For Pharmacist: Top 200 drugs for 2017

Dr. Sean Kane PharmD, BCPS of Rosalind-Franklin University recently introduced the ClinCalc DrugStats Database and the 2017 Top 200 Drugs on his ClinCalc.com website.

<p dir="auto">The website was originally created to do calculations that would help him as a resident and then fellow practitioners. He noticed that the Top 200 drugs list has been absent for the last 5 years. Through a mechanism he describes on his website, he’s come up with a viable Top 200 and Top 300 drugs that can be valuable for pharmacy schools that accounts for some of the changes in the calculating of these lists and the expense of getting the most recent. <p dir="auto">The annual Top 200 Drugs is a list that takes advantage of Pareto’s Principle, that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. The Top 200 drugs as the 20% represents the 80% of prescriptions that are actually filled. While the actual percentages deviate from that 80/20, the principle holds. However, the Top 200 Drugs list presents a problem for students and educators. What order should a student learn them in? <p dir="auto">If one tries to learn them in the order they appear, this makes it very difficult as drugs in similar classes often sit on different areas of the table. If one tries to learn them alphabetically, this only helps with those drug classes that have a similar prefix, like the cephalosporins cefepime and cefuroxime. However, by classifying them in an order of pathophysiologic classifications, it becomes much easier to learn them. In my 2 audiobooks Memorizing Pharmacology: A Relaxed Approach and How to Pronounce Drug Names: A Visual Approach to Preventing Medication Errors, I take advantage of this third approach making further groupings to help with serial memorization – memorizing drug lists in a specific order. <p dir="auto">Below, I have ordered the Top 200 Drugs as listed on the ClinCalc.com website first in 7 main groupings of Gastrointestinal, Musculoskeletal, Respiratory, Immune, Neuro, Cardio, Endocrine. I use the GMRINCE, GrandMothers RINCE kids hair (the French spelling of rinse) as a way to remember this broad order of gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, etc. <p dir="auto">Within the large groups I classify drugs by their mechanism of action starting with H2-blockers (ending with –tidine), then proton pump inhibitors (ending with –prazole) and so on, alphabetizing the drugs within a class with the same stem to give a way to readily memorize these 200 drugs. <p dir="auto">Both audiobooks go into greater detail on mnemonics and rationale for this system. By using Dr. Kane’s Top 200 list and the Memorizing Pharmacology rationale, a viable list and method comes forth for the Top 200 Drugs of 2017. I’ve made a playlist on YouTube with the Top 200 drugs listed in the order below: <p dir="auto"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCVrPKWoior1LYXzy4u04Ychd_0pyOkCQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" title="This link will take you away from hive.blog" class="external_link">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCVrPKWoior1LYXzy4u04Ychd_0pyOkCQ <pre><code>Gastrointestinal <p dir="auto">1 Famotidine<br /> 2 Ranitidine<br /> 3 Esomeprazole<br /> 4 Lansoprazole<br /> 5 Omeprazole<br /> 6 Pantoprazole Sodium<br /> 7 Docusate<br /> 8 Ondansetron<br /> 9 Promethazine Hydrochloride<br /> 10 Mesalamine <pre><code>Musculoskeletal <p dir="auto">11 Aspirin<br /> 12 Diclofenac<br /> 13 Ibuprofen<br /> 14 Naproxen<br /> 15 Meloxicam<br /> 16 Celecoxib<br /> 17 Acetaminophen<br /> 18 Morphine<br /> 19 Hydrocodone Bitartrate/Acetaminophen<br /> 20 Oxycodone<br /> 21 Tramadol Hydrochloride<br /> 22 Sumatriptan<br /> 23 Alendronate Sodium<br /> 24 Baclofen<br /> 25 Carisoprodol<br /> 26 Cyclobenzaprine Hydrochloride<br /> 27 Methocarbamol<br /> 28 Tizanidine<br /> 29 Allopurinol <pre><code>Respiratory (also some allergy/topical) <p dir="auto">30 Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride<br /> 31 Hydroxyzine<br /> 32 Cetirizine Hydrochloride<br /> 33 Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride<br /> 34 Loratadine<br /> 35 Beclomethasone<br /> 36 Budesonide<br /> 37 Fluticasone<br /> 38 Mometasone<br /> 39 Triamcinolone<br /> 40 Guaifenesin<br /> 41 Benzonatate<br /> 42 Clobetasol Propionate<br /> 43 Hydrocortisone<br /> 44 Methylprednisolone<br /> 45 Prednisolone<br /> 46 Prednisone<br /> 47 Budesonide; Formoterol<br /> 48 Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol Xinafoate<br /> 49 Albuterol<br /> 50 Albuterol Sulfate; Ipratropium Bromide<br /> 51 Ipratropium<br /> 52 Tiotropium<br /> 53 Montelukast <pre><code>Immune <p dir="auto">54 Amoxicillin<br /> 55 Penicillin V<br /> 56 Amoxicillin/Clavulanate Potassium<br /> 57 Cephalexin<br /> 58 Doxycycline<br /> 59 Azithromycin<br /> 60 Clindamycin<br /> 61 Sulfamethoxazole; Trimethoprim<br /> 62 Ciprofloxacin<br /> 63 Levofloxacin<br /> 64 Fluconazole<br /> 65 Nystatin<br /> 66 Acyclovir<br /> 67 Valacyclovir<br /> 68 Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate <pre><code>Neuro <p dir="auto">69 Meclizine Hydrochloride<br /> 70 Zolpidem Tartrate<br /> 71 Trazodone Hydrochloride<br /> 72 Citalopram<br /> 73 Escitalopram Oxalate<br /> 74 Fluoxetine Hydrochloride<br /> 75 Paroxetine<br /> 76 Sertraline Hydrochloride<br /> 77 Duloxetine<br /> 78 Desvenlafaxine<br /> 79 Venlafaxine Hydrochloride<br /> 80 Amitriptyline<br /> 81 Nortriptyline Hydrochloride<br /> 82 Mirtazapine<br /> 83 Bupropion<br /> 84 Alprazolam<br /> 85 Clonazepam<br /> 86 Diazepam<br /> 87 Lorazepam<br /> 88 Temazepam<br /> 89 Buspirone Hydrochloride<br /> 90 Amphetamine<br /> 91 Dexmethylphenidate Hydrochloride<br /> 92 Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate<br /> 93 Methylphenidate<br /> 94 Lithium<br /> 95 Aripiprazole<br /> 96 Risperidone<br /> 97 Quetiapine Fumarate<br /> 98 Divalproex Sodium<br /> 99 Phenytoin<br /> 100 Gabapentin<br /> 101 Lamotrigine<br /> 102 Levetiracetam<br /> 103 Oxcarbazepine<br /> 104 Pregabalin<br /> 105 Topiramate<br /> 106 Benztropine Mesylate<br /> 107 Ropinirole Hydrochloride<br /> 108 Donepezil Hydrochloride<br /> 109 Memantine Hydrochloride <pre><code>Cardio <p dir="auto">110 Omega-3-acid Ethyl Esters<br /> 111 Aspirin<br /> 112 Furosemide<br /> 113 Chlorthalidone<br /> 114 Hydrochlorothiazide<br /> 115 Hydrochlorothiazide; Triamterene<br /> 116 Spironolactone<br /> 117 Potassium<br /> 118 Doxazosin Mesylate<br /> 119 Terazosin<br /> 120 Clonidine<br /> 121 Propranolol Hydrochloride<br /> 122 Propranolol Hydrochloride/Hydrochlorothiazide<br /> 123 Atenolol<br /> 124 Atenolol; Chlorthalidone<br /> 125 Metoprolol<br /> 126 Carvedilol<br /> 127 Nebivolol Hydrochloride<br /> 128 Benazepril Hydrochloride<br /> 129 Enalapril Maleate<br /> 130 Lisinopril<br /> 131 Lisinopril; Hydrochlorothiazide<br /> 132 Quinapril<br /> 133 Ramipril<br /> 134 Losartan Potassium<br /> 135 Losartan Potassium/Hydrochlorothiazide<br /> 136 Olmesartan Medoxomil<br /> 137 Valsartan<br /> 138 Valsartan/Hydrochlorothiazide<br /> 139 Diltiazem Hydrochloride<br /> 140 Verapamil Hydrochloride<br /> 141 Amlodipine Besylate<br /> 142 Amlodipine Besylate/Benazepril Hydrochloride<br /> 143 Nifedipine<br /> 144 Hydralazine Hydrochloride<br /> 145 Isosorbide Mononitrate<br /> 146 Nitroglycerin<br /> 147 Atorvastatin<br /> 148 Lovastatin<br /> 149 Pravastatin Sodium<br /> 150 Rosuvastatin Calcium<br /> 151 Simvastatin<br /> 152 Fenofibrate<br /> 153 Gemfibrozil<br /> 154 Ezetimibe<br /> 155 Ezetimibe; Simvastatin<br /> 156 Warfarin<br /> 157 Dabigatran Etexilate Mesylate<br /> 158 Rivaroxaban<br /> 159 Clopidogrel Bisulfate<br /> 160 Digoxin<br /> 161 Amiodarone Hydrochloride <pre><code>Endocrine <p dir="auto">162 Metformin Hydrochloride<br /> 163 Metformin Hydrochloride/Sitagliptin Phosphate<br /> 164 Sitagliptin Phosphate<br /> 165 Glyburide<br /> 166 Glimepiride<br /> 167 Glipizide<br /> 168 Pioglitazone Hydrochloride<br /> 169 Liraglutide<br /> 170 Insulin Aspart<br /> 171 Insulin Lispro<br /> 172 Insulin Detemir<br /> 173 Insulin Glargine<br /> 174 Levothyroxine<br /> 175 Thyroid<br /> 176 Testosterone<br /> 177 Estradiol<br /> 178 Estrogens, Conjugated<br /> 179 Ethinyl Estradiol/Desogestrel<br /> 180 Ethinyl Estradiol/Drospirenone<br /> 181 Ethinyl Estradiol/Levonorgestrel<br /> 182 Ethinyl Estradiol/Norethindrone<br /> 183 Ethinyl Estradiol/Norgestimate<br /> 184 Oxybutynin<br /> 185 Tamsulosin Hydrochloride<br /> 186 Finasteride<br /> 187 Anastrozole<br /> 188 Phentermine <pre><code>Eye drops <p dir="auto">189 Brimonidine Tartrate<br /> 190 Latanoprost<br /> 191 Travoprost <pre><code>Vitamin, Mineral, Electrolyte, Etc. <p dir="auto">192 Calcium<br /> 193 Cholecalciferol/Alpha-Tocopherol<br /> 194 Cyanocobalamin<br /> 195 Ergocalciferol<br /> 196 Folic Acid<br /> 197 Magnesium<br /> 198 Sodium<br /> 199 Sodium Fluoride<br /> 200 Ferrous Sulfate