Real Life Pharmacology - Pharmacology Education for Health Care Professionals

Welcome back to the Real Life Pharmacology podcast! We are on the home stretch of the top 200 medications. This is meant to be a quicker refresher of some of the most important drugs you’ll come across in practice. Please be sure to go search the archives at RealLifePharmacology.com if you are looking for more information on one specific medication. We have over 300 individual episodes on specific drugs!

On this episode of the Top 200 medications, we’ve covered the medications below.

Niaspan (niacin) is vitamin B3 and may be used in patients who fail other therapies for triglyceride management.

Uroxatral (alfuzosin) is a selective alpha-blocker that can be helpful in relieving urinary retention symptoms in BPH.

Biaxin (clarithromycin) is a macrolide antibiotic that is notorious for many drug interactions because it inhibits CYP3A4.

Zomig (zolmitriptan) is a “triptan” medication that can be used for the acute relief of migraine headaches.

Invokana (canagliflozin) was one of the first SGLT2 inhibitors invented that can be used to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

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On this episode of the Top 200 Drugs Podcast, I cover medications 151-155. This podcast includes; cefuroxime, ketoconazole, pregabalin, esomeprazole, and ipratropium/albuterol.

Cefuroxime is a 2nd generation cephalosporin that has a very similar bacterial coverage profile to amoxicillin. It has significant gram positive coverage.

Ketoconazole is an azole antifungal medication. It is well known for causing hepatotoxicity as well as interactions via CYP3A4.

Pregabalin has a lot of similarities with gabapentin. It can be used fo various pain syndromes such as neuropathy and fibromyalgia.

Esomeprazole is a PPI and has a similar profile to omeprazole. It inhibits CYP2C19 and has a few notable interactions that I cover in this episode.

Ipratropium and albuterol is a combination of a short acting anticholinergic and short acting beta agonist.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

NAPLEX Study Materials

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp (PTCB Exam Prep Course) – 4.8/5 star course rating

Today’s sponsor is Freed AI! Freed’s AI medical scribe listens, transcribes, and writes notes for you. Over 15,000 healthcare professionals use Freed and you should too! Learn more here!

On this episode of the Top 200 Drugs Podcast, I cover medications 146-150. This podcast includes; sevelamer, dalteparin, sertraline, clonazepam, and irbesartan.

Sevelamer is a phosphate binder that is used to treat hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Dalteparin is a low molecular weight heparin product that is used to prevent and treat blood clots.

Sertraline is a commonly used SSRI that can be helpful in managing depression and anxiety.

Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine that can be used for acute relief of anxiety. Sedation, confusion, and fall risk are potential adverse effects.

Irbesartan is an ARB that can be used for hypertension. Hyperkalemia and angioedema are two adverse effects to be aware of.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

On this top 200 drugs podcast, we are covering medications 141-145. Raltegravir, ustekinumab, meloxicam, infliximab, and Nighttime Cold and Flu are the medications that are covered on this episode.

Raltegravir is an integrase inhibitor that is used to manage HIV infection and may also be used for post-exposure prophylaxis.

Ustekinumab is a monoclonal antibody that can help reduce inflammation by binding interleukins.

Meloxicam is an NSAID used for pain and anti-inflammatory purposes. GI bleeding risk is a top adverse effect to monitor for.

Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that can be used for autoimmune disorders such as psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease.

Nighttime Cold and Flu medication is a combination product that often includes acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

NAPLEX Study Materials

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Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp (PTCB Exam Prep Course) – 4.8/5 star course rating

On this episode, I cover cinacalcet, solifenacin, haloperidol, hydrocortisone (focused on topical), and insulin NPH.

Cinacalcet is a calcimimetic medication that can be helpful in hyperparathyroidism and useful for managing hypercalcemia.

Solifenacin is a urinary antimuscarinic used primarily for overactive bladder. It is an anticholinergic medication that can be problematic in our geriatric patients.

Haloperidol is a first generation antipsychotic that has a high incidence of EPS relative to many newer antipsychotics.

Hydrocotorisone is one of the most common topical corticosteroids that can be used to reduce inflammation and redness from skin reactions.

Insulin NPH is an intermediate acting insulin that is meant to be given on a routine basis. It has fallen out of favor since insulin glargine and other long acting agents allow for few injections and more stable kinetics.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

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BCACP Study Materials

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BCMTMS Study Materials

Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp (PTCB Exam Prep Course) – 4.8/5 star course rating

On this episode of the Top 200 drugs podcast from Real Life Pharmacology, I cover medications 131-135 which include enoxaparin, methylphenidate, rosuvastatin, denosumab, and dabigatran.

Enoxaparin is an injectable anticoagulant that can cause heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Methylphenidate is a stimulant medication that can be used to treat ADHD. Cardiovascular adverse effects are possible.

Rosuvastatin inhibits HMG-CoA Reductase which helps lower LDL in the management of hypercholesterolemia.

Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody that is indicated for osteoporosis and may cause hypocalcemia.

Dabigatran was one of the first direct oral anticoagulants to be produced. It is dosed twice daily and has warnings about use in patients over the age of 75.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

NAPLEX Study Materials

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp (PTCB Exam Prep Course) – 4.8/5 star course rating

In this episode of the Top 200 Drugs Podcast, we cover medications 126-130.

Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that can be used for breast cancer that expresses the HER2 protein.

Atripla is an HIV medication that contains three separate medications that are beneficial in reducing viral load.

Rivaroxaban is an anticoagulant that may be commonly used in the management of stroke and deep vein thrombosis.

Fioricet is a combination of three medications. Butalbital, acetaminophen, and caffeine are the three ingredients in this medication.

Insulin detemir is a long-acting insulin analog that lowers blood sugar. This medication is used to target fasting blood sugars.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

NAPLEX Study Materials

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp (PTCB Exam Prep Course) – 4.8/5 star course rating

On the top 200 drugs podcast, we cover 5 more medications. The medications covered on today’s episode include; omalizumab, nitroglycerin, apixaban, gabapentin, and etanercept.

Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody used in moderate to severe asthma. It targets IgE-mediated asthma attacks and reactions. Anaphylaxis is a significant concern with the use of this medication.

Sublingual nitroglycerin is frequently used on an as needed basis for angina symptoms. I discuss major drug interactions and much more.

Apixaban is an anticoagulant used to prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation. It can also be used in DVT/PE treatment and prevention.

Gabapentin is classified as an antiepileptic agent but is most commonly used for neuropathic type pain.

Etanercept targets TNF alpha which plays an important role in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

NAPLEX Study Materials

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp (PTCB Exam Prep Course) – 4.8/5 star course rating

In this episode of the Top 200 Drugs Podcast, I cover glyburide, citalopram, olmesratan, carvedilol, and tiotropium.

Glyburide is a sulfonylurea that is well known to cause hypoglycemia and weight gain because it stimulates the pancreas to increase insulin release.

Citalopram is an SSRI most well known for its potential to increase the risk for QTc prolongation. It has a notorious drug interaction with omeprazole

Olmesartan is an ARB that can be used for hypertension. Hyperkalemia is an electrolyte imbalance that can be caused by its use.

Carvedilol is one of the few beta-blockers with significant alpha-blocking and beta-blocking activity. I discuss what this means in this Top 200 drugs podcast.

Tiotropium is an anticholinergic medication that can open the airway. It is most commonly used for COPD.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

NAPLEX Study Materials

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp (PTCB Exam Prep Course) – 4.8/5 star course rating

Clindamycin is an antibiotic for infection. It inhibits protein synthesis by binding to the 50s ribosomal subunit and is well known to contribute to C. Diff. risk.

Acetaminophen is a common over-the-counter medication that relieves pain and fever. It does not have much benefit in reducing inflammation, however.

Ferrous sulfate is a supplement that can be useful in treating anemia. Dark stools and constipation are two common adverse effects.

Eletriptan is a medication used to abort migraine headaches. It has serotonin action. I discuss the potential for interactions with other serotonergic medications.

Methocarbamol is an older skeletal muscle relaxant that makes an appearance on the Beers list as it can cause sedation, confusion, and increase the risk of falls.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

NAPLEX Study Materials

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Pharmacy Technician Bootcamp (PTCB Exam Prep Course) – 4.8/5 star course rating