular) in common usage is a liquid medication taken orally with a spoon. Often not very strong (not containing strong drugs).

Medicines (plural) is the general term for medications to cure illnesses, relieve pain and symptoms. "Drug" (plural or singular) can also be used, it tends to refer to stronger medicines of the kind that are dangerous if over-dosed, and of course refers to illegal drugs (also called narcotics in the USA).

Another word is "remedy", this is often something you can buy without going to a doctor, from a pharmacy (also called the "chemist" in the UK).

Medical drugs are also known as pharaceuticals, particularly in the industry that manufactures them.

When asking for a medicine or drug when you are ill, it's usual to simply ask for "something" for your illness, pain or whatever. E.g. "Can you give me something for my headache" rather than saying "Can you give me / a drug / drugs / medicine / for my headache".


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## NickJunior

Hi, I have a question regarding an answer to this question at the pharmacy: "How many are you picking up?"

I know it is easy to just say the amount in terms of number, but I want to speak it in a complete sentence.  So is it correct to say:

*I am picking up 2 medicines or 2 medications.*


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## EmilyD

I think both are acceptable.  I have been in that exact situation ( for professional reasons) and I have used both expressions.

I just looked the words up in the WR dictionary, and I still believe that they are sometimes (as in your example) interchangeable...

Now, in Scotland or Australia or ????,  the answer may be different...

_Nomi

_Another acceptable sentence in my parts:  I am picking up two *prescriptions*.


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## Thomas Tompion

NickJunior said:


> Hi, I have a question regarding an answer to this question at the pharmacy: "How many are you picking up?"
> 
> I know it is easy to just say the amount in terms of number, but I want to speak it in a complete sentence. So is it correct to say:
> 
> *I am picking up 2 medicines or 2 medications.*


 
Hi Nick,

I'd expect the chemist to say: how many items are you collecting? (or even: how many items is it?)

'I'm collecting (or picking up) 2 medicines (or two items) - I don't think people say medications much at the chemist in BE, but let's see what the others say.

P.S.  We could say prescriptions too, of course, but you buy things other than prescriptions at the Chemist.


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## NickJunior

Thank you both Emily and Thomas for you great and wonderful help.  I like all different variations.


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## Packard

*I take medicine for my cold.*
*I am taking medicine for my cold.*
*I am taking medication for my cold.*  (My choice of the four)
*I take medication for my cold.*

*I am on medication.* OK
*I am taking medicine.* OK
*I am taking medication.* OK
*I am taking a medication.*  OK 
*I am on medicine*. OK, but not as good as some of the others.


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## lilyar

hi, 

what's the difference between medicine and drug?? can they both be translated as "medicamento" in Spanish?

thanks in advance.


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## stevea

In the UK most people refer use the word medication for prescribed medicines. The word drug often has association with illegal substances although clearly this is not always true. Our American members would have a different take on this.


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## Nunty

When I was a working nurse, we kept some medicines in the "drugs cupboard". In common parlance, though, I think that must people in the US make the same distinction that stevea draws for the UK.

Please note that this is the English *Only* forum. If you want a translation into Spanish, there is another forum for that.


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## lilyar

thank you both

  Sorry Nun Translator, but I wasn't looking for a translation, I just needed to know the difference. To know whether these two words can be translated as this other word in spanish or not helps me understand the meaning 

thanks again!


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## liliput

A drug is any substance which has a marked effect when taken into the body or any substance which has narcotic or stimulant effects.
A medicine is any substance or preparation taken by mouth in order to treat or prevent disease. 

So a medicine may be a drug and a drug may be a medicine but the two terms are not exactly interchangeable. 

The correct Spanish translation would depend on the context - you could ask in the Spanish forum or send me a private message.


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## seadew

As someone mentioned above, the AE definition of a drug or drugs is a bit different. When the doctor gives us a prescription we go to the drug store to obtain the products, we also use pharmacy here where in BE you go to the chemist's. The pharmaceuticals industry makes drugs, medicines, medications, etc. We also use the word drugs for illicit, or psychotropic substances. To my knowledge none of these terms are restricted to oral use as lilput suggests they are in BE.


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## lilyar

thanks to all!


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## pasitoo

Hello all, 
I have a question, since all medicines are drugs, when "I take medicine for illness treatment, can I say"I'm taking drugs"? Does it sound "I" am using illegal drugs? ...But I did hear some people say "I use drugs" when they actually having medicine for treatment. So when is it okay to say "I'm taking drugs" to mean "taking legal and normal medicine" but not to cause misunderstanding?
Thank you all.


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## Dimcl

Well, it might cause a misunderstanding if there has been no mention of a medical condition but I can't imagine telling someone that you're on drugs without that context being in place, in which case, it's perfectly fine to say.

As an alternative, many people say that they're "taking meds".


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## Cypherpunk

In AE, I would generally avoid saying 'I take drugs', as it has come to mean 'illicit and/or illegal drugs'. Unfortunately, it seems to mean this in almost any context, these days, and some people go so far as to include tobacco, liquor, even caffeine and sugar, and they still mean (at the very least) unhealthy or dangerous drugs.
If you wish to discuss medicine, you can say medicine, medication, or specify the type or name of the drug. 
I know the pharmacy and medical systems are somewhat different in Europe, so perhaps the word doesn't have the negative connotation, there.


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## pasitoo

Thank you, Dimcl and Cypherpunk , it's clear


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## Thomas Tompion

In BE I think we express things a little differently.  We'd say 'I've got to take a drug for this or that'.  We wouldn't say 'I'm on drugs', unless we meant that we took illegal drugs, I think.  Often we specify the sort of drug, to avoid confusion: 'I'm on an antibiotic' or 'I'm taking anti-inflammatories'.  'I'm taking something for my X' would be enough to indicate that one was on medication.  I've never heard anyone say 'meds' in BE, though that doesn't mean that nobody does.


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## Deborah White

Hello,

*This preparation* may cause drowsiness. Do not drive or operate machinery while taking *this medication*.

This is incited from a label on a medicine for curing cough. 
I can understand medication as a synonym of medicine, but why calling it "preparation"? Does it mean this is used as a means to prevent the disease, a precaution to cold or flu?

I just don't get at it clearly enough.


Thanks again for help!


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## abenr

Deborah White said:


> Hello,
> 
> *This preparation* may cause drowsiness. Do not drive or operate machinery while taking *this medication*.
> 
> This is incited from a label on a medicine for curing cough.
> I can understand medication as a synonym of medicine, but why calling it "preparation"?  Does it mean this is used as a means to prevent the disease, a precaution cold or flu?
> 
> I just don't get at it clearly enough.
> 
> 
> Thanks again for help!



*Preparation* is occasionally used as a synonym for *medication*.  The reason for this has probably been lost, but you will find the following definition in most dictionaries.

*4* *:* something that is prepared; _specifically_ *:* a medicinal substance made ready for use <a preparation for colds>


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## Deborah White

Ok, I see. Thank you very much!!


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## istanza

Hi,

I don't want to start a new thread because my question is similar but I wonder exactly what would be the difference between "drugs" and "medicine"?

I mean if you want to be as generic as possible (getting a prescription at the pharmacy for "whatever can be prescribed"):
-is one including the other (ex: medicine being a long term medication and drugs being pretty much everything)? or 
-are they really synonyms?

Context: North America (Québec), in a text regarding Health Care Card for prescriptions in general. Their website use the word "drugs" but we want to use "medicine" and I wonder if it would be a change of meaning.


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## catgrin

When you are dealing with the medical field, there are many ways to refer to medications.

"scrips" = prescription medications
"OTCs" = over-the-counter medications
"meds" = a general reference to acceptable medications

Medications and drugs are basically the same thing, but the words cannot always be used interchangeably.

The term "medication" almost always means an acceptable one. "Drug" is usually interpreted in casual use to mean "an illicit drug". However, if you are dealing with people in the medical industry (doctor, pharmacist, nurse) they may ask, "Are you taking your drugs?" meaning "Are you taking your prescription drugs?"

I would suggest the following: Since the website is known to be for genuine prescription medications, either "drugs" or "medications" would be acceptable. The only consideration would be the consistent use of whichever word you choose.


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## istanza

Thanks. Quite instructive.

Now, is there a difference between "medicine" and "medication"?

(sorry it's just all too confusing


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## panjandrum

The chemical stuff is unbiased as regards use or abuse.
In some contexts the term of choice is drug; in others, medicine.
Medication is not always the same as medicine.
Medication refers to the drugs or medicines prescribed for a specific individual or individuals.


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## Saluton

Are these words used in the plural?

Does one pay for medications or for medication (i.e. for the drugs themselves)?

It is not quite clear from the dictionary entry.

Thanks in advance.


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## Greyfriar

Hi Saluton,

I use 'medicines' and 'medication'.


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## Aidanriley

I work in a pharmacy and we only say "medication" or "pills" but I'm fairly certain it doesn't really matter. I don't find it particularly pleasant to pronounce "medicines" because /cines/ is kind of awkward on the tongue.


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## ortak

What about drugs?
Has it only a bad meaning or can we use it instead of pills?


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## Aidanriley

You have to be careful how you use drugs, as it covers both medications and illegal narcotics. 
Constructions such as:

Do you have any drugs?
Give me my drugs.

Sound bad. 
Of course it can be used to mean medication too, yes.


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## ChowingtonPlush

I would prefer to say 'medicine' or 'pills' instead of drugs, because 'drugs' can mean other things, it really depends on the example though.
For example, if you said: I'd like to buy some drugs.  - This sounds weird. But then people can casually refer to the pharmacy as the 'drug store' and there's no seedy meaning.


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## wolfbm1

Hello. 
Am I right to say that the noun medicine behaves like the noun coffee?
I drink coffee every day. Two medium coffees a day.

I take medicine for high cholesterol. Medicines are usually tested on animals first.


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## Loob

wolfbm1 said:


> Hello.
> Am I right to say that the noun medicine behaves like the noun coffee?
> I drink coffee every day. Two medium coffees a day.
> 
> I take medicine for high cholesterol. Medicines are usually tested on animals first.


That looks good to me, wolf (though I don't think I'd ever have compared medicine to coffee...)


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## Myridon

wolfbm1 said:


> Hello.
> Am I right to say that the noun medicine behaves like the noun coffee?
> I drink coffee every day. Two medium coffees a day.
> 
> I take medicine for high cholesterol. Medicines are usually tested on animals first.


You are using "medicine" correctly, but your examples don't follow your rule. Your second "coffee" sentence means you drink two cups of coffee (presumably the same kind of coffee).  Your second "medicine" sentence is about different kinds of medicine, not an unspecified number of pills of the same medicine.  If you said, "Two medicines a day." we would know that you take two different drugs but we wouldn't know how many pills you take (maybe one pill of the first drug six times a day and two pills of the other drug once a day).


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## JulianStuart

wolfbm1 said:


> Hello.
> Am I right to say that the noun medicine behaves like the noun coffee?
> I drink coffee every day. Two medium coffees a day.
> 
> I take medicine for high cholesterol. Medicines are usually tested on animals first.


That seems reasonable.  You can talk of "a coffee" also.
"I'd like a coffee please" and "I take a special medicine for my condition".


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## wolfbm1

Myridon said:


> You are using "medicine" correctly, but your examples don't follow your rule. Your second "coffee" sentence means you drink two cups of coffee (presumably the same kind of coffee). Your second "medicine" sentence is about different kinds of medicine, not an unspecified number of pills of the same medicine. If you said, "Two medicines a day." we would know that you take two different drugs but we wouldn't know how many pills you take (maybe one pill of the first drug six times a day and two pills of the other drug once a day).



Thank you, Myridon, for providing the correct example: "Two medicines a day."

The LDOCE explains that medicine is "a substance used for treating illness, especially a liquid you drink." But it can also be "an unspecified number of pills."

I couldn't make a general statement and say: Medicine is usually tested on animals first.


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## Packard

But we say "Did you take your meds today?" Regardless of how many you take.  It can be singular or plural.


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## Myridon

wolfbm1 said:


> I couldn't make a general statement and say: Medicine is usually tested on animals first.


You could say that.  It's fine.  As your dictionary says, it's both countable and uncountable.  I think "especially a liquid you drink" is odd - pills, ointments, creams, eye drops, ear drops, nasal sprays, injectables, suppositories, ... All that probably outnumbers "liquid medicines that you drink" by a large margin.


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## wolfbm1

But then it means all medicine, doesn't it?

So, about coffee I could say:
Coffee is usually tested a few times.
or 
Coffee is usually roasted before it is consumed. (Meaning: All coffee.) 

Maybe I could also say:
A medicine is usually tested on animals first.
OR
A coffee is usually tested a few times.

Then I talk about a special kind of medicine or coffee.


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## sunyaer

wolfbm1 said:


> The LDOCE explains that medicine is "a substance used for treating illness, especially a liquid you drink." But it can also be "an unspecified number of pills."



In the post by Romany in this thread, it's said that 

Medicine is only the liquid form of treatment, one wouldn't say "Have you taken your medicine/medication?" when referring to tablet form. That would just be "Have you taken you[r] pill/tablet?"

http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst1748_medicine-or-medication.aspx

Do native speakers always make distinction in this use as in the above post? Also, if the person who is asking has no idea about the number of pills/tablets, "pill/tablet" or "pills/tablets" should be used?


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## bbsn

Dear All,

I feel,

Medicine is a 'substance / drug' prescribed by a doctor to a patient for curing an illness
Medication is 'Medical Care' given to a patient by a doctor.

Thank you.
BBSN


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## abenr

In my experience, which is quite long, no one I know in the U.S. has ever made the distinction between medicine and pills/tablets. "Have you taken your medicine" covers all cases.  There may, for instance, be a mix of liquids and pills.  We wouldn't ask the question twice in two different forms.


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## sunyaer

abenr said:


> In my experience, which is quite long, no one I know in the U.S. has ever made the distinction between medicine and pills/tablets. "Have you taken your medicine" covers all cases.  There may, for instance, be a mix of liquids and pills.  We wouldn't ask the question twice in two different forms.



Do native speakers make distinction between "medicine" and "medication"?


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## abenr

"Medication" is so infrequently heard that I'm certain the distinction is made.  I'm not sure what that is, however, but in common speech, "medicine" the word we use.


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## Sun14

Packard said:


> *I take medicine for my cold.*
> *I am taking medicine for my cold.*
> *I am taking medication for my cold.*  (My choice of the four)
> *I take medication for my cold.*
> 
> *I am on medication.* OK
> *I am taking medicine.* OK
> *I am taking medication.* OK
> *I am taking a medication.*  OK
> *I am on medicine*. OK, but not as good as some of the others.



I was wondering whether it is appropriate to say:

I take a medication/medicine for my cold.


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## DonnyB

Sun14 said:


> I was wondering whether it is appropriate to say:
> 
> I take a medication/medicine for my cold.


I would tend to say it as *"I am taking [a] medicine for my cold."* = _I am currently taking medicine for the cold I have at the moment_.
The simple present "*I take [a] medicine for my cold(s)."* works as well but with the inference of _Every time I get a cold, I take medicine for it.
_


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## Sun14

DonnyB said:


> I would tend to say it as *"I am taking [a] medicine for my cold."* = _I am currently taking medicine for the cold I have at the moment_.
> The simple present "*I take [a] medicine for my cold(s)."* works as well but with the inference of _Every time I get a cold, I take medicine for it.
> _



Would you please explain why "a" could be omitted?


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## DonnyB

Sun14 said:


> Would you please explain why "a" could be omitted?


In this sort of context we tend to use "medicine" in a very general sense without denoting "*a* medicine" in particular.


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## Sun14

DonnyB said:


> In this sort of context we tend to use "medicine" in a very general sense without denoting "*a* medicine" in particular.



Do you mean in this context, it is an uncountable noun?


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## DonnyB

Sun14 said:


> Do you mean in this context, it is an uncountable noun?


In that particular sentence it probably is - but you can certainly use it in the plural:
"*Medicines* to treat the common cold are sold over-the-counter at most chemists."


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## Sun14

DonnyB said:


> In that particular sentence it probably is - but you can certainly use it in the plural:
> "*Medicines* to treat the common cold are sold over-the-counter at most chemists."



I see. I notice that medication is more specific than medicine. Is there any example can demonstrate the difference?


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## Andygc

Sun14 said:


> I see. I notice that medication is more specific than medicine. Is there any example can demonstrate the difference?


If you are referring to drugs used to treat disease, there is no difference, whatsoever, in their meanings. You can also use medicament, although that's not much used in modern English. 

In BE, medication has the additional meaning of treatment with drugs or remedies. The word medicine has a much wider range of meanings, clearly given in the Wordreference dictionary.


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## DonnyB

Sun14 said:


> I see. I notice that medication is more specific than medicine. Is there any example can demonstrate the difference?


Do the previous posts in the thread not explain this? 

To my BE ears, "medication" has always sounded very American, but in the context of the pills or whatever that you take for your illnesses, the two terms are now pretty much interchangeable.


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## Sun14

Andygc said:


> If you are referring to drugs used to treat disease, there is no difference, whatsoever, in their meanings. You can also use medicament, although that's not much used in modern English.
> 
> In BE, medication has the additional meaning of treatment with drugs or remedies. The word medicine has a much wider range of meanings, clearly given in the Wordreference dictionary.



Got it. Thank you very much.


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## Sun14

DonnyB said:


> Do the previous posts in the thread not explain this?
> 
> To my BE ears, "medication" has always sounded very American, but in the context of the pills or whatever that you take for your illnesses, the two terms are now pretty much interchangeable.



I see. Thank you very much.


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## zaffy

Say we are at a phramacy. Do all of them work? The customer will mostly likely be offered some ointment or drops and they are expecting ointment or drops as well rather than pills. Can all four refer to ointment/drops?

Can I have some medicine for mouth ulcers?
Can I have some medication for mouth ulcers?
Can I have some medicament for mouth ulcers?
Can I have some drug for mouth ulcers?


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## Thomas Tompion

zaffy said:


> Say we are at a phramacy. Do all of them work? The customer will mostly likely be offered some ointment or drops and they are expecting ointment or drops as well rather than pills. Can all four refer to ointment/drops?
> 
> Can I have some medicine for mouth ulcers?
> Can I have some medication for mouth ulcers?
> Can I have some medicament for mouth ulcers?
> Can I have some drug for mouth ulcers?


I'd be much more likely to say _Do you have anything for mouth ulcers?_


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## zaffy

Thomas Tompion said:


> I'd be much more likely to say _Do you have anything for mouth ulcers?_


I see. But still, do they all work?  Say a phramacist is saying these:

Well, we have a few over-the-counter medicines for mouth ulcers. For example, this ointment.  
Well, we have a few over-the-counter medications for mouth ulcers. For example, this ointment.  
Well, we have a few over-the-counter medicaments for mouth ulcers. For example, this ointment.  
Well, we have a few over-the-counter drugs for mouth ulcers. For example, this ointment.


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