Tag: adverse effects

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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.

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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.

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 5.2- 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.

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Real Life Examples: Polypharmacy and the Prescribing Cascade Part 1 of 2

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Polypharmacy isn’t just about medication count—it’s about cumulative risk and unintended consequences. One of the biggest drivers is the prescribing cascade, where a drug side effect is mistaken for a new condition, and another medication gets added instead of addressing the root cause.

You see this all the time in practice. A patient starts amlodipine and develops edema, then gets placed on furosemide. Or donepezil leads to urinary symptoms, and oxybutynin is added—potentially worsening cognition. These patterns add risk quickly.

In this episode, I’ll break down common examples that I have recently encountered in 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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Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

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Diabetes Medications Section 4.3 – Free Nursing Pharmacology Review Course

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This podcast episode provides nurses with a clear, practical overview of non-insulin diabetes medications, focusing on how to safely and effectively manage patients with type 2 diabetes. It reviews key drug classes such as metformin, glipizide, empagliflozin, and semaglutide, emphasizing mechanisms of action, common side effects, and important monitoring parameters. Nurses will learn how to recognize risks like hypoglycemia with sulfonylureas, genitourinary infections with SGLT2 inhibitors, and gastrointestinal effects with GLP-1 agents, along with key patient counseling points. The episode also connects medication selection to real-world considerations such as weight impact, cardiovascular benefit, and kidney function, helping nurses feel more confident in supporting individualized diabetes care.

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