learning the top 100 drugs

[endlesslove]

so i've got some time on my hands this summer and want to start learning the top 100 drugs. what books do you recommend to make it easier?? the sig and dosage all seem really complicated to learn--how does it get easier for you in pharmacy school? i would imagine getting hands one experience at hte pharmacy while in pharmacy school would help. but i need to have these engraved in my head.

again, the goal this summer is to learn the top 100 drugs and their sigs and dosages and know them like the back of my hand.

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[NguoiVN]

so i've got some time on my hands this summer and want to start learning the top 100 drugs. what books do you recommend to make it easier?? the sig and dosage all seem really complicated to learn--how does it get easier for you in pharmacy school? i would imagine getting hands one experience at hte pharmacy while in pharmacy school would help. but i need to have these engraved in my head.

again, the goal this summer is to learn the top 100 drugs and their sigs and dosages and know them like the back of my hand.

You should enjoy your summer you probably will not see a summer like it anymore.

 

[htyotispharm]

You should enjoy your summer you probably will not see a summer like it anymore.

EXACTLY, PLEASE ENJOY YOUR TIME OFF.

AT MY SCHOOL, YOU WILL LEARN THE TOP 300 DRUGS BEFORE YOUR THIRD YEAR( meaning use this time to relax)

Never ever ever will you get another free summer in your life. After pharmacy school then its time to go to work.

 

[imperial frog]

Enjoying the summer is overrated. You don't have to go in knowing the top 100, but I'd recommend it to avoid having to learn them in the later years when you're really pressed for time. I mean, you're not going to ruin your summer if you take a pharmacology book to the beach instead of a novel.

 

[blueclassring]

Make it a goal to learn 2-3 drugs a day. What I like to do is get on message boards(i.e. psychological message boards or aids boards) and read the posts that people write regarding the prescription drugs they're taking. For example, depressionforums.org has a lot of great information on antidepressants and they have great articles on classes of drugs used to treat psychological disorders. This way it makes it more "personal" and I can understand some of the issues that they are ongoing with them; plus, it's more fun that way.

Can you personalize it as well? If you've taken prescription drugs before for illnesses, start with those. More than likely, you'll know what the dosage is and what the drug was used to treat you for.

 

[ultracet]

dont forget major side effects!

we have a class in school that makes us do these so i really wouldn't worry about it... the first year for me was mainly phys, chem, dosage forms, etc.
drugs are second year

 

[kristakoch]

dont forget major side effects!

we have a class in school that makes us do these so i really wouldn't worry about it... the first year for me was mainly phys, chem, dosage forms, etc.
drugs are second year

PLUS.....it is very hard to UNDERSTAND the drugs until you have a good physiol/anatomy and pathophysiology background. I would NEVER suggest someone try to learn the drugs before school, you would just be memorizing stuff and not understanding it at all!! Wait for theraputics and pharmacology where they will describe everything to you, so you fully understand it all, and not just memorize numbers. If you really feel like studying anything now, brush up on medical terms, physiology and anatomy. But I agree, take the summer off and don't worry about that stuff yet, you have 4+ years to do that!

 

[off2skl]

Sigler's drug cards are really helpful. Of course, if you have an opportunity to work in a pharmacy, that will also provide opportunities to learn a lot.

 

[rxgal8]

Working at a pharmacy will help you learn most of the top drugs without even trying. I would suggest memorizing the brand and generic names first. Then categorize the drugs according to class/indication. The rest (dosages, contraindications, adverse effects, etc) you'll be better off leaving till pharmacy school starts to gain a better understanding. You could work on learning about 10-20 drugs a week. Goodluck!

 

[endlesslove]

Enjoying the summer is overrated. You don't have to go in knowing the top 100, but I'd recommend it to avoid having to learn them in the later years when you're really pressed for time. I mean, you're not going to ruin your summer if you take a pharmacology book to the beach instead of a novel.

RIGHT.

i just want to learn a little a day w/o much pain as opposed to later when i am going to be overwhelmed with a buncha stuff. i've got 4 months off, which equates to about 120 days if there are 30 days in a month =) so a drug a day: generic, brand, sig, dosage, major side effects, similar drugs, opposites

i'll try to read a bit about the pharmacology behind it but i probably won't undersatnd much of it until pharmacy school. again, that's okay for now b/c i just want the gist of things (the specifics that i mentioned above). i already took a pharmacology course at berkeley but it's been a year.

i've volunteered at several pharmacies b4 and i dont' think it helps you to learn the top 100 drugs (the specifics i've mentioned above) unless you've already got a solid list down. i mean i'll be inputting the drugs and many of them sound familiar but the thing is, personally, i learn best when i can see things organized really well (i.e. written lists and such) and then this learning is best enhanced by supplementing it with hands-on experience. for me, it's not vice versa.
so someone mentioend sigler's drug cards? ANYMORE SUGGESTIONS?? C'MON PEOPLE, KEEP 'EM COMIN'!! thanks!!

 

[endlesslove]

Make it a goal to learn 2-3 drugs a day. What I like to do is get on message boards(i.e. psychological message boards or aids boards) and read the posts that people write regarding the prescription drugs they're taking. For example, depressionforums.org has a lot of great information on antidepressants and they have great articles on classes of drugs used to treat psychological disorders. This way it makes it more "personal" and I can understand some of the issues that they are ongoing with them; plus, it's more fun that way.

Can you personalize it as well? If you've taken prescription drugs before for illnesses, start with those. More than likely, you'll know what the dosage is and what the drug was used to treat you for.

thanks. where can i find a list of such boards? i just want it to be one of my summer hobbies.

 

[Jeddevil]

You have the next few years to learn drugs. Enjoy your summer, don't study!

 

[imperial frog]

You have the next few years to learn drugs. Enjoy your summer, don't study!

I'm for letting the OP decide how he/she wants to spend their summer. It's not like taking a little time learning the names/generics of a couple hundred drugs means that people can't enjoy the summer. It certainly won't hurt them not to know them, but it can help them if they do.

 

[neonam11]

Endlesslove,

Yeah, if you want to study during the summer, that's your perogative. If you want a list of the top 100-200 drugs, go to www.rxlist.com. If you care to know the physiology and pharmacology for each class of drugs, pick up Katzung & Trevor's Phamacology: Examination and Board Review, the condensed verson (ISBN 0-07-142290-0). You can buy it online or if you want the book right away, grab the BART to UCSF and pick up one from our bookstore. Good luck at SD and see all of you guys up here for the next APhA National conference.

 

[Kawen]

I had to memorize this table in my first semester of my first year for pharmacy care lab.

http://karen.clemsonpilot.com/misc/medlist.doc

 

[endlesslove]

I had to memorize this table in my first semester of my first year for pharmacy care lab.

http://karen.clemsonpilot.com/misc/medlist.doc

wow! how nifty!

thanks to everyone for their responses dont worry, i'm still gonna enjoy my summer (i have vacation plans to Asia and the East Coast )

 

[Kawen]

wow! how nifty!

thanks to everyone for their responses dont worry, i'm still gonna enjoy my summer (i have vacation plans to Asia and the East Coast )

If you want to look at some of the study guides and such for topics like biochem that various people in my class put together, please check out my class website at www.musccop2008.com if you click on study materials, the user name is P1 and the pw is 2008.

 

[endlesslove]

If you want to look at some of the study guides and such for topics like biochem that various people in my class put together, please check out my class website at www.musccop2008.com if you click on study materials, the user name is P1 and the pw is 2008.

oh, the login is case-sensitive (capital P, for anyone else who wants to take a peek at it =)

 

[endlesslove]

If you want to look at some of the study guides and such for topics like biochem that various people in my class put together, please check out my class website at www.musccop2008.com if you click on study materials, the user name is P1 and the pw is 2008.

hey! w00t! some of the materials may become very useful for me to study for my physio exam!<--ahh. i didn't see anything on the digestive system--when will that be up? =) yeah to free education for now

 

[Kawen]

hey! w00t! some of the materials may become very useful for me to study for my physio exam!<--ahh. i didn't see anything on the digestive system--when will that be up? =) yeah to free education for now

Give me a few minutes and I'll scan it and put it up (it's handwritten).

edit: it will be under Physiology Test 3 material once it has finished uploading.

 

[ZpackSux]

Top 100 drugs? Top 100 prescribed? or Top 100 in $ spent? I would think the most prescribed drug is Hydrocodone/APAP... drug co has figured out that feeding an addiction isn't a bad way to make a profit.

What will you learn about the Top 100 drugs...brand and generic names? Or the whole 9 yard... pharmacology, indications and contraindications... pharmacokinetics.. mechanism of action.. Adverse drug reaction, drug interaction and dosage?

Take the summer off and do something more fun.

 

[endlesslove]

Top 100 drugs? Top 100 prescribed? or Top 100 in $ spent? I would think the most prescribed drug is Hydrocodone/APAP... drug co has figured out that feeding an addiction isn't a bad way to make a profit.

What will you learn about the Top 100 drugs...brand and generic names? Or the whole 9 yard... pharmacology, indications and contraindications... pharmacokinetics.. mechanism of action.. Adverse drug reaction, drug interaction and dosage?

Take the summer off and do something more fun.

If you don't want to answer the original question ab what i can use to help remember drug names more, really, it's OKAY, there's no need to respond to this thread. I'm sick and tired of people saying just go out and play all day (right, I've read the "this is your last summer and go out" threads and I am aware of that [that's why i even have vacatino plans])--I'm not vouching for studying all day (that's just sick, i've had my fair share in the previous summers )and I did mention in a previous post [see below] that I had other plans as well. Even as another poster mentioned, it's possible to just read a little bit. And as I mentioned earlier:

wow! how nifty!

thanks to everyone for their responses dont worry, i'm still gonna enjoy my summer (i have vacation plans to Asia and the East Coast )

Have a good day.

 

[ZpackSux]

Well..u posed a question... what u need to study...for top 100 drugs. I wanted to find out what you considered "Top 100 drugs."??? Top 100 what?

oh well... why stop at 100... go for 150 top drugs.