therapeutic index
noun Pharmacology.
the ratio between the dosage of a drug that causes a lethal effect and the dosage that causes a therapeutic effect.
Also called
margin of safety.
Origin of therapeutic index
First recorded in 1925–30
Words nearby therapeutic index
theralite,
therapeutic,
therapeutic abortion,
therapeutic cloning,
therapeutic crisis,
therapeutic index,
therapeutic ratio,
therapeutic virus,
therapeutics,
therapist,
therapsid
Medical definitions for therapeutic index
therapeutic index
n.
The ratio between the toxic dose and the therapeutic dose of a drug, used as a measure of the relative safety of the drug for a particular treatment.