Top 200 Drugs – Medications 156-160

Welcome back to the Real Life Pharmacology podcast! We are on the home stretch of the top 200 medications. This is meant to be a quicker refresher of some of the most important drugs you’ll come across in practice. Please be sure to go search the archives at RealLifePharmacology.com if you are looking for more information on one specific medication. We have over 300 individual episodes on specific drugs!

On this episode of the Top 200 medications, we’ve covered the medications below.

Niaspan (niacin) is vitamin B3 and may be used in patients who fail other therapies for triglyceride management.

Uroxatral (alfuzosin) is a selective alpha-blocker that can be helpful in relieving urinary retention symptoms in BPH.

Biaxin (clarithromycin) is a macrolide antibiotic that is notorious for many drug interactions because it inhibits CYP3A4.

Zomig (zolmitriptan) is a “triptan” medication that can be used for the acute relief of migraine headaches.

Invokana (canagliflozin) was one of the first SGLT2 inhibitors invented that can be used to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes.

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

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Lovastatin Pharmacology Podcast

On this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology Podcast, I discuss lovastatin pharmacology, adverse effect, drug interactions, and more!

Lovastatin is broken down by CYP3A4 so drugs like clarithromycin, diltiazem, and others may increase concentrations.

Lovastatin is a lipophilic statin and I discuss the importance of this on the podcast.

Lovastatin has a very short half-life which means that it is ideal to dose this medication at night for maximal efficacy.

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

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Bempedoic Acid Pharmacology Podcast

Bempedoic acid, also known as Nexletol, is a once-daily medication used in lipid management. I discuss its pharmacology, side effects, and much more on this podcast episode.

Bempedoic is a once-daily medication that doesn’t need to be titrated. Standard dosing is 180mg once daily which can be taken with or without food. 

What are the most common side effects of bempedoic acid? One of the most notable adverse effects is hyperuricemia. This is usually seen within the first 4 weeks of being on the medication but could happen throughout the treatment.

Tendon problems can happen as well, especially in patients who are greater than 60 years old, on fluoroquinolones, have renal failure, or are taking corticosteroids.

If Bempedoic acid is taken along with Simvastatin, it is recommended to avoid doses greater than 20mg. This is partly because Bempedoic Acid 180mg along with 40mg of Simvastatin was found to increase Simvastatin AUC by 2-fold. The mechanism of this interaction has yet to be reported. Pravastatin doses greater than 40mg are to be avoided as well due to an increased risk of myopathy. Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin didn’t have any maximum dose considerations.

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

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Simvastatin Pharmacology

Simvastatin use has declined over time due to more potent statins being available and due to numerous drug interactions.

Grapefruit juice can inhibit CYP3A4 which will increase the concentrations of simvastatin.

Genetic variations in SLCO1B1 can lead to patients being more susceptible to simvastatin toxicity.

Simvastatin is a lipophilic statin. I discuss why this is important and how it might impact clinical decisions.

I discuss important drug interactions on the podcast, be sure to check out my latest project which is a 200+ page book on managing drug interactions in primary care.

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

Colestipol Pharmacology

Colestipol is a bile acid sequestrant that can be used in the management of hyperlipidemia.

By binding bile acid in the gut, colestipol can lower LDL that is bound to bile acid by eliminating it through the feces.

Numerous drug interactions existed as colestipol can bind many drugs. This is a downside to its use and why it isn’t a preferred hyperlipidemia agent.

In patients with elevated triglycerides, colestipol should be avoided.

I discuss important drug interactions on the podcast, be sure to check out my latest project which is a 200+ page book on managing drug interactions in primary care.