So I'm a P1 and we're starting to do the magnificent Top 300 drug names (brand and generic). So I was wondering if any fellow pharmacy students who are ahead in their academic career had any tips for memorizing these oh so dreadful names? Thanks in advance!
TOP 300
- Thread starter glhm93
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Get a job, pick up the simvastatin, say hmm...that's zocor.
Six months later...you're set
Six months later...you're set
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Or start doing some volunteer work at hospitals or ltc facilities that has inpatient and outpatient pharmacy and start memorizing the names, pronunciation and spellings. Those lasa can be detrimental.
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I found it very helpful to have worked as a tech prior to pharm school. Being in pharmacy forced me to memorize brand and generics. Elderly patients tend to refer to brand names and some physicians will still prescribe by the brand name since writing them tends to be easier. Repetition is key, don't try to memorize the night before unless that tends to work for you. Some people in my class made quizlets that they shared and those were helpful.
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Your school might have a module built in to a class that quizzes you over so many on a given week... or you could buy/make flash cards. Start memorizing Brand/Generic, typical dose, dosage forms. Next year add S/E and interactions, next year add indications/contraindications etc. You eventually start recognizing class consistencies between the meds (ACE-i's, beta blockers, quinolones, etc).
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When I was asked to memorize those during P1, I typed everything up into an excel file with sort functions. Then I sorted in different ways alphabetically with generics, brand, and eventually studied everything by classes. Even though I knew >70% of drugs on the list through work experience, there were still gaps like: not knowing all available strengths, subtle formulation differences and their different brand names, not knowing generic names of drugs that are still brand-only, etc.
For now, if you have no work experience, I would recommend grouping drugs by "class." A lot of these drugs all end with the same endings if they have the same mechanism of action, which arise from structural similarities (generally, not always). Classic example: "statins" -> lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, etc..all cholesterol lowering drugs that inhibit HMG-CoA reductase. This way, it will be easier to memorize names+indications+side effects that are shared within the same class.
For now, if you have no work experience, I would recommend grouping drugs by "class." A lot of these drugs all end with the same endings if they have the same mechanism of action, which arise from structural similarities (generally, not always). Classic example: "statins" -> lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, etc..all cholesterol lowering drugs that inhibit HMG-CoA reductase. This way, it will be easier to memorize names+indications+side effects that are shared within the same class.
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Made my own flashcards...cheap and effective. As time goes by....add to them: class, Side effects, Pt counseling, anything quirky...etc. Overtime it will help you see things as a whole rather than just brand/generic.
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Make a quizlet, you can use it to test yourself over and over. Helps me!
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this is so true and obvious, but I am shocked at how many people in pharmacy school never worked in a pharmacy.
I worked in a pharmacy for a two years before school - I barely studies for the top 200 (that is what we did) and passed with flying colors.
My school also sold flash cards for probably 40 bucks that had all the relevent info on it.
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