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Memorizing Pharmacology Books
Drug Prefixes and Suffixes by Class 

The is the common medication prefixes and suffixes list, some might call it drug prefixes roots and suffixes or pharmacology suffixes. There are about 800 of them, but I’ve put the most common ones by alphabetically by physiologic classification that I explain in detail in the Memorizing Pharmacology book. So whether you’re studying medication prefixes and suffixes for NCLEX®, NAPLEX®, USMLE® Step-1, PANCE® or whatever, knowing these will help you expand the number of drugs you’ll know on the exam very quickly.

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Memorizing Pharmacology: A Relaxed Approach 

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Memorizing Pharmacology Mnemonics

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Chapter 1: Gastrointestinal

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liximab - monoclonal antibodies

peg - PEGylated compounds, covalent attachment of macrogol (polyethylene glycol) polymer

prazole - antiulcer agents (benzimidazole derivatives)

prost - prostaglandins

sal - anti-inflammatory agents (salicylic acid derivatives)

setron - serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonists

tidine - H2-receptor antagonists (cimetidine type)

Chapter 2: Musculoskeletal 

 ac - anti-inflammatory agents (acetic acid derivatives)

 adol - analgesics (mixed opiate receptor agonists/antagonists)

 coxib - cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors

 dronate - calcium metabolism regulators

 icam - anti-inflammatory agents (isoxicam type)

 ifene - antiestrogens of the clomifene and tamoxifen groups

 iximab - monoclonal antibodies

 methacin - anti-inflammatory agents (indomethacin type)

 nal - narcotic agonists/antagonists (normorphine type)

 nercept - tumor necrosis factor receptors

 profen - anti-inflammatory/analgesic agents (ibuprofen type)

 tacept - T-cell receptors

 trexate - antimetabolites (folic acid derivatives)

 triptan - antimigraine agents (5-HT1 receptor agonists); sumatriptan derivatives

 xostat - xanthine oxidase/dehydrogenase inhibitors

Chapter 3: Respiratory 

atadine - tricyclic histaminic-H1 receptor antagonists, loratadine derivatives (formerly -tadine)

astine - antihistaminics (histamine-H1 receptor antagonists)

drine - sympathomimetics

lizumab - monoclonal antibodies

lukast - leukotriene receptor antagonists

orphan - narcotic antagonists/agonists (morphinan derivatives) 

pred - prednisone and prednisolone derivatives

terol - bronchodilators (phenethylamine derivatives)

trop(ium) - atropine derivative (quaternary ammonium salt)

Chapter 4: Immune (Antibiotic Drug Suffixes, Antifungal Drug Suffixes, Antiviral Drug Suffixes)

amivir - neuraminidase inhibitors

bendazole - anthelmintics (tibendazole type)

cavir - carbocyclic nucleosides

cef - cephalosporins

cillin - penicillins

citabine - nucleoside antiviral / antineoplastic agents, cytarabine or azarabine derivatives

conazole - systemic antifungals (miconazole type)

cycline - antibiotics (tetracycline derivatives)

cyclovir - antivirals (acyclovir type)

floxacin - fluoroquinolone (not on Stem List)

kacin - antibiotics obtained from Streptomyces kanamyceticus (related to kanamycin)

lizumab - monoclonal antibodies

micin - antibiotics (Micromonospora strains)

mycin - antibiotics (Streptomyces strain)

navir - HIV protease inhibitors (saquinavir type)

nidazole - antiprotozoal substances (metronidazole type)

nifur - 5-nitrofuran derivatives

oxacin - antibacterials (quinolone derivatives)

oxanide - antiparasitics (salicylanilide derivatives)

prim - antibacterials (trimethoprim type) 

rifa - antibiotics (rifamycin derivatives)

sulfa - antimicrobials (sulfonamides derivatives) 

tegravir - integrase inhibitors

thromycin - macrolide (not on Stem List)

vir - antivirals  

virenz - non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors; benzoxazinone derivatives

viroc - CC chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) antagonists

vudine - antineoplastics; antivirals (zidovudine group) (exception: edoxudine)

zolid - oxazolidinone antibacterials

Chapter 5: Neuro 

azepam - antianxiety agents (diazepam type)

azolam - (WHO stem) diazepam derivatives

caine - local anesthetics

clone - hypnotics/tranquilizers (zopiclone type)

dopa - dopamine receptor agonists

faxine - antianxiety, antidepressant inhibitor of norepinephrine and dopamine re-uptake

gab - gabamimetics

giline - Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, type B

melteon - selective melatonin receptor agonist

oxetine - antidepressants (fluoxetine type)

peridol - antipsychotics (haloperidol type)

peridone - antipsychotics (risperidone type)

pezil - acetylcholinesterase inhibitors used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

pidem - hypnotics/sedatives (zolpidem type)

pin(e) - tricyclic compounds

tiapine - antipsychotics (dibenzothiazepine derivatives)

toin - antiepileptics (hydantoin derivatives)

traline - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)

triptyline - antidepressants (dibenzol[a,d] cycloheptane derivatives)

nicline - nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonists/agonists

barb - barbituric acid derivatives

spirone - anxiolytics (buspirone type)

fetamine - amfetamine derivatives

piprazole - (WHO stem) psychotropics, phenylpiperazine derivatives (future use is discouraged due to conflict with stem -prazole)

racetam - nootropic agents (learning, cognitive enhancers), piracetam type

sidone - antipsychotic with binding activity on serotonin (5-HT2A) and dopamine (D2) receptors

tropine - atropine derivatives; Subgroups: tertiary amines (e.g., benztropine)

mantine - antivirals/antiparkinsonians (adamantane derivatives)

Chapter 6: Cardio 

alol - combined alpha and beta blockers

azosin - antihypertensives (prazosin type)

dil - vasodilators (undefined group)

dipine - phenylpyridine vasodilators (nifedipine type)

dralazine - antihypertensives (hydrazine-phthalazines)

farin - warfarin analogs

fibrate - antihyperlipidemics (clofibrate type)

gatran - thrombin inhibitors (argatroban type)

grel - platelet aggregation inhibitors, primarily platelet P2Y12 receptor antagonists

imibe - antihyperlipidaemics, acyl CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitors

iodarone - indicates high iodine content antiarrhythmic

nitro - (WHO stem) NO2 derivatives

olol - beta-blockers (propranolol type)

pamil - coronary vasodilators (verapamil type)

parin - heparin derivatives and low molecular weight (or depolymerized) heparins

pril - antihypertensives (ACE inhibitors)

sartan - angiotensin II receptor antagonists

semide - diuretics (furosemide type)

thiazide - diuretics (thiazide derivatives)

tiazem - calcium channel blockers (diltiazem type)

trop(ine) - atropine derivatives; Subgroups: tertiary amines (e.g., benztropine)

vastatin - antihyperlipidemics (HMG-CoA inhibitors)

xaban - antithrombotics, blood coagulation factor XA inhibitors

Chapter 7: Endocrine / Misc. 

afil - phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors

estr - estrogens

fenacin - muscarinic receptor antagonists

formin - hypoglycemics (phenformin type)

gest - progestins

gli (was gly) - antihyperglycemics

glinide - antidiabetic, sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, not phlorozin derivatives

gliptin - dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-IV inhibitors

glitazone - peroxisome proliferator activating receptor (PPAR) agonists (thiazolidene derivatives)

glutide - glucagon-like peptide (GLP) analogs

gly - antihyperglycemics

ster  - steroids (androgens, anabolics)

steride - testosterone reductase inhibitors 

tide - peptides

uracil - uracil derivatives used as thyroid antagonists and as antineoplastics

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