MEMORIZING
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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.
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