Therapeutic Drug Classifications (PTCB PTCE Pharmacy Technician Test Prep)
Summary
This video provides a comprehensive overview of therapeutic drug classifications, grouping medications by their clinical purpose. It distinguishes these from pharmacologic classifications, which describe how a drug works. The presenter details numerous categories, including analgesics, antacids, antiarrhythmics, antibacterials, anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antidiabetics, antidiarrheals, antiemetics, antifungals, anti-gout agents, antihistamines, antihypertensives, antihyperlipidemics, anti-inflammatories, antineoplastics, antiplatelets, antipsychotics, antipyretics, antivirals, anxiolytics, anesthetics, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, cough suppressants, cytotoxics, decongestants, diuretics, expectorants, hormones, immunosuppressants, laxatives, mood stabilizers, muscle relaxants, sedatives/hypnotics, stimulants, stool softeners, thrombolytics, tranquilizers, vasodilators, vitamins, and supplements. Examples, brand names, and specific sub-classifications are provided for each group, highlighting that some drugs may fit into multiple categories.
Key Insights
Drugs can belong to multiple therapeutic classifications, and classifications are not always clear-cut.
It is common for medications to fall into multiple drug classifications. The classification systems are not always rigidly defined, and different ways of categorizing drugs exist.
Sections
Introduction to Therapeutic Drug Classifications
Drugs are classified therapeutically by their clinical purpose or the effect they have on the body.
Therapeutic drug classification groups medications based on their intended clinical use, specifying the change they cause in the body. This classification does not describe the mechanism by which the drug produces that change. Many therapeutic classifications start with the prefix 'anti-' meaning against.
Analgesics relieve pain, with non-narcotics for mild pain and narcotics for moderate to severe pain.
Analgesics are medications for pain relief. Non-narcotic analgesics like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) are for mild pain and available over-the-counter. Narcotic or opioid analgesics are used for moderate to severe pain and are DEA controlled substances (e.g., Norco, Percocet).
Antacids neutralize stomach acid to treat indigestion and heartburn; they are OTC medications.
Antacids are medications for indigestion and heartburn that neutralize stomach acid. Examples include chewable calcium carbonate (Tums) and aluminum and magnesium hydroxide (Mylanta). These are generally over-the-counter and do not require a prescription.
Antiarrhythmics treat irregular heartbeats, with various pharmacologic subclasses like beta blockers.
Antiarrhythmics are medications to prevent and treat arrhythmias, which are abnormally fast or irregular heartbeats. Examples include moperidone (Lopressor), atenolol (Tenormin) (beta blockers), diltiazem (Cardizem), verapamil (Calan) (calcium channel blockers), and digoxin (Lanoxin) (cardiac glycoside).
Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections and come in various pharmacologic types.
Antibacterials or antibiotics are medications used to treat bacterial infections. Examples include amoxicillin (Amoxil) and amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin) (penicillins), cephalexin (Keflex) (cephalosporin), and azithromycin (Zithromax) (macrolide).
Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, prevent blood clotting; they have diverse mechanisms.
Anticoagulants prevent blood from clotting and are also known as blood thinners. Examples include warfarin (Coumadin) (vitamin K antagonist), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), and apixaban (Eliquis) (Factor Xa inhibitors).
Anticonvulsants prevent or treat seizures and may also treat nerve pain and migraines.
Anticonvulsants are medications to prevent or treat seizures. Many also have other uses, such as nerve pain relief and migraine prevention. Examples include gabapentin (Neurontin), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), lamotrigine (Lamictal), and levetiracetam (Keppra).
Antidepressants treat depression and often anxiety/PTSD, with SSRIs being the most common type.
Antidepressants treat depression, and many also treat anxiety and PTSD. Examples include sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro), which are all SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), the most common antidepressant class.
Antidiabetics treat diabetes by lowering blood sugar through various mechanisms.
Antidiabetics treat diabetes and lower blood sugar levels, employing diverse mechanisms and drug classes. Examples include metformin (Glucophage) (biguanide), glipizide (Glucotrol) (sulfonylurea), dulaglutide (Trulicity) (GLP-1 agonist), sitagliptin (Januvia) (DPP-4 inhibitor), and insulins (Lantus, Humalog, Novolog).
Antidiarrheals provide relief from diarrhea, with OTC and prescription options.
Antidiarrheals are medications for the relief of diarrhea. Examples include loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol), both OTC. Atropine with diphenoxylate (Lomotil) is a prescription DEA controlled substance (Schedule V).
Antiemetics treat nausea and vomiting using various pharmacologic classes.
Antiemetics are medications used to treat nausea and vomiting. Examples include ondansetron (Zofran) (5-HT3 antagonist) and promethazine (Phenergan) (antihistamine).
Antifungals are used to treat infections caused by fungi.
Antifungals are medications to treat fungal infections. Examples include fluconazole (Diflucan), ketoconazole (Nizoral), and nystatin (Mycostatin).
Anti-gout agents prevent or treat gout, a condition caused by uric acid buildup.
Anti-gout agents are medications to prevent or treat gout. Examples include allopurinol (Zyloprim) and colchicine (Colcrys).
Antihistamines counteract histamine effects, often used for allergies, but also for other functions.
Antihistamines counteract the effects of histamine, a chemical produced by the immune system. They are commonly used for allergy symptoms (e.g., loratadine/Claritin, cetirizine/Zyrtec - H1 antihistamines) but also for other functions like heartburn (famotidine/Pepcid - H2 antihistamine).
Antihypertensives lower blood pressure through diverse pharmacologic classes.
Antihypertensives are medications to lower blood pressure, with many different mechanisms and drug classifications. Examples include lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) (ACE inhibitor), atenolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL) (beta blocker), amlodipine (Norvasc) (calcium channel blocker), losartan (Cozaar) (ARB), hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide) (diuretic), and carvedilol (Coreg) (beta blocker).
Antihyperlipidemics lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, primarily statins and fibrates.
Antihyperlipidemics lower cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease. Examples include atorvastatin (Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor), simvastatin (Zocor), pravastatin (Pravachol) (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors), and fenofibrate (Tricor), gemfibrozil (Lopid) (fibrates).
Anti-inflammatories reduce inflammation, including steroids and NSAIDs.
Anti-inflammatories reduce inflammation (redness, swelling). Examples include prednisone (Deltasone) (steroid) and ibuprofen (Advil), aspirin (Ecotrin), naproxen (Aleve), meloxicam (Mobic) (NSAIDs - Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory at higher doses.
Antineoplastics treat cancer by inhibiting tumor cell growth, with varied mechanisms.
Antineoplastics treat cancer by stopping tumor cells from growing and dividing. Mechanisms vary widely. Examples include methotrexate (an antimetabolite/dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor) and anastrozole (Arimidex) (an anti-estrogen/aromatase inhibitor).
Antiplatelets prevent platelet aggregation, reducing heart attack and stroke risk, but are not true blood thinners.
Antiplatelets prevent platelets from sticking together to decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke. They do not interrupt the clotting process and are not true blood thinners. Examples include aspirin (Ecotrin) and clopidogrel (Plavix).
Antipsychotics treat psychosis symptoms and psychiatric disorders, often involving loss of reality contact.
Antipsychotics treat symptoms of psychosis and psychiatric disorders, characterized by a loss of contact with reality. Examples include quetiapine (Seroquel), aripiprazole (Abilify), risperidone (Risperdal), and olanzapine (Zyprexa).
Antipyretics reduce fever; NSAIDs are common examples, but aspirin has contraindications in children.
Antipyretics are medications that reduce fever. Examples include acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), and aspirin (Ecotrin) (NSAIDs). Aspirin should not be used in children due to the risk of Reye's syndrome.
Antivirals are used to treat infections caused by viruses.
Antivirals are medications used to treat viral infections. Examples include valacyclovir (Valtrex), acyclovir (Zovirax), and oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
Anxiolytics, or anti-anxiety drugs, have a calming effect and reduce anxiety.
Anxiolytics have a calming effect and reduce anxiety; they are also known as anti-anxiety drugs. Examples include alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), and diazepam (Valium), which are all benzodiazepines.
Anesthetics induce temporary loss of sensation or awareness for procedures.
Anesthetics induce anesthesia, a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. General anesthetics cause reversible loss of consciousness and pain perception for surgery (e.g., propofol/Diprivan, ketamine/Ketalar). Local anesthetics cause reversible loss of sensation in a specific area (e.g., benzocaine, lidocaine/Xylocaine).
Bronchodilators ease breathing in lung diseases by relaxing airway muscles.
Bronchodilators help make breathing easier in lung diseases like asthma by dilating narrowed bronchial tubes. Examples include albuterol (ProAir, Ventolin) and salmeterol (Serevent) (beta-2 bronchodilators), and tiotropium (Spiriva), ipratropium (Atrovent) (anticholinergic bronchodilators).
Corticosteroids treat inflammatory conditions like asthma and allergies.
Corticosteroids, also known as steroids, are used to treat various inflammatory conditions such as asthma and allergies. Examples include prednisone (Deltasone), triamcinolone (Aristocort), fluticasone (Flonase), and hydrocortisone (Cortisone).
Cough suppressants decrease coughing; examples include prescription Tessalon Pearls and OTC Delsym.
Cough suppressants decrease cough. Examples include benzonatate (Tessalon Pearls) (prescription) and dextromethorphan (Delsym, Robitussin DM) (OTC).
Cytotoxics are chemotherapy drugs that kill cancer cells.
Cytotoxics are medications used to kill cancer cells, commonly referred to as chemotherapy drugs.
Decongestants relieve nasal congestion; pseudoephedrine is behind-the-counter due to regulations.
Decongestants relieve nasal congestion. Examples include phenylephrine (Sudafed PE) (OTC) and pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) (behind-the-counter due to the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005, with purchase limits and ID requirements).
Diuretics increase urine output to reduce fluid retention, also called 'water pills'.
Diuretics cause diuresis (increased urine output) to reduce fluid retention. They are also known as 'water pills' and are used for swelling, blood pressure, and heart failure. Examples include hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide) (thiazide), furosemide (Lasix) (loop), and spironolactone (Aldactone) (potassium-sparing).
Expectorants thin mucus to help clear chest and throat congestion.
Expectorants are medications that thin mucus, helping to loosen chest and throat congestion. Guaifenesin (Robitussin, Mucinex) is a common OTC example.
Hormones are chemical messengers used as medications to correct imbalances or modify body functions.
Hormones are natural chemical messengers used as medications to correct imbalances or modify body functions. Examples include levothyroxine (Synthroid) (thyroid hormone), estradiol (Estrace) (estrogen), progesterone (Prometrium), and testosterone (AndroGel).
Immunosuppressants prevent immune reactions for autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection.
Immunosuppressants prevent the body's immune reaction, used for autoimmune diseases and preventing organ transplant rejection. Examples include prednisone (also an anti-inflammatory), cyclosporine (Neoral), tacrolimus (Prograf), etanercept (Enbrel), and adalimumab (Humira) (monoclonal antibody/biologic).
Laxatives increase the frequency and ease of bowel movements.
Laxatives increase the frequency and ease of bowel movements. Examples include docusate (Colace), polyethylene glycol (Miralax), and senna (Senokot), all available OTC.
Mood stabilizers manage mood swings in conditions like bipolar disorder.
Mood stabilizers manage mood shifts and mental health conditions like bipolar disorder. Examples include lithium (Lithobid) and certain anticonvulsants and antipsychotics.
Muscle relaxants relieve muscle spasms.
Muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle spasms. Examples include cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), carisoprodol (Soma), baclofen (Lioresal), and methocarbamol (Robaxin).
Sedatives and hypnotics cause sleep, known as sleeping pills and are controlled substances.
Sedatives and hypnotics cause sleep and are also known as sleeping pills. Examples include temazepam (Restoril) (benzodiazepine) and zolpidem (Ambien) (non-benzodiazepine). These are DEA controlled substances (Schedule IV).
Stimulants increase attention and alertness; most are DEA controlled substances.
Stimulants stimulate the brain and CNS to improve attention and alertness. Most are DEA controlled substances (Schedule II). Examples include methylphenidate (Ritalin), dexmethylphenidate (Focalin), and amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall), lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse).
Stool softeners make stool easier to pass, relieving constipation.
Stool softeners relieve constipation by making stool easier to pass. Docusate (Colace) is a common OTC example.
Thrombolytics break up blood clots in emergencies, also called 'clot busters'.
Thrombolytics, also known as fibrinolytics or clot busters, break up blood clots in emergencies like stroke or heart attack. Examples include alteplase (Activase) and reteplase (Retavase).
Tranquilizers have a calming effect; antipsychotics are major, anxiolytics are minor tranquilizers.
Tranquilizers cause a calming effect. Antipsychotics are referred to as major tranquilizers. Anxiolytics (anti-anxiety medications) are known as minor tranquilizers (e.g., alprazolam/Xanax, lorazepam/Ativan).
Vasodilators widen blood vessels to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.
Vasodilators dilate or widen blood vessels, allowing blood to flow better and lowering blood pressure. Examples include nitroglycerin (NitroStat) and isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket) (nitrates for chest pain), and hydralazine (Apresoline).
Vitamins are essential nutrients, categorized as fat-soluble (stored) or water-soluble (excreted).
Vitamins are nutrients required in small quantities. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are stored in the body, while water-soluble vitamins (B vitamins, C) are not. Supplements may be needed for deficiencies.
Supplements include vitamins, herbs, minerals, and enzymes intended to supplement the diet.
Supplements are over-the-counter products like vitamins, herbs, minerals, and enzymes that supplement the diet. Examples include folic acid, potassium, ergocalciferol (D2), and calcium with cholecalciferol (D3).
Drugs can belong to multiple therapeutic classifications, and classifications are not always clear-cut.
It is common for medications to fall into multiple drug classifications. The classification systems are not always rigidly defined, and different ways of categorizing drugs exist.
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