Certified Ophthalmic Assistant Practice Exam

Oral medications are considered to be systemic drugs because they are administered through the mouth and are absorbed into the bloodstream, allowing them to circulate throughout the entire body. This allows them to affect various parts of the body, not just the area where the medication was initially administered.

Local drugs are those that act primarily at the site of administration, such as eye drops for treating conditions like glaucoma. Regional drugs act in a specific region of the body, such as local anesthetics for numbing a specific area. On the other hand, topical drugs are applied externally to the body, typically to the skin or mucous membranes.