Learning top 200 drugs

[Ezegalan]

Does the list of top 200 drugs change dramatically year to year? It would suck to use up so much time and effort memorizing all the brand and generic names and their effects only to have like 50 of them replaced with newer drugs the next year, or have patents expire and brand names become obsolete.

 

[RxWildcat]

It doesn't really change that much.

 

[genesis09]

I don't see that many of the new drugs being prescribed. We just our first regular Nucynta patient. Our Victoza pens have been sitting in the fridge unused. I saw my first Onglyza script, and of course, a PA was required. The physician then changed it to another drug.
The most common newer drug I see is Voltaren gel, and that rx is almost always ends up in the call md pile. They just don't seem to get it through their ends that they have to specify a dose (2 g or 4 g) for this.

 

[psychoandy]

Does the list of top 200 drugs change dramatically year to year? It would suck to use up so much time and effort memorizing all the brand and generic names and their effects only to have like 50 of them replaced with newer drugs the next year, or have patents expire and brand names become obsolete.

The top 100 meds i definitely see on a daily basis, and the 101-200 meds you see less frequently, but would def see in retail. Also, the top 100 generally have a lot of data backing their use, so even if they go generic they'll still be widely used. MDs will write or talk about drugs by brand name, and patients usually know brand, so unfortunately brand names never go obsolete.

For example, meperidine and phenytoin both predate kefauver harris; they rarely even use meperidine nowadays, but the majority of people still call them demerol and dilantin.

 

[ValeRx]

I wouldn't even bother learning them yet. If you aren't in pharmacy school and don't work retail, there's no reason to.

 

[DrPepsi]

The Top 200 drugs aren't like the BCS rankings, if that's what you're asking.