Which term indicates the amount of drug necessary to produce a therapeutic response?

• A. Dose
• B. Medication Concentration
• C. Bioavailability
• D. Potency

Answer: (B)

Potency is the amount of drug required to produce a given therapeutic effect. It describes how much of a drug is needed to achieve a certain level of response on a dose‑response curve; a more potent drug achieves that effect at a lower dose, while a less potent one needs a higher dose. Dose is simply the actual amount given, while bioavailability refers to what fraction of that dose reaches the bloodstream, and medication concentration is not the standard term for describing the amount needed to elicit a response. For example, a highly potent analgesic can produce the same pain relief at a smaller dose than a less potent one.