Drug vs. Medicine

Have you ever paid attention to the fact that we have 'drug stores' be we don't have 'medicine stores'? Well, let's find out why.

What Is Their Main Difference?

Both are used to treat diseases. However, 'medicines' are mostly used for medication and are aimed at restoring mental and physical stability to a person. 'Drugs' refer to any kind of substance used to gain control over your body or your mind.

Differences

As stated above, we mainly use 'medicine' when we want to end a kind of physical or mental problem. Check out the following examples:

Did Sheila take her medicine today?

Check the medicine cabinet and find the first aid kit.

Any kind of substance that we use to remove the pain for a short period of time is a 'drug'. Since it does not help treat the illness, it only creates addiction. Examine the following examples:

One of the now commonly-used drugs among teens is 'heroine'.

LSD is a kind of drug that makes you hallucinate.

Similarities

Both refer to taking a pill or a kind of substance to ease pain. Look:

I cannot find anything in the medicine cabinet.

People never thought they'd be able to buy cosmetic products at a drug store.

Are They Interchangeable?

Since they have slight differences in their meanings, they cannot be used interchangeably. We can never consider 'cocaine' to be a medicine, but it is definitely a drug. Compare:

✓ Which drugs have been banned in Canada?

✓ Which medicines have been banned in Canada?

Both are correct but they have different meanings.

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