頓とん服ぷく薬やく

と

ん

ぷ

く

や

く

Meanings

1

noun

single-dose medicine; medicine taken as needed

Refers to medication prescribed to be taken only when symptoms appear, not on a regular schedule. Common in medical contexts.

頭ず痛つうがひどいときは、頓とん服ぷく薬やくを飲のんでください。
When your headache is severe, please take the single-dose medicine.

この頓とん服ぷく薬やくは、発はつ熱ねつ時じに一いっ回かいだけ服ふく用ようします。

This single-dose medicine is taken only once when you have a fever.

Kanji

頓suddenly, immediately, in a hurry
服clothing, admit, obey
薬medicine, chemical, enamel
屯barracks, police station, camp

Related words

常じょう備び薬やく
常備薬 is a medicine kept at home for common ailments, not necessarily single-dose or as-needed.
処しょ方ほう薬やく
処方薬 is a prescription drug in general, while 頓服薬 specifically refers to a single-dose or as-needed prescription.

Built from

頓とん服ぷく+薬やく

Written forms

頓とん服ぷく薬やく
Standard kanji spelling for a single-dose medicine.
屯とん服ぷく薬やく
Variant kanji form; 屯 is a non-standard replacement for 頓.

Etymology

頓服 (とんぷく) means 'to take medicine in a single dose', from 頓 (suddenly, immediately) and 服 (take medicine). 薬 (くすり/やく) means 'medicine'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is well-established in medical Japanese.