noun
medicine; drug; pharmaceutical
Broad term for medicinal substances, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Used in medical, pharmaceutical, and everyday contexts.
この薬剤は副作用が少ないと言われている。
This medicine is said to have few side effects.
新
Development of new antiviral drugs is progressing.
noun
Refers to non-medicinal chemical substances used for specific purposes, such as pesticides, disinfectants, industrial chemicals, or laboratory reagents. Often appears in technical or regulatory contexts.
この洗剤には強力な化学薬剤が含まれている。
This detergent contains powerful chemical agents.
農薬として使用される薬剤の安全性が審査された。
The safety of chemical agents used as pesticides was reviewed.