How to say "drugs" in Japanese

• 医薬品いやくひんCommon
  nounCovers drugs in the medicinal sense: pharmaceutical products and medicinal supplies. This common word is the usual choice in contexts such as pharmacies, hospitals, and pharmaceutical regulation; it does not cover illegal drugs.
  ボランティアグループの人ひと達たちは戦争せんそう被害者ひがいしゃに食料しょくりょうと医薬品いやくひんを配くばっている。↗

  The volunteer group provides war victims with food and medicine.
• 薬種やくしゅ
  nounA less common word that is seldom what you want for 'drugs': it really means ingredients for Chinese medicine rather than drugs in general.
• 薬餌やくじ
  nounA less common word for medicine or drugs; it is seldom the word you want, and in the ordinary medicinal sense 医薬品 is the usual choice.

For drugs in the medicinal sense, the common word 医薬品 is what you want; 薬種 is a less common term for ingredients in Chinese medicine, and 薬餌 is a less common word for medicine.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 医薬品いやくひんmedical and pharmaceutical products
• 薬種やくしゅdrugs
• 薬餌やくじmedicine
• 薬くすりmedicine