Analgesic: Relieves pain Opioid analgesic: Strong pain reliever acting on opioid receptors; carries risk of dependence NSAID: Reduces pain, fever and inflammation Antipyretic: Lowers fever Antibiotic: Kills or stops bacteria Antiviral: Treats viral infections Antifungal: Treats fungal infections Antiparasitic: Treats parasite infections Penicillins: Antibiotic class that blocks bacterial cell walls Cephalosporins: Antibiotic class related to penicillins Macrolides: Antibiotics that block bacterial protein making Fluoroquinolones: Antibiotics that block bacterial DNA copying Tetracyclines: Broad-spectrum antibiotics Antihistamine: Blocks histamine to ease allergy symptoms Decongestant: Reduces swelling in nasal passages Expectorant: Helps loosen mucus Antitussive: Suppresses cough Bronchodilator: Opens airways Corticosteroid: Reduces inflammation and immune activity Antihypertensive: Lowers high blood pressure ACE inhibitor: Relaxes blood vessels by blocking an enzyme; lowers blood pressure ARB: Angiotensin receptor blocker; relaxes blood vessels Beta blocker: Slows the heart and lowers blood pressure Calcium channel blocker: Relaxes blood vessels and the heart Diuretic: Increases urine output to remove fluid Vasodilator: Widens blood vessels Antiarrhythmic: Controls abnormal heart rhythms Anticoagulant: Slows blood clotting Antiplatelet: Stops platelets from clumping Thrombolytic: Dissolves existing clots Statin: Lowers cholesterol by blocking its production in the liver Nitrate: Widens vessels to relieve chest pain Cardiac glycoside: Strengthens the heartbeat Antidiabetic: Lowers blood sugar Insulin: Hormone replacement to lower blood glucose Thyroid replacement: Supplies thyroid hormone when the thyroid is underactive Antacid: Neutralizes stomach acid Proton pump inhibitor: Strongly reduces stomach acid production H2 blocker: Reduces stomach acid by blocking histamine receptors Antiemetic: Prevents nausea and vomiting Laxative: Promotes bowel movements Antidiarrheal: Slows diarrhea Anticonvulsant: Prevents seizures Antidepressant: Treats depression SSRI: Antidepressant that raises serotonin availability Anxiolytic: Reduces anxiety Benzodiazepine: Sedating class used for anxiety and seizures; can cause dependence Antipsychotic: Treats psychosis and certain mood disorders Mood stabilizer: Evens out highs and lows in mood Stimulant: Increases alertness and attention Sedative-hypnotic: Promotes sleep or calm Muscle relaxant: Eases muscle spasm Local anesthetic: Numbs a small area General anesthetic: Produces unconsciousness for surgery Antiparkinson agent: Replaces or mimics dopamine to ease movement symptoms Cholinesterase inhibitor: Used to slow memory symptoms in dementia Immunosuppressant: Reduces immune activity, as after transplant Antineoplastic: Treats cancer Vaccine: Trains the immune system to recognize a germ Hormonal contraceptive: Prevents pregnancy using hormones Bisphosphonate: Slows bone loss Antigout agent: Lowers uric acid or relieves gout Antimalarial: Prevents or treats malaria Antitubercular: Treats tuberculosis Pharmacokinetics: What the body does to a drug: absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion Pharmacodynamics: What a drug does to the body Half-life: Time for the drug concentration in the body to fall by half Bioavailability: Fraction of a dose that reaches the bloodstream First-pass effect: Liver metabolism of an oral drug before it reaches circulation Therapeutic index: Gap between a helpful dose and a harmful one Agonist: A drug that activates a receptor Antagonist: A drug that blocks a receptor Side effect: An unintended effect of a drug Adverse reaction: A harmful, unintended response to a drug Drug interaction: One drug changes the effect of another Contraindication: A condition making a drug unsafe to use Generic name: The drug's official non-brand name Brand name: A manufacturer's trade name Prescription drug: Needs a licensed prescriber's order Over-the-counter drug: Sold without a prescription Tolerance: Needing more drug to get the same effect Dependence: Body adapts so stopping causes withdrawal Route: oral: By mouth Route: topical: Applied to the skin Route: intravenous: Into a vein Route: inhaled: Breathed into the lungs Route: sublingual: Under the tongue Route: transdermal: Through a skin patch Controlled substance schedule: Legal classification of drugs by abuse potential Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/tp-pharmacology-classes