Medicine x medication: Qual a diferença?

''If your doctor gives you pills for your cold, he has given you medicine or medication. Medication seems to be the preferred word when a doctor is involved.

If have surgery and have taken something for the pain, you are under medication.

If you take two pills each day for hypertension, you are on medication.

The pharmacy sells medicines and medications.

If you do not need a prescription from a doctor to buy something, it is an "across-the-counter" medicine/medication/drug.''

''There's also an age thing. I would say medicine to a child, most likely. Medication is more for adults, although medicine could also be used as well.

Medication brings up in my mind the picture of an elderly person who needs to take medicine every day, thus, it's their "medication." I think I associate medication with regularity, also because of the expression "to be on medication."

Like, if a person has a real bad headache, which they don't normally have, I would ask, "Did you take any medicine for it?" (not medication)''