What it means
A salt form added to a drug to make it stable and easy to absorb. The salt can change how the drug behaves: metoprolol tartrate is an immediate-release tablet taken twice a day, while metoprolol succinate is an extended-release tablet taken once a day. They are not interchangeable dose for dose.
For the nurse
Read the whole drug name on the order and the label, including the salt, because two salts of the same drug can be different products.
Related terms
side effect
An effect of a drug, other than the one it is given for, that is known and expected to happen in some people.