Pharmacy Technician Certification Drug Guide

A Structured System to Quickly Master the Top 200 Medications Names, Classes, Uses, Safety & Key Interactions

Charles Tadelesh Prada

• Publisher: Isohan Publishing
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN:
  9781923370739
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Medical Theory, Practice & Reference

Preparing for the pharmacy technician certification exam means mastering a large amount of drug information. Memorizing hundreds of names, classes, and uses from simple lists is stressful and inefficient. This guide uses a clear structure that makes learning logical, faster, and more reliable.

This book goes beyond basic memorization by organizing essential medications by therapeutic class. Studying drug families together helps you remember individual medications and understand how they are used in real practice.

Inside this structured exam-prep guide, you will find:

Structured drug profiles covering the Top 200 medications, including:

Brand and generic names (paired clearly)

Drug class (grouped logically)

Primary uses/indications

Key safety information (common side effects and major warnings)

Important drug interactions

Simplified explanations that focus on what you need to know—without heavy pharmacology.

Memory aids such as class suffixes and practical recall tips.

Safety focus with review of look-alike/sound-alike drugs, narrow therapeutic index medications, high-risk interactions, and controlled-substance basics.

Practice questions written in an exam-style format, with clear explanations.

Helpful appendices with quick-reference lists by generic name, brand name, and therapeutic class, plus abbreviations and a glossary.

This guide is ideal for:

Pharmacy technician students preparing for the certification exam

Working technicians seeking certification or a focused refresher

Anyone who wants a clear, organized way to learn common medications

Don't just memorize—understand. Build the confidence and competence needed to perform safely in the pharmacy and succeed on exam day with a structured study system that supports smarter learning.

Table of contents

• Pharmacy Technician Certification Drug Guide
• Table of Contents
• Part 1:Foundation
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Pharmacy Foundations Building Blocks for Understanding Drugs
• Part 2: Mastering Drugs by Class
• Chapter 3: Cardiovascular Drugs Part 1: Managing Blood Pressure and Heart Failure
• Drug Class Focus: ACE Inhibitors (-pril)
• Drug Class Focus: Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers ARBs (-sartan)
• Drug Class Focus: Beta Blockers (-olol)
• Drug Class Focus: Calcium Channel Blockers CCBs
• Other Antihypertensives
• Chapter 4: Cardiovascular Drugs Part 2: Cholesterol Clots and Rhythm
• Drug Class Focus: Statins (-statin)
• Drug Class Focus: Anticoagulants
• Drug Class Focus: Antiplatelets
• Other Lipid Lowering Agents
• Antiarrhythmics
• Chapter 5: Central Nervous System CNS Drugs Part 1-Mood and Mind
• Drug Class Focus: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors SSRIs
• Drug Class Focus: Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors SNRIs
• Drug Class Focus: Benzodiazepines (-azepam -azolam)
• Drug Class Focus: Antipsychotics
• Drug Class Focus: CNS Stimulants
• Chapter 6: Central Nervous System CNS Drugs Part 2-Pain Seizures Sleep and More
• Drug Class Focus: Opioid Analgesics
• Drug Class Focus: Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs NSAIDs
• Drug Class Focus: Anticonvulsants AEDs
• Drugs for Sleep Hypnotics
• Migraine Medications
• Parkinson's Alzheimer's Drugs
• Chapter 7: Endocrine System Drugs-Diabetes Thyroid and Hormones
• Drug Class Focus: Oral Antidiabetics
• Drug Class Focus: Insulins
• Drug Class Focus: Thyroid Hormones
• Drug Class Focus: Corticosteroids Systemic
• Drug Class Focus: Hormones Contraceptives HRT Other
• Chapter 8: Respiratory & Allergy Drugs: Breathing Easier
• Drug Class Focus: Short Acting Beta Agonists SABAs
• Drug Class Focus: Long-Acting Beta Agonists LABAs Inhaled- Corticosteroids ICS Combinations
• Drug Class Focus: Antihistamines
• Chapter 9: Gastrointestinal GI Drugs Stomach and Bowel Relief
• Drug Class Focus: Proton Pump Inhibitors PPIs (-prazole)
• Drug Class Focus: H2 Receptor Antagonists H2RAs (-tidine)
• Antiemetics Drugs for Nausea Vomiting
• Laxatives Antidiarrheals Managing Bowel Extremes
• Chapter 10: Anti Infective Drugs Fighting Bugs
• Drug Class Focus: Penicillins (-cillin)
• Drug Class Focus: Cephalosporins (Ceph- Cef-)
• Drug Class Focus: Fluoroquinolones (-floxacin)
• Drug Class Focus: Macrolides (-thromycin)
• Drug Class Focus: Tetracyclines (-cycline)
• Drug Class Focus: Antifungals (-azole)
• Drug Class Focus: Antivirals (-vir)
• Chapter 11: Miscellaneous Drugs Eye Drops Topicals Gout and More
• Drug Class Focus: Drugs for Gout
• Drug Class Focus: Muscle Relaxants
• Drug Class Focus: Topical Preparations
• Drug Class Focus: Eye Ear Drops
• Other Important Drugs
• ​Part 3: Putting It All Together
• Chapter 12: High Alert! Key Safety Considerations
• Look Alike Sound Alike LASA Pairs
• Narrow Therapeutic Index NTI Drugs Recap
• Common and Serious Drug Interactions Review
• Focus on Controlled Substances
• Chapter 13: Practice Makes Perfect- Mock Questions 1
• Answer Key with Detailed Explanations
• Chapter 14: Practice Makes Perfect- Mock Questions 2
• Answer Key and Explanations
• Appendix A: Top 200 Drugs Alphabetical by Generic Name
• Appendix B: Top 200 Drugs Alphabetical by Brand Name
• Appendix C: Top 200 Drugs Grouped by Therapeutic Class
• Appendix D: Common Pharmacy Abbreviations and SIG Codes
• Appendix E: Drug Suffix Prefix Cheat Sheet
• Appendix F Glossary of Key Terms
• References