Nursing Pharmacology

Key side effects that occur with many medications, including: anticholinergic side effects, increased risk of bleeding, and increased risk of infection. Key medications and drug classes that have anticholinergic side effects. Anticholinergic signs and symptoms, nursing care of patients taking anticholinergic medications, and patient teaching on management of these side effects. Key medications that increase a patient's risk of bleeding, signs and symptoms of bleeding, and nursing care and patient teaching on bleeding precautions. Key medications that cause immunosuppression and increase a patient's risk for infection. Nursing care and patient teaching regarding infection precautions.

The antidotes for key medications and important nursing care and patient teaching for patients taking antibiotics.

An overview of medication reconciliation, key herb-drug interactions and food-drug interactions.

Learn all about the therapeutic index, half-life, and mode of action of medications.

An overview of pharmacokinetics, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of medications.

Safe medication administration, including the "rights" of medication administration and medication administration best practices.

Prescriptions, including: types of prescriptions, timing of administration, prescription components, telephone orders, and prescription abbreviations. Key prescription abbreviations, including abbreviations for route and frequency. Plus, error-prone abbreviations that should not be used.

The different types of drug names, the US drug schedule, and drug risk classification in pregnancy.

Cathy Parkes's top ten list for studying Pharmacology.

Medications for psoriasis (coal tar, salicylic acid, topical corticosteroids), medications for acne (benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, tretinoin, isotretinoin), and medications for pediculosis/scabies (permethrin).

Coverage of Integumentary System medications, including the following: topical antibiotic ointments (bacitracin, mupirocin), topical antifungal agents (clotrimazole, miconazole, nystatin), and topical medications for burns (silver sulfadiazine, mafenide acetate).

Tuberculosis (TB) medications (rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol), systemic antifungal agents (amphotericin B, ketoconazole, fluconazole), and antivirals (acyclovir, ganciclovir, oseltamivir, zanamivir).

The following antibiotics: fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin), sulfonamides (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxaole), urinary tract antiseptic (nitrofurantoin), and antiprotozoal (metronidazole).

Antibiotics that inhibit the bacterial cell wall, including: vancomycin, penicillins (penicillin G, amoxicillin, piperacillin/tazobactam), cephalosporins (cephalexin, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, cefepime), and carbopenems (imipenem/cilastatin).

The following systemic antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis: macrolides (azithromycin, erythromycin), lincosamides (clindamycin), amnioglycosides (gentamicin), tetracyclines (tetracycline, doxycycline).

Common side effects associated with many or all cancer (antineoplastic) medications. The following specific cancer medications: doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, leuprolide, tamoxifen, and interferon alpha-2b.

Immunosuppressants, which are also DMARDs (disease modifying antirheumatic drugs). Important nursing care and patient teaching for patients taking immunosuppressive medications. The following specific immunosuppressive (DMARD) agents: methotrexate, cyclosporine, and hydroxychloroquine.

The following drug classes and medications: androgens (testosterone), androgen inhibitors (finasteride), peripherally acting antiadrenergics (tamsulosin, doxazosin), and phospodiesterase 5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil).

Estrogens (conjugated estrogen, estradiol), progesterones (medroxyprogesterone, norethindrone), uterine stimulants (oxytocin, methylergonivine), tocolytic agents (terbutaline).

Learn about these diuretics: loop diuretic (furosemide), thiazide diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide), potassium sparing diuretic (spironolactone), and osmotic diuretic (mannitol).

Coverage of the following drug classes and medications: urinary tract stimulant (bethanechol), urinary tract antispasmodic (oxybutynin), urinary tract analgesic (phenazopyridine).

The following gastrointestinal drug classes and medications: IBS with diarrhea (alosetron), IBS with constipation (lubiprostone), gastrointestinal anti-inflammatory (sulfasalazine), and pancreatic enzymes (pancrelipase).

The antidiarrheal agents loperamide and diphenoxylate/atropine. Antiemetics (ondansetron, promethazine, and meclizine) and prokinetic agents (metoclopramide).

The following laxative drug classes and medications: stool softeners (docusate sodium, docusate calcium), bulk-forming laxatives (psyllium, methylcellulose), stimulant laxatives (bisacodyl, sennosides), and osmotic laxatives (magnesium hydroxide, magnesium citrate, lactulose, polyethylene glycol).

The indications, mode of action, side effects, and key points of the following antiulcer agents: Histamine 2 receptor antagonists (ranitidine, famotidine), proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, pantoprazole), mucosal protectant (sucralfate), antacids (aluminum hydroxide), and prostaglandins (misoprostol).

The indications, mode of action, side effects, and key points of the following drug classes and medications: growth hormones (somatropin), antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin, desmopressin), glucocorticoids (prednisone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone), and mineralocorticoids (fludrocortisone).

The indications, mode of action, side effects, and key points associated with the following thyroid and anti-thyroid medications: levothyroxine, liothyronine, propylthiouracil (PTU), and strong iodine solution (Lugol's solution).

The mode of action, side effects, and key points of the following oral antidiabetic drug classes and medications: Thiazolidinediones (pioglitazone) and Alpha Glucose Inhbitors (acarbose). The glycogenolytic agent glucagon.

Key information regarding oral antidiabetic medications. The mode of action, side effects, and patient teaching for the following drug classes and medications: Sulfonylureas (glipizide, glyburide), Meglitinides (repaglinide), Biguanides (metformin).

The onset, peak, and duration of different types of insulin: Rapid-acting: Insulin lispro (Humalog), insulin aspart (Novolog); Short-acting: Regular insulin (Humalin R, Novolin R); Intermediate-acting: NPH (Humulin N, Novolin N); Long-acting: Insulin glargine (Lantus), insulin detemir (Levemir). Key points regarding the administration of insulin, including the prevention of lipohypertrophy, symptoms and treatment of hypoglycemia, and mixing insulins

Medications used to treat gout—an acute gout medication (colchicine) is discussed, as well as chronic gout medications (probenicid and allopurinol). Learn where the original Cool Chicken hint came from!

You know what agonists and antagonists are. But what is a selective receptor modulator? And how can some osteoporosis drugs help reduce the risk of breast cancer? Learn all about it in this article on the KEY meds used to treat osteoporosis, including: alendronate, raloxifene, and calcitonin. We'll describe the modes of action, side effects, black box warnings, patient teaching and other nursing care.

Neuromuscular blocking agents (succinylcholine, pancuronium), direct acting skeletal muscle relaxants (dantrolene), and centrally acting muscle relaxants (baclofen).

Four important antiseizure medications (phenytoin, topiramate, levetiracetam, primidone), medications for insomnia (zolpidem and eszopiclone), barbiturates (pentobarbital), and a general anesthetic agent (propofol).

Medications used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (donepezil), Myasthenia Gravis (neostigmine, pyridostigmine), and Parkinson's disease (levodopa/carbidopa, bromocriptine, benztropine).

Antiglaucoma agents, including: topical beta blockers (timolol), carbonic anhydrase inhbitors (acetazolamide), direct-acting cholinergics (pilocarpine, acetylcholine), prostaglandin agonists (travoprost, latanoprost), and sympathomimetics (brimonidine).

Analgesic medications including anticonvulsants that are used for neuropathy (pregabalin), opioid analgesics (fentanyl, morphine, dilaudid, oxycodone), topical analgesics (lidocaine), and vascular headache suppressants (ergotamine, sumatriptan)

Non-opioid analgesic medications, including: acetaminophen, NSAIDs, and aspirin.

Medications for ADHD and Conduct Disorder (central nervous system stimulants), alcohol abstinence, opioid dependence, and smoking cessation.

First-generation (typical) antipsychotic medications and second-generation (atypical) antipsychotic medications.

Medications used to treat Bipolar Disorder, including: lithium and anticonvulsants (carbamazepine, valproic acid, and lamotrigine).

Key meds for anxiety AND depression: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhbitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs).

Key meds for depression: tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and atypical antidepressants (buproprion, trazodone).

Learn the key facts about some medications that are used to treat anxiety, including benzodiazepines (diazepam, lorazepam, midazolam, chlordiazepoxide) and non-benzodiazepines (buspirone).

Key meds used to treat electrolyte and acid/base imbalances: calcium, potassium, sodium bicarbonate, sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate), and magnesium.

Medications for anemia: folic acid (vitamin B9), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), ferrous sulfate, and iron dextran.

Antilipemic (cholesterol-lowering) medications: statins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, bile acid sequestrants, fibric acid derivatives, and niacin (B3).

Medications used for the treatment of shock, including: epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, dobutamine, and albumin.