Top 200 Drugs by Therapeutic Class
This cheat sheet organizes frequently prescribed medications by therapeutic class. Pharmacy technicians should be familiar with both generic and brand names, the drug class, and common indications. This list is not exhaustive but covers the drugs most likely to appear on the CPHT exam and in daily practice.
Cardiovascular Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| lisinopril | Prinivil, Zestril | ACE inhibitor | Hypertension, heart failure |
| enalapril | Vasotec | ACE inhibitor | Hypertension, heart failure |
| losartan | Cozaar | ARB | Hypertension |
| valsartan | Diovan | ARB | Hypertension, heart failure |
| amlodipine | Norvasc | Calcium channel blocker | Hypertension, angina |
| diltiazem | Cardizem | Calcium channel blocker | Hypertension, angina, arrhythmia |
| metoprolol | Lopressor, Toprol-XL | Beta blocker | Hypertension, heart failure, angina |
| atenolol | Tenormin | Beta blocker | Hypertension, angina |
| carvedilol | Coreg | Beta blocker | Heart failure, hypertension |
| propranolol | Inderal | Beta blocker | Hypertension, tremor, migraine prevention |
| hydrochlorothiazide | Microzide | Thiazide diuretic | Hypertension, edema |
| furosemide | Lasix | Loop diuretic | Edema, heart failure |
| spironolactone | Aldactone | Potassium-sparing diuretic | Heart failure, edema, hypertension |
| warfarin | Coumadin | Anticoagulant | Blood clot prevention |
| apixaban | Eliquis | Direct oral anticoagulant | Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation |
| rivaroxaban | Xarelto | Direct oral anticoagulant | DVT/PE treatment and prevention |
| clopidogrel | Plavix | Antiplatelet | Stroke and heart attack prevention |
| atorvastatin | Lipitor | Statin | Hyperlipidemia |
| rosuvastatin | Crestor | Statin | Hyperlipidemia |
| simvastatin | Zocor | Statin | Hyperlipidemia |
| pravastatin | Pravachol | Statin | Hyperlipidemia |
Central Nervous System Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| sertraline | Zoloft | SSRI | Depression, anxiety, OCD |
| escitalopram | Lexapro | SSRI | Depression, generalized anxiety |
| fluoxetine | Prozac | SSRI | Depression, OCD, bulimia |
| citalopram | Celexa | SSRI | Depression |
| paroxetine | Paxil | SSRI | Depression, anxiety, PTSD |
| duloxetine | Cymbalta | SNRI | Depression, neuropathic pain, anxiety |
| venlafaxine | Effexor XR | SNRI | Depression, anxiety |
| bupropion | Wellbutrin | NDRI | Depression, smoking cessation |
| trazodone | Desyrel | Serotonin modulator | Depression, insomnia |
| amitriptyline | Elavil | Tricyclic antidepressant | Depression, neuropathic pain |
| alprazolam | Xanax | Benzodiazepine | Anxiety, panic disorder |
| lorazepam | Ativan | Benzodiazepine | Anxiety, insomnia, seizures |
| diazepam | Valium | Benzodiazepine | Anxiety, muscle spasm, seizures |
| zolpidem | Ambien | Sedative-hypnotic | Insomnia |
| gabapentin | Neurontin | Anticonvulsant | Seizures, neuropathic pain |
| pregabalin | Lyrica | Anticonvulsant | Neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, seizures |
| levetiracetam | Keppra | Anticonvulsant | Seizures |
| lamotrigine | Lamictal | Anticonvulsant | Seizures, bipolar disorder |
| topiramate | Topamax | Anticonvulsant | Seizures, migraine prevention |
| quetiapine | Seroquel | Atypical antipsychotic | Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder |
| aripiprazole | Abilify | Atypical antipsychotic | Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder |
| risperidone | Risperdal | Atypical antipsychotic | Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder |
| methylphenidate | Ritalin, Concerta | CNS stimulant | ADHD |
| amphetamine/dextroamphetamine | Adderall | CNS stimulant | ADHD |
| lisdexamfetamine | Vyvanse | CNS stimulant | ADHD |
Endocrine and Metabolic Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| metformin | Glucophage | Biguanide | Type 2 diabetes |
| glipizide | Glucotrol | Sulfonylurea | Type 2 diabetes |
| glyburide | DiaBeta | Sulfonylurea | Type 2 diabetes |
| sitagliptin | Januvia | DPP-4 inhibitor | Type 2 diabetes |
| empagliflozin | Jardiance | SGLT2 inhibitor | Type 2 diabetes, heart failure |
| semaglutide | Ozempic, Wegovy | GLP-1 receptor agonist | Type 2 diabetes, weight management |
| dulaglutide | Trulicity | GLP-1 receptor agonist | Type 2 diabetes |
| insulin glargine | Lantus, Basaglar | Long-acting insulin | Diabetes |
| insulin lispro | Humalog | Rapid-acting insulin | Diabetes |
| insulin aspart | NovoLog | Rapid-acting insulin | Diabetes |
| levothyroxine | Synthroid, Levoxyl | Thyroid hormone | Hypothyroidism |
| prednisone | Deltasone | Corticosteroid | Inflammation, autoimmune conditions |
| methylprednisolone | Medrol | Corticosteroid | Inflammation |
| dexamethasone | Decadron | Corticosteroid | Inflammation, nausea |
Pain and Musculoskeletal Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| ibuprofen | Motrin, Advil | NSAID | Pain, inflammation, fever |
| naproxen | Naprosyn, Aleve | NSAID | Pain, inflammation |
| meloxicam | Mobic | NSAID | Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis |
| celecoxib | Celebrex | COX-2 inhibitor | Arthritis pain |
| acetaminophen | Tylenol | Analgesic/antipyretic | Pain, fever |
| tramadol | Ultram | Opioid analgesic | Moderate pain |
| hydrocodone/acetaminophen | Vicodin, Norco | Opioid analgesic | Moderate to severe pain |
| oxycodone | OxyContin, Roxicodone | Opioid analgesic | Moderate to severe pain |
| morphine | MS Contin | Opioid analgesic | Severe pain |
| cyclobenzaprine | Flexeril | Muscle relaxant | Muscle spasm |
| baclofen | Lioresal | Muscle relaxant | Muscle spasticity |
| allopurinol | Zyloprim | Xanthine oxidase inhibitor | Gout |
Respiratory Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| albuterol | ProAir, Ventolin | Short-acting beta-2 agonist | Asthma, bronchospasm |
| fluticasone (inhaled) | Flovent | Inhaled corticosteroid | Asthma |
| fluticasone/salmeterol | Advair | ICS/LABA combination | Asthma, COPD |
| budesonide/formoterol | Symbicort | ICS/LABA combination | Asthma, COPD |
| tiotropium | Spiriva | Long-acting anticholinergic | COPD |
| montelukast | Singulair | Leukotriene receptor antagonist | Asthma, allergic rhinitis |
| fluticasone (nasal) | Flonase | Nasal corticosteroid | Allergic rhinitis |
| cetirizine | Zyrtec | Antihistamine | Allergies |
| loratadine | Claritin | Antihistamine | Allergies |
| fexofenadine | Allegra | Antihistamine | Allergies |
| benzonatate | Tessalon Perles | Antitussive | Cough |
Gastrointestinal Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| omeprazole | Prilosec | Proton pump inhibitor | GERD, ulcers |
| pantoprazole | Protonix | Proton pump inhibitor | GERD, ulcers |
| esomeprazole | Nexium | Proton pump inhibitor | GERD |
| famotidine | Pepcid | H2 receptor antagonist | GERD, ulcers |
| ondansetron | Zofran | 5-HT3 antagonist | Nausea, vomiting |
| promethazine | Phenergan | Antiemetic/antihistamine | Nausea, vomiting |
| docusate sodium | Colace | Stool softener | Constipation |
| polyethylene glycol | MiraLAX | Osmotic laxative | Constipation |
Anti-Infective Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| amoxicillin | Amoxil | Penicillin antibiotic | Bacterial infections |
| amoxicillin/clavulanate | Augmentin | Penicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitor | Bacterial infections |
| azithromycin | Zithromax (Z-Pack) | Macrolide antibiotic | Bacterial infections |
| ciprofloxacin | Cipro | Fluoroquinolone | Bacterial infections |
| levofloxacin | Levaquin | Fluoroquinolone | Bacterial infections |
| cephalexin | Keflex | Cephalosporin (1st gen) | Bacterial infections |
| ceftriaxone | Rocephin | Cephalosporin (3rd gen) | Bacterial infections |
| doxycycline | Vibramycin | Tetracycline | Bacterial infections, acne |
| sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim | Bactrim | Sulfonamide | UTI, bacterial infections |
| metronidazole | Flagyl | Nitroimidazole | Anaerobic infections, C. diff |
| fluconazole | Diflucan | Antifungal | Fungal infections |
| valacyclovir | Valtrex | Antiviral | Herpes, shingles |
| oseltamivir | Tamiflu | Antiviral | Influenza |
Dermatological and Ophthalmic Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| triamcinolone (topical) | Kenalog | Topical corticosteroid | Skin inflammation |
| clobetasol | Temovate | Topical corticosteroid | Severe skin inflammation |
| mupirocin | Bactroban | Topical antibiotic | Skin infections |
| latanoprost | Xalatan | Prostaglandin analog | Glaucoma |
| timolol (ophthalmic) | Timoptic | Beta blocker (ophthalmic) | Glaucoma |
Genitourinary Agents
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| tamsulosin | Flomax | Alpha blocker | Benign prostatic hyperplasia |
| finasteride | Proscar | 5-alpha reductase inhibitor | BPH, hair loss |
| sildenafil | Viagra | PDE-5 inhibitor | Erectile dysfunction |
| tadalafil | Cialis | PDE-5 inhibitor | Erectile dysfunction, BPH |
Miscellaneous
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Class | Indication |
|---|
| linaclotide | Linzess | Guanylate cyclase-C agonist | IBS-C, chronic constipation |
| sumatriptan | Imitrex | Triptan | Migraine |
| hydroxychloroquine | Plaquenil | DMARD | Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus |
| methotrexate | Trexall | DMARD/antimetabolite | Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis |
| potassium chloride | Klor-Con | Electrolyte supplement | Hypokalemia |
| ferrous sulfate | Feosol | Iron supplement | Iron deficiency anemia |
| cholecalciferol | Vitamin D3 | Vitamin | Vitamin D deficiency |
Exam Tips
- Know both the generic and brand name for every drug on this list.
- Pay attention to drug class suffixes: -pril (ACE inhibitors), -sartan (ARBs), -olol (beta blockers), -statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors), -prazole (PPIs).
- Combination products are tested frequently - know what each component is.
- Tall man lettering (e.g., hydrOXYzine vs. hydrALAZINE) helps distinguish look-alike names.