pharmacotherapy

noun

phar·​ma·​co·​ther·​a·​py ˌfär-mə-kō-ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce pharmacotherapy (audio)
: the treatment of disease and especially mental illness with drugs

Examples of pharmacotherapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the last few years, new medications have entered the market, ushering in a revolution in pharmacotherapy for obesity and diabetes. — Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 28 Aug. 2023 First of all, insurers need to step up and universally cover nutritional counseling and pharmacotherapy. — John Lamattina, Forbes, 16 May 2022 Situations where people have more than one diagnosis may also be best treated through a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. — Bryan Cochran, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2024 Eccrine is developing a medication monitoring platform that will personalize pharmacotherapy through the non-invasive measurement of drug levels in sweat. — Sonia Chopra, Cincinnati.com, 17 Oct. 2019 Some focused on directly modifying smoking behavior, aligning with standard clinical SC guidelines, and others served as adjuncts to interventions that relied on pharmacotherapy. — New Atlas, 13 Jan. 2026 The weight loss interventions studied included low-energy diets, an exercise program accompanied by healthy eating advice and pharmacotherapy accompanied by diet and physical activity advice. — Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025 Korea’s obesity guidelines recommend a lower BMI threshold (23) for initiating obesity GLP-1 pharmacotherapy. — Aditi Kantipuly, STAT, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pharmacotherapy was circa 1903

Rhymes for pharmacotherapy

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Browse Nearby Words

pharmacosiderite
pharmacotherapy
pharmacy
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Cite this Entry

“Pharmacotherapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmacotherapy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

pharmacotherapy

noun
phar·​ma·​co·​ther·​a·​py ˌfär-mə-kō-ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce pharmacotherapy (audio)
plural pharmacotherapies
: the treatment of disease and especially mental illness with drugs

More from Merriam-Webster on pharmacotherapy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pharmacotherapy

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