NCLEX-RN Pharmacology — Drug Classes & Suffixes flashcards

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Generic-name suffixes to drug class, the mechanism and hallmark adverse effects of the big classes, the classic nursing checks (apical pulse, potassium, grapefruit, tyramine), and the antidotes the NCLEX expects you to know cold.

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Learn deck · part of NCLEX-RN · written against: NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan, in effect from 1 April 2026 (Next Generation NCLEX; client-needs categories and percentages unchanged from 2023, fact-checked 2026-10-11). Updated 2026-10-10.

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What drug class do generic names ending in -pril (lisinopril, enalapril, captopril) belong to?

ACE inhibitors — they block the enzyme that converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II, so vessels relax and less aldosterone is released. Used for hypertension, heart failure, and kidney protection in diabetes.

Watch out: angioedema — swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat — can appear even after years of use and is an emergency.
Cardiovascular
What drug class do furosemide and torsemide (-semide) and bumetanide belong to?

Loop diuretics — they block sodium and chloride reabsorption in the loop of Henle, producing a powerful diuresis for heart failure and edema.

Watch out: hypokalemia, dehydration, and ototoxicity when pushed rapidly IV.
Diuretics
What drug class do generic names ending in -gliptin (sitagliptin) belong to?

DPP-4 inhibitors — oral diabetes drugs that prolong the action of incretin hormones, boosting insulin release only when glucose is high. Low risk of hypoglycemia on their own; report severe abdominal pain (pancreatitis).
Diabetes
What drug class do generic names ending in -prazole (omeprazole, pantoprazole) belong to?

Proton pump inhibitors — they block the gastric proton pump, cutting acid production more completely than H2 blockers.

Watch out: long-term use is linked to C. difficile infection, fractures, and low magnesium and vitamin B12 — and aripiprazole, despite its ending, is an antipsychotic.
Gastrointestinal
What drug class do generic names ending in -apine or -idone (olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine, risperidone) belong to?

Second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics — they block dopamine D2 and serotonin receptors with fewer movement disorders than the older agents.

Watch out: monitor weight, glucose and lipids for metabolic syndrome — and not every name fits: mirtazapine is an antidepressant, loxapine is a first-generation antipsychotic, and chlorthalidone is a diuretic.
Psychiatric
What drug class do generic names ending in -triptan (sumatriptan) belong to?

Serotonin 5-HT1 receptor agonists that abort a migraine by constricting dilated cranial vessels.

Watch out: contraindicated in coronary artery disease and uncontrolled hypertension because of the vasoconstriction; chest tightness after a dose must be reported.
Neurologic
What drug class do generic names ending in -terol (albuterol, salmeterol, formoterol) belong to?

Beta-2 adrenergic agonists (bronchodilators). Albuterol is short-acting rescue therapy; salmeterol and formoterol are long-acting controllers that must be paired with an inhaled steroid in asthma.

Watch out: tachycardia, tremor, and nervousness.
Respiratory
What drug class do generic names ending in -conazole (fluconazole, ketoconazole) belong to?

Azole antifungals — they block synthesis of ergosterol, the fungal cell-membrane sterol.

Watch out: hepatotoxicity and many drug interactions through CYP enzymes; read the whole name: omeprazole-type -prazole drugs are PPIs (but aripiprazole is an antipsychotic), and metronidazole is an antibiotic.
Anti-infectives
What drug class do generic names ending in -afil (sildenafil, tadalafil) belong to, and what is the one drug interaction every nurse must know?

Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension — they prolong nitric-oxide-driven vasodilation.

Watch out: never combine with nitrates; the combination causes profound, refractory hypotension.
Interactions & Teaching
A post-operative client who received morphine has a respiratory rate of 6 and pinpoint pupils. What does the nurse give, and what must be remembered afterward?

Naloxone, an opioid antagonist. Its effect wears off sooner than most opioids, so the client can re-sedate and needs continued monitoring and possibly repeat doses; it also abruptly removes pain relief and can precipitate withdrawal.
Antidotes

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

Checked against Open RN Nursing Pharmacology, 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College, CC BY 4.0); reference only, no text copied.
OpenStax Pharmacology for Nurses, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
Drug-specific adverse effects and antidotes cross-checked against FDA prescribing information on DailyMed; reference only.
Montelukast boxed warning checked against the FDA drug safety communication (2020); cephalosporin cross-reactivity against current allergy practice guidance; andexanet withdrawal against the FDA update on Andexxa (December 2025); reference only, no text copied.
Metformin and iodinated contrast checked against the FDA metformin prescribing information (section 2.4) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) Manual on Contrast Media; reference only.

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