How to Study 60 of the Top 200 Drugs – Effectively & Fast!

PTCB Study Guide Key Focus!

To prepare effectively for the top 200 drugs in your PTCB exam prep, it helps to approach your study with structure and organization.

Rather than memorizing drugs individually, try studying them by drug class to better understand shared mechanisms, uses, and side effects. The more organized your study approach, the easier it becomes to retain and apply the information.

In this section, we move beyond commonly discussed drug classes such as beta-blockers, tetracyclines, opioids, SSRIs, proton pump inhibitors, anticoagulants, and antifungals. While these drug classes are essential knowledge, it is equally important to become familiar with lesser-known drug classes that may also appear on the exam. A well-rounded understanding of the Top 200 drugs can strengthen your overall knowledge and improve your confidence on exam day.

Over the course of this guide, we will review specific key facts and memory strategies for:

• Bisphosphonates
• Antipsychotic drugs
• Local and general anesthetic agents
• Drugs used for bladder and prostate disorders
• DMARDs for autoimmune disorders
• Antiarrhythmic drugs

In total, we will review key details of 60 medications – focusing principally on drug class but also on details of individual drugs, where necessary.

Bisphosphonates.

Bisphosphonates are drugs used to treat bone disorders such as:

• Osteoporosis
• Paget’s disease of bone

Two quick indications memory tricks:

• the class ‘Bisphosphonates’ begins with B and ends in s, the same as ‘Bone Disorders’.
• ‘-dron-‘ within each drug name rhymes with ‘bone’.

Bisphosphonates can be readily identified because they all end in one of two suffixes:

• -dronate
• -dronic acid

Key examples:

Bisphosphonates
Alendronic acid	Pamidronate
Zoledronic acid	Etidronate
Risedronate	Ibandronate

One of the major safety concerns during bisphosphonate administration is esophagitis – or irritation and inflammation of the esophagus. To prevent this, patients are advised to take their bisphosphonate medication in the morning with a full glass of water whilst remaining upright for at least thirty minutes.

Note: bisphosphonates also interact with multivalent ions found in dairy products, iron supplements, and antacids. These medicines must be avoided 2 hours before/after taking bisphosphonates to help prevent interaction and loss of therapeutic efficacy.

Antipsychotic Drugs.

Antipsychotic drugs are medicines used in the treatment of conditions such as:

• bipolar disorder
• schizophrenia

Antipsychotic drugs share a broad mechanism of action – namely, that they block dopamine receptors – in particular, the dopamine D2 receptor. Blockade of these dopamine receptors helps to treat agitation and mood imbalances.

Note that dopamine D2 receptors are also found in that part of the brain responsible for nausea and vomiting (the chemoreceptor trigger zone, or CTZ). This explains why some antipsychotic drugs can also be used as antiemetic agents (anti-nausea drugs).

Antipsychotic drugs are typically divided into first-generation drugs and second-generation drugs. First-generation antipsychotics were the first class of drugs to be introduced but they are also the drugs most associated with extrapyramidal side effects.

Extrapyramidal side effects are movement abnormalities such as:

• Parkinson’s-like movements
• Muscle spasms
• Restlessness

First-generation antipsychotics	Second-generation antipsychotics
Chlorpromazine	Clozapine
Fluphenazine	Aripiprazole
Prochlorperazine	Brexpiprazole
Haloperidol	Olanzapine
Droperidol	Quetiapine
	Risperidone
	Ziprasidone
	Lurasidone

Important suffixes for the PTCB exam:

• First-generation drugs: –azine / and –peridol
• Second-generation drugs: –piprazole / and –apine / and –idone

Anesthetic Agents.

Anesthetic drugs are used to prevent pain and discomfort during medical or surgical procedures by producing loss of sensation, loss of consciousness, or both.

• Local anesthetics: block nerve signal transmission in a specific area of the body, such as gums or skin.
• General anesthetics: act on the central nervous system to induce unconsciousness, amnesia, analgesia, and muscle relaxation.

Their overall purpose is to allow surgical procedures to be performed safely and comfortably.

Note: for the PTCB exam, pharmacy technicians should be aware of major examples of both. Complex pharmacology and administration details are not required.

Local anesthetic drugs can be readily identified because they all end in –caine:

• Lidocaine
• Bupivacaine
• Mepivacaine
• Benzocaine

Memory trick: the suffix for local anesthetics (-caine) rhymes with ane– in anesthetics.

Lidocaine is the most widely used local anesthetic, often for dental procedures or other minor forms of surgery. To prolong its local anesthetic effect, lidocaine is very often combined with epinephrine.

The key general anesthetic drugs can be neatly divided into those that are inhaled (inhalational anesthetic drugs) and those that are administered via the intravenous route (IV):

Agent	Type
Propofol	Intravenous
Ketamine	Intravenous
Etomidate	Intravenous
Thiopental	Intravenous
Sevoflurane	Inhalational
Isoflurane	Inhalational
Desflurane	Inhalational
Nitrous oxide	Inhalational gas

Keep an eye on the common suffixes of general anesthetic agents:

• –flurane for inhalational drugs
• Therefore, other drugs must be administered via non-inhalational routes (IV)

Note: some benzodiazepines – notably midazolam – is often used for its anesthetic properties too!

Drugs for Bladder & Prostate Disorders.

There are two main drug classes used to treat disorders that affect the prostate and/or bladder: alpha blockers and antimuscarinic agents.

Alpha blockers are drugs used to treat conditions such as:

• Hypertension
• Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)

Alpha blockers are not first-line agents for hypertension. Instead, they are used as add-on drugs in treatment-resistant cases in combination with other antihypertensive agents.

Alpha blockers are most widely used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Alpha receptors are found in the smooth muscle of the bladder. By blocking these receptors, it causes this smooth muscle to relax – alleviating urinary symptoms.

Side effects of alpha blockers include hypotension, dizziness, and faintness.

Alpha blockers can be easily identified because they all share the suffix –osin:

Alpha blockers
Doxazosin	Tamsulosin
Alfuzosin	Prazosin

Steroid drugs are also used to treat an enlarged prostate, but they can take months to take effect. Because of this delayed effect, alpha blockers are typically used to provide immediate symptomatic relief until such time that these steroid drugs (5-alpha reductase inhibitors, such as finasteride and dutasteride) kick into effect.

Antimuscarinic drugs are effective in the treatment of overactive bladder. They prevent acetylcholine from acting at its receptors – notably, the M3 receptor.

Side effects of antimuscarinic drugs include:

• dry mouth
• elevated heart rate
• constipation
• blurred vision

These drugs can be easily identified because almost all end in –fenacin / –terodine.

Antimuscarinic drugs
Fesoterodine	Oxybutynin
Tolterodine	Solifenacin
	Darifenacin

DMARDs for Autoimmune Disorders.

DMARDs is an acronym for disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug.

In short, DMARDs are drugs used to treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders such as:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Forms of psoriasis, such as plaque psoriasis
• Ankylosing spondylitis

DMARDs have two functions: to slow disease progression and to provide symptomatic relief.

Key DMARDs to know include:

DMARDs
Hydroxychloroquine	Methotrexate
Leflunomide	Infliximab
Etanercept	Adalimumab
Azathioprine	Rituximab
Sulfasalazine	Tocilizumab

As we can see, many DMARDs are monoclonal antibodies (they end in –mab). Hydroxychloroquine, azathioprine, and sulfasalazine are three long worded drugs that all end in –ine. Methotrexate is one of the most widely used DMARDs, but it’s also a drug used in the treatment of some forms of cancer.

Note: for the PTCB exam, pharmacy technicians are not required to know mechanisms in detail for these drugs. Even basic mechanistic details are unlikely to be tested.

Common side effects of DMARDs include gastrointestinal upset, nausea, fatigue, liver toxicity, bone marrow suppression, and an increased risk of infection due to immunosuppression.

Some agents, notably methotrexate, may also cause mouth ulcers and lung toxicity. Methotrexate is also teratogenic, meaning that it can cause harm to the developing fetus.

Antiarrhythmic Drugs.

Antiarrhythmic drugs are medications used to treat abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) by helping restore or maintain a normal heartbeat.

The Vaughan Williams classification system groups these drugs into four main classes based on how they affect electrical activity in the heart:

• Class I drugs block sodium channels (divided into Class Ia, Ib, and Ic)
• Class II drugs are all beta blockers
• Class III drugs block potassium channels
• Class IV drugs are all calcium channel blockers

This simple system helps healthcare professionals understand how different antiarrhythmic medications work and when they may be used.

For the purposes of the PTCB exam, we have detailed each class and the major drugs used for their antiarrhythmic function.

Note: you will not be required to study the mechanism of antiarrythmics in any more detail than this!

Vaughan Williams class	Mechanism of action	Key examples
Class Ia	Blockade of sodium channels. Moderate blockade.	Quinidine Procainamide
Class Ib	Blockade of sodium channels. Weak blockade.	Lidocaine
Class Ic	Blockade of sodium channels. Strong blockade.	Flecainide Propafenone
Class II	Beta-blockers	Metoprolol Propranolol
Class III	Potassium channel blockers	Amiodarone Dronedarone Sotalol
Class IV	Calcium channel blockers	Verapamil Diltiazem

Notable side effects of antiarrhythmic drugs include dizziness, fatigue, low blood pressure, and bradycardia (slow heart rate). Taking beta-blockers with calcium channel blockers increases the risk of severe bradycardia and must be avoided.

Some agents may also cause worsening arrhythmias (proarrhythmia), gastrointestinal upset, or organ toxicity such as lung and liver toxicity.

Amiodarone can cause thyroid abnormalities. That’s because the drug contains iodine, and this fact is reflected in the drug name: amiodarone. Amiodarone can cause either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

In Review.

Class & Indications	Key Examples	Essential PTCB Notes
Bisphosphonates Treat bone disorders such as osteoporosis and Paget’s disease of bone.	Alendronic acid Risedronate Pamidronate Etidronate Zoledronic acid	Key suffixes: -dronate -dronic acid Bisphosphonates = bone disorders –dron– rhymes with bone To prevent esophagitis, take with water on an empty stomach in the morning; remain upright for at least 30 minutes. These drugs interact with multivalent ions – avoid with antacids, dairy products, or iron supplements etc.
Antipsychotic drugs Treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.	First-generation antipsychotics: Chlorpromazine Fluphenazine Prochlorperazine Haloperidol Droperidol Second-generation antipsychotics: Clozapine Aripiprazole Brexpiprazole Olanzapine Quetiapine Risperidone Ziprasidone Lurasidone	Can cause sedation and weight gain. Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) [movement disorders] are common with first-generation drugs. Note important suffixes: –azine –peridol …with first-generation drugs. –apine –idone –piprazole …with second-generation drugs.
Local anesthetic drugs Numb a specific area of the body to prevent pain.	Lidocaine Bupivacaine Benzocaine	Block nerve conduction locally without causing unconsciousness. Epinephrine is used to prolong the local anesthetic effect of lidocaine. Note suffix –caine. –caine rhymes with ane– (in anesthestic)
General anesthetic drugs Produce unconsciousness during surgery.	IV agents: Propofol Ketamine Etomidate Thiopental Inhalational agents: Sevoflurane Isoflurane Desflurane Nitrous oxide	Can cause respiratory depression and low blood pressure. Note that inhalational drugs typically end in –flurane. Nitrous oxide is a gas.
Drugs for bladder disorders Treat overactive bladder and urinary symptoms.	Antimuscarinic drugs Solifenacin Darifenacin Tolterodine Fesoterodine Oxybutynin	Common side effects include dry mouth, dizziness, and constipation. Target the M3 receptor. Key drug suffixes: –enacin -odine
Drugs for prostate disorders Improve urinary flow in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) [enlarged prostate]	Alpha blockers Doxazosin Tamsulosin Alfuzosin Prazosin 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (‘steroid’): Finasteride Dutasteride	May cause dizziness or hypotension whilst standing up. Alpha blockers can provide immediate symptomatic relief. Steroid drugs can take months for clinical effects to manifest (shrinking the prostate itself).
DMARDs Slows progression of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.	Hydroxychloroquine Leflunomide Etanercept Azathioprine Sulfasalazine Methotrexate Infliximab Adalimumab Rituximab Tocilizumab	Increased infection risk; monitor liver function Methotrexate can also cause mouth ulcers and lung toxicity.
Antiarrhythmic drugs Treat abnormal heart rhythms	Class I (sodium channel blockers) Quinidine Procainamide Lidocaine Flecainide Propafenone Class II (beta blockers) Metoprolol Propranolol Class III (potassium channel blockers) Amiodarone Dronedarone Sotalol Class IV (calcium channel blockers) Verapamil Diltiazem	Can cause bradycardia, dizziness, and serious rhythm changes. Beta-blockers are contraindicated with calcium channel blockers due to risk of severe bradycardia. Amiodarone contains iodine; can cause thyroid abnormalities. Sotalol is also a beta-blocker but is classified with Class III because it also has potassium channel blockade properties. 10% of patients taking verapamil will experience constipation.

Hope you found this week’s PTCB study guide into 60 of the Top 200 drugs helpful! Don’t worry if you can’t remember every detail right away. What’s important is that you’ve built a solid foundation of understanding that you can continue to develop over time. You can always return to this study guide later to reinforce and refresh your knowledge.

If you would like to master the full Top 200 drugs and medicines, consider becoming a full member of our online test prep program. Instant online access to our complete program to help you study and master the PTCB exam and pass on your first attempt.