A drug with a wide therapeutic index is characterized by what?

A drug with a wide therapeutic index is characterized by a greater distance between the effective dose and the toxic dose. This means there is a significant range of dosages that can be considered safe and effective for a patient before reaching a level that could cause toxicity or adverse effects.

For instance, consider a medication that is effective at a dose of 10 mg and produces toxic effects at 100 mg. The large difference (90 mg) indicates a wide therapeutic index, highlighting that the drug can be used safely for various patients without a high risk of overdose or toxicity. This characteristic makes such drugs preferable in clinical practice since they can be more easily managed and monitored in a therapeutic setting.

In contrast, drugs with a narrow therapeutic index exhibit only a small margin between therapeutic and toxic levels, which can increase the risk of adverse side effects and complications, necessitating more careful dosing and monitoring.