Tag: adverse effects

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Antacids – Test Prep and Practice Pearls

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Heartburn is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints, and antacids remain a go-to option for fast symptom relief. In this episode, we’ll discuss how common antacids like calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, and sodium bicarbonate work to neutralize stomach acid. We’ll also review their advantages, common adverse effects, important drug interactions, and considerations for patients with kidney disease. Whether you’re a healthcare professional looking for practical clinical pearls or simply want to better understand over-the-counter heartburn medications, this episode provides a concise overview of when antacids are appropriate—and when they may not be the best choice.

Special thanks to the Mechanism of Action Podcast for sponsoring this episode – go check it out!

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

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Gastroparesis Medications – Test Prep and Practice Pearls

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Gastroparesis can be a frustrating condition for both patients and clinicians, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, early satiety, bloating, and poor glycemic control significantly affecting quality of life. Medication management often requires balancing effectiveness with safety, especially since many commonly prescribed drugs can either improve or worsen gastric emptying. In this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology podcast, we’ll review the medications used to treat gastroparesis, discuss their mechanisms of action, highlight important adverse effects, and identify medications that may contribute to or exacerbate delayed gastric emptying.

Huge thank you to our sponsor – Mechanism of Action Podcast; Go check them out on all your favorite podcast platforms!

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

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H2 Blockers – Test Prep and Practice Pearls

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H2 blockers may not receive as much attention as proton pump inhibitors, but they continue to play an important role in managing acid-related disorders. In this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology podcast, we’ll review how H2 blockers work, compare the available agents, discuss important adverse effects, renal dose adjustments, drug interactions, and identify the patients who are most likely to benefit from these medications. Whether you’re a pharmacist, nurse, pharmacy technician, physician, or student, this episode provides practical clinical pearls you can apply immediately to patient care.

In this episode, I also discuss a new podcast I discovered – go check out the Mechanism of Action Podcast! It is an entertaining and educational look at how many of the medications used today were discovered and derived.

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Proton Pump Inhibitors – Test Prep And Practice Pearls

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Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly prescribed medications, but understanding how they work is essential for using them safely and effectively. In this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology podcast, we’ll break down the pharmacology of PPIs, including their mechanism of action, common brand and generic names, clinical uses, adverse effects, drug interactions, and important monitoring considerations. Whether you’re a pharmacist, nurse, pharmacy technician, or student, this episode will help reinforce the key concepts you need to confidently apply PPI pharmacology in clinical practice.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

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Tricyclic Antidepressants – Test Prep and Practice Pearls

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Welcome to today’s episode on the tricyclic antidepressants, commonly known as TCAs — one of the foundational medication classes in psychopharmacology. Although newer antidepressants like SSRIs often dominate modern prescribing, TCAs remain highly relevant in clinical practice because of their effectiveness in treatment-resistant depression, chronic pain syndromes, migraine prevention, insomnia, and certain anxiety disorders. In this episode, we’ll break down the pharmacology behind these medications, discuss how tertiary amines differ from secondary amines, review major adverse effects and drug interactions, and highlight the key clinical pearls that healthcare professionals and students need to know. Whether you’re a medical, pharmacy, nursing, or PA student preparing for exams, or a practicing clinician looking for a practical refresher, this episode will give you a solid framework for understanding this classic but still clinically important medication class.

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Infectious Disease Section 5.2- Antiviral Agents

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This nursing pharmacology review covers the essential antiviral medications commonly encountered in clinical practice and on nursing exams. The video explains how antiviral drugs work, what infections they treat, and the key nursing considerations for safe medication administration and monitoring. Major medications discussed may include acyclovir, valacyclovir, oseltamivir, antiretroviral therapy, and other commonly prescribed agents.

You can find the full 16+ hour nursing pharmacology review course, including PDF handouts, cheat sheets, practice questions, and on-demand videos at meded101.com!

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SSRIs Test Prep and Practice Pearls – Part 2

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SSRI adverse effects are critical to know. In part 2 of this 2-part series on SSRIs, we cover the most important adverse effects to know, in addition to putting a nice bow on the most important clinical practice pearls on each SSRI. Enjoy the show!

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

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Infectious Disease Section 5.1- Antibiotics

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This nursing pharmacology review provides a high-yield overview of the most important antibiotic classes used in clinical practice. The video explains how common antibiotics work, what infections they treat, and the major nursing considerations associated with each class. Key topics include penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, vancomycin, aminoglycosides, and sulfonamides. Emphasis is placed on side effects, black box warnings, allergy considerations, renal dosing, patient counseling, and critical monitoring parameters nurses should recognize in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

You can find the full 16+ hour nursing pharmacology review course, including PDF handouts, cheat sheets, practice questions, and on-demand videos at meded101.com!

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SSRIs – Test Prep and Practice Pearls Part 1

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In this episode, we break down the pharmacology of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with a focus on the high-yield clinical pearls pharmacists, medical students, and healthcare professionals need to know. We compare the major SSRIs—including fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, and fluvoxamine—based on adverse effects, drug interactions, pharmacokinetics, and board exam relevance. Topics include serotonin syndrome, discontinuation syndrome, CYP450 interactions, QT prolongation, sexual dysfunction, weight changes, and SSRI selection in special populations such as older adults and pregnancy. Whether you are preparing for exams, clinical rotations, or looking to sharpen your psychopharmacology knowledge, this episode provides practical and memorable insights into one of the most commonly prescribed medication classes. This is Part 1 of 2.

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Real Life Examples: Polypharmacy and the Prescribing Cascade Part 2 of 2

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Polypharmacy is one of the most common—and often overlooked—challenges in modern healthcare, especially in older adults. It’s not just about the number of medications a patient is taking, but whether each one still has a clear indication, is providing benefit, and isn’t causing harm. As medication lists grow, so does the risk of adverse effects, drug interactions, and something we see all the time in practice: the prescribing cascade.

A prescribing cascade happens when a medication causes a side effect that is misinterpreted as a new medical condition, leading to the addition of another drug. Over time, this can snowball into unnecessary complexity and increased risk for patients.

In part 2 of this podcast, we outline 5 more examples that I’ve encountered in my geriatric pharmacist practice.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

Support The Podcast and Check Out These Amazing Resources!

NAPLEX Study Materials

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Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101