1.
poisonous drug; toxic medicine; poison (pharmaceutical)
A pharmaceutical substance classified as highly toxic, requiring strict controls on its handling, storage, and dispensing.
毒薬は厳重に管理される。
Toxic drugs are strictly controlled.
毒薬には赤い枠のラベルが貼られている。
Toxic drugs are labeled with a red-bordered label.
病院では毒薬と劇薬を分けて保管しなければならない。
Hospitals must store toxic drugs and powerful drugs separately.
A pharmaceutical and legal term. In Japan's drug classification system, 毒薬 is the most dangerous category — medicines that can be lethal in small doses. They must be stored in locked cabinets and are marked with a distinctive 赤地に白枠・白字 (white text on red background with white border) label. Below 毒薬 is 劇薬 (powerful drug), which is dangerous but less lethal.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 毒薬の管理: management of toxic drugs
- 毒薬の保管: storage of toxic drugs
- 毒薬を処方する: to prescribe a toxic drug
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 毒物: toxic substance — broader category covering non-pharmaceutical poisons
- 劇薬: powerful drug — a less dangerous pharmaceutical category than 毒薬
- 毒: poison — the general, everyday term
- 薬物: drug; chemical substance — neutral term for any pharmaceutical substance