Pharmacology Top Drugs Flashcards
Most commonly prescribed drugs and their uses
Alendronic acid (Alendronate)
To treat/prevent OSTEOPOROSIS
- It’s a Bisphosphonate (class of dugs used to prevent bone loss)
- Patient needs to stand or sit UPRIGHT
Contraindications:
- Hypocalcaemia (need to be corrected before treatment)
- Patients that cant stand/ sit upright for 30min
- Pregnant/trying to become pregnant
Amlodipine
Treat HYPERTENSION
Treatment/Prohphylaxis for heart disease, MI, stroke, etc
CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKER ( others e.g. Felodipine, Nicardipine etc)
Ca channel blockers usually first line in afrocarribean patients
Contraindications:
- Pregancy
- Liver or kidney disease
Amoxycillin
Antibiotic, bacterial infections. (E.g. chest infections/pneumonia, UTI etc)
Contraindications:
- Allergic reaction to penicillin
Aspirin
Pain relief as an NSAID
OR
Daily low dose as ANTIPLATELET:
lower risk of CVD etc
Contraindications:
- children under 16
- Peptic ulcers or history of peptic ulcers (fairly common to prescribe PPI in patients that take NSAIDs chronically)
- Haemophilia
Bendroflumethiazide
Thiazide DIURETIC used for:
- Odema of cardiac, hepatic, renal origin
- High blood pressure
Contraindications:
- Hyponatremia
- Hypokalaemia
- Caution with renal or hepatic impairment
Amitriptyline
Treatment of DEPRESSION (NOT RECOMMENDED, INC RISK OF FATALITY IN OVERDOSE)
OR
Pain releif:
- Neuropathic pain (unlicensed use)
- Migrane prophylaxis (unlicensed use)
Bisoprolol
Treat high blood pressure HYPERTENSION
Treatment/prophylaxis of CVD (angina, stroke, MI etc)
BETA BLOCKER ( others e.g. Propranolol, Atenolol etc)
Contraindications:
- Asthama
- Hypotension
- Bradycardia
Celecoxib
NSAID
Treating pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis
Contraindications: - Gastro intestinal bleeding - GI ulceration - Ischaemic heart - Mild/severe heart failure (Controversial possibility of it increasing risk of heart attacks) therefore causation with cardiac patients
(Celecoxib, diclofenac, naproxen arth pain)
CELECOXIB SEEMS TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND SAFEST IN TREATING OSTEOARTHRIRITS BETWEEN THE 3
Cetirizine
Antihistamine, ALLERGY, hayfever
Mild/moderate allergy symptoms, hayfever, sneezing, runny nose, eczema, etc
Co-trimoxazole
Combination of Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim= co-trimoxazole
Combination of 2 ANTIBIOTICS
Treatment bacterial infections e.g:
- PNEUMOCYSTIS PNEUMONIA (commonly seen in AIDS)
- UTI
- Ear infection
- etc
Cyclosporin
IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT
- Organ transplantation
- Bone marrow transplantation
Diamorphine
Strong OPIOD
- Cancer pain
- Surgical operation pain
- Possibility for chronic pain use
Diclofenac
NSAID pain swelling inflammation etc
- MSK disorders e.g Gout
- Rheumatoid arthritis pain and inflammation
- Osteoarthritis
(Diclofenac, Celecoxib, or Naproxen can be used for arth) - Postoperative pain
- Migrane
- Back pain
Doxycycline
ANTIBIOTIC
- PNEUMONIA (Doxcycline OR Macrolides such as azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin etc used as first line med for pneumonia )
(Can be given adjunct to quinine for malaria)
- STI’s e.g Chlamydia
- Skin infections
etc
Gentamycin
ANTIBIOTIC
- Eye infections
- Ear infections
- certain endocarditis
- CNS infections
etc
Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) e.g GTN spray
Treat ANGINA
- Treatmetn after angina occurs
- Prophylaxis to prevent angina occurring
- Anal fissures (tear of skin around anal) (GTN inc blood supply to fissure so faster healing time etc)
Hydrocortisone
CORTICOSTEROID
exists as creams, lotions, ointments, IV etc
- IV for angiodema of upper resp tract and anyphalxis (adjunct to adrenaline)
- Mild eczemas
- Nappy rash
- Psoriasis
- Life threatening acute asthma IV
- Hormaone replacement therapy in adrenocortical insufficiency
Lansoprazole Omeprazole Esomeprazole etc
PROTTON PUMP INHIBITORS (PPI)
dec stomach acid
- Heart burn/Acid reflux
- GORD
- Treat/prevent gastric, duodenal ulcers
- Helicobacter pylori eradication
Metformin
DEC BLOOD SUGAR (BIGUANIDE)
First line med for TYPE 2 DIABETES
Works by inhibiting gluconeogensis in liver and increasing sensitivity to insulin
Methotrexate
IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT
- Severe chron’s disease
- Moderate/sever Rheumatoid arthritis
Nitrofurantoin
ANTIBIOTIC
- FIRST LINE UTI TREATMENT (trimethoprim also first line option)
- UTI treatment/prophylaxis
- lower and upper urinary tract
- also kidney infections
Can be used for UTI in pregancy, unlike trimethoprim
Oxybutin
OVERACTIVE BLADDER
- Urinary urgency
- Urinary incontinence
- Frequent urination
- Nocturnal Bladder instability
Salbutamol
Asthma (short acting beta2-adrenergic agonist)
Simvastatin
STATIN lower cholesterol
- Hypercholesterolaemia
- Prophylaxis of CVD
Tamoxifen
OESTROGEN INHIBITOR
- Oestrogen-receptor positive Breast cancer
- Gynaecomastia ( in men if radiotherapy unsuccessful)
- Anovulatory infertility (infertility due to lack of ovulation)
Trimethoprim
ANTIBIOTIC
- (Trimethoprim or Nitrofurantoin usually one of them first line UTI treatment)
- mainly used to treat UTI
- also prophylaxis of UTI
- sometimes other infections such as Chest, Ear etc
(Also used in combination with sulfamethoxazole= Co-trimoxazole —> pneumocystis pneumonia= Opportunistic infection seen in AIDS and other conditions)
AVOID IN PREGNANCY (use Nitrofurantoin instead)