Best way to learn drug names/indications

[MissPharmB]

Hi, I am starting pharmacy school in a few weeks as a py1. I have no prior pharmacy experience but have dropped my resume off to every pharmacy in town in hopes of getting a pharm tech job soon. What is the best way to learn drug names, etc. at home until I can find a position in a pharmacy? I know many of the pharmacy students have pharmacy experience and I don't want to be behind in this area. Is there a website that is good for learning drug names and indications? Any advice would be great! Thanks

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[LearnerSharer]

In my pharmacy school, half of students never worked in pharmacy.

Most struggling and depressed students never heard about "school of memory", even though the school existed many years ago.

In the middle of year 1, I wished someone told me to go to memory school before pharmacy school. If I kwew memory school existed, I would have taken the class. Just did not know....So, I am passing the wish back in time to you:

Until you start pharmacy school, "Please take a class of memorization".

Why? Why should I?
You will have to understand a lot and then sit down and memorize, and memorize and memorize....

To be fair, I do NOT prefer or recommend any school.

When searching internet for "school of memory", the following links came up:
www.pmemory.com

To be fair, I do NOT prefer or recommend any school.
www.memoryschool.com
....
To be fair, I do NOT prefer or recommend any school.

You find one that you like.

You asked for advice. So, here is the last advice from your rough future: "Please take 1 memory class, any class, just do it."

Good luck to your future...

 

[crazybob]

Hi, I am starting pharmacy school in a few weeks as a py1. I have no prior pharmacy experience but have dropped my resume off to every pharmacy in town in hopes of getting a pharm tech job soon. What is the best way to learn drug names, etc. at home until I can find a position in a pharmacy? I know many of the pharmacy students have pharmacy experience and I don't want to be behind in this area. Is there a website that is good for learning drug names and indications? Any advice would be great! Thanks

When I started working in the pharmacy, I had no previous experience. On my first day of work, I was an intern. I had to pick up on things very quickly and learn to do everything the techs did and also what the interns were supposed to do. On top of that, I had to watch and learn about the responsibilities of pharmacists and managers.

I turned out fine, and I'm sure you will too. Having previous experience makes the transition to working as an intern much easier, but it's not impossible. If I can do it, so can you.

The best way to learn drug names... well, that depends on how you learn. Find out which way helps you learn best and stick to it. Once you find something that works for sure, you'll know how to learn it well.

For now, learning the trade/generic and indications before school starts will be enough. Once you start school, you will get into the therapeutic categories, strengths and dosage forms, mechanism of action, adverse reactions, dosing for each indication, black box warnings, patient counseling points, etc.

 

[MissPharmB]

When I started working in the pharmacy, I had no previous experience. On my first day of work, I was an intern. I had to pick up on things very quickly and learn to do everything the techs did and also what the interns were supposed to do. On top of that, I had to watch and learn about the responsibilities of pharmacists and managers.

I turned out fine, and I'm sure you will too. Having previous experience makes the transition to working as an intern much easier, but it's not impossible. If I can do it, so can you.

The best way to learn drug names... well, that depends on how you learn. Find out which way helps you learn best and stick to it. Once you find something that works for sure, you'll know how to learn it well.
For now, learning the trade/generic and indications before school starts will be enough. Once you start school, you will get into the therapeutic categories, strengths and dosage forms, mechanism of action, adverse reactions, dosing for each indication, black box warnings, patient counseling points, etc.

Okay, Thanks to you both. Crazybob, do you think it would be easier to learn them by disease/condition or just by A-Z list. I found a website www.drugs.com and it lists them both ways. Thanks again.

 

[crazybob]

Okay, Thanks to you both. Crazybob, do you think it would be easier to learn them by disease/condition or just by A-Z list. I found a website www.drugs.com and it lists them both ways. Thanks again.

I think it's easier to group them together and do one section at a time. If you just have a list of random drugs, it's more difficult to learn.

When you look at drugs for hypertension, for example, going through all of the ACEIs together and all of the ARBs together can help you learn them and see how each drug in the same class is related.

Then you can look at beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, alpha-2 agonists, etc that can also be used. When you have gone through them all, you'll know what drugs are commonly used to treat high blood pressure.

If you were doing an A to Z list:

• Adderall
• Ambien
• Amitriptyline
• Amoxicillin
• Atenolol
• Ativan
• Cephalexin
• Clonidine
• Cymbalta
• Diazepam

It could be more difficult to learn since you'd have to remember that you have a CNS stimulant, a hypnotic agent, a tricyclic antidepressant, a penicillin type antibiotic, a cardioselective beta blocker, a benzodiazepine, a first generation cephalosporin, an alpha 2 agonist, an SNRI antidepressant, and another benzodiazepine.

 

[MissPharmB]

I think it's easier to group them together and do one section at a time. If you just have a list of random drugs, it's more difficult to learn.

When you look at drugs for hypertension, for example, going through all of the ACEIs together and all of the ARBs together can help you learn them and see how each drug in the same class is related.

Then you can look at beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, alpha-2 agonists, etc that can also be used. When you have gone through them all, you'll know what drugs are commonly used to treat high blood pressure.


If you were doing an A to Z list:

• Adderall
• Ambien
• Amitriptyline
• Amoxicillin
• Atenolol
• Ativan
• Cephalexin
• Clonidine
• Cymbalta
• Diazepam

It could be more difficult to learn since you'd have to remember that you have a CNS stimulant, a hypnotic agent, a tricyclic antidepressant, a penicillin type antibiotic, a cardioselective beta blocker, a benzodiazepine, a first generation cephalosporin, an alpha 2 agonist, an SNRI antidepressant, and another benzodiazepine.

That puts things in a better perspective for me. Thanks. I also found flashcards for the top 200 drugs on Quizlet so I am going to check that out too. Only 2 week until school so I better get to memorizing....
Thanks again

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

Okay, Thanks to you both. Crazybob, do you think it would be easier to learn them by disease/condition or just by A-Z list. I found a website www.drugs.com and it lists them both ways. Thanks again.

You will have more than enough time to learn drug names....do not worry about it. Knowing drug product comes when you start working in a pharmacy and going over them in didactic work. No point stressing over that kind of thing now...enjoy your time before school, continue looking for employment.

Work hard and play harder.....it will go by fast, just do your best and explore and seek out opportunities throughout your education.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Hope1974]

Hi, I am starting pharmacy school in a few weeks as a py1. I have no prior pharmacy experience but have dropped my resume off to every pharmacy in town in hopes of getting a pharm tech job soon. What is the best way to learn drug names, etc. at home until I can find a position in a pharmacy? I know many of the pharmacy students have pharmacy experience and I don't want to be behind in this area. Is there a website that is good for learning drug names and indications? Any advice would be great! Thanks

Get a job working in the pharmacy.

 

[oliviaalta123]

I had to memorize 25 medicines every week for a class, but 4 things about each medication which made it 100 things every week on top of all my other classes. You will have to learn the name, generic name, indication, and what it's used for etc. each week my teacher gave us which medications would be on the quiz next week and what helped me was grouping the medicines by indication. Like 5 would be for hyperlipidema and I'd study them in one group. There's no easy way to memorize them really besides grouping sections.

 

[bacillus1]

Easiest way: going through pharmacy school. Even easier if you also have a job where you apply what you learned.

You can do it.