When we take a medication, it can act in two main ways in our body. If we talk about local action, it means the medication acts directly at the site where it is applied or administered, such as a cream for a burn that concentrates its action in the application area. On the other hand, if the medication has systemic action, after being ingested or injected, it travels through the bloodstream and acts in different parts of the body where its action is needed. An example would be a pill to relieve a headache that, although taken orally and processed through the intestines into the bloodstream, acts to alleviate the headache.