One of the toughest parts of preparing for the NCLEX is pharmacology. Learning a large number of generic drug names and what they all do is a challenge for sure!
The NCSBN has removed all brand and trade names from the NCLEX exam citing "the generic name is more consistent while a brand/trade medication name may vary.” Cool, right? But still, the number of generics that have the potential to appear on the test is simply mind-blowing.
Fortunately, generic names tend to follow patterns, with prefixes and suffixes often determining the class of medication. The following table gives a list of the prefix, root, and suffix for some common medications.
These drug prefixes, roots, and suffixes apply only to generic names.
| prefix, root, suffix | examples (generic names) | drug class or drug category |
| -afil | avanafil; sildenafil; tadalafil; vardenafil | phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor |
| -asone | betamethasone; dexamethasone; diflorasone; fluticasone; mometasone | corticosteroid |
| -bicin | doxorubicin; epirubicin; idarubicin; valrubicin | antineoplastic; cytotoxic agent |
| -bital | butabarbital; butalbital; phenobarbital; secobarbital | barbiturate (sedative) |
| -caine | bupivacaine; lidocaine; mepivacaine; prilocaine; proparacaine | local anesthetic |
| cef-, ceph- | cefaclor; cefdinir; cefixime; cefprozil; cephalexin | cephalosporin antibiotic |
| -cillin | amoxicillin; ampicillin; dicloxacillin; nafcillin; oxacillin | penicillin antibiotic |
| cort | clocortolone; fludrocortisone; hydrocortisone | corticosteroid |
| -cycline | demeclocycline; doxycycline; minocycline; tetracycline | tetracycline antibiotic |
| -dazole | albendazole; mebendazole; metronidazole; tinidazole | anthelmintic; antibiotic; antibacterial |
| -dipine | amlodipine; felodipine; nifedipine; nimodipine; nisoldipine | calcium channel blocker |
| -dronate | alendronate; etidronate; ibandronate; risedronate | bisphosphonate; bone resorption inhibitor |
| -eprazole | esomeprazole; omeprazole; rabeprazole | proton pump inhibitor (PPI) |
| -fenac | bromfenac; diclofenac; nepafenac | NSAID |
| -floxacin | besifloxacin; ciprofloxacin; levofloxacin; moxifloxacin; ofloxacin | quinolone antibiotic |
| -gliptin | saxagliptin; sitagliptin; linagliptin | antidiabetic; inhibitor of the DPP-4 enzyme |
| -glitazone | pioglitazone; rosiglitazone; troglitazone | antidiabetic; thiazolidinedione |
| -iramine | brompheniramine; chlorpheniramine; pheniramine | antihistamine |
| -lamide | acetazolamide; brinzolamide; dorzolamide; methazolamide | carbonic anhydrase inhibitor |
| -mab | adalimumab; daclizumab; infliximab; omalizumab; trastuzumab | monoclonal antibody |
| -mustine | carmustine; estramustine; lomustine; bendamustine | alkylating agent (antineoplastic) |
| -mycin | azithromycin; clarithromycin; clindamycin; erythromycin | antibiotic; antibacterial |
| -nacin | darifenacin; solifenacin | muscarinic antagonist (anticholinergic) |
| -nazole | fluconazole; ketoconazole; miconazole; terconazole; tioconazole | antifungal |
| -olol | atenolol; metoprolol; nadolol; pindolol; propranolol; timolol | beta blocker |
| -olone | fluocinolone; fluorometholone; prednisolone; triamcinolone | corticosteroid |
| -olone | nandrolone; oxandrolone; oxymetholone | anabolic steroid |
| -onide | budesonide; ciclesonide; desonide; fluocinonide; halcinonide | corticosteroid |
| -oprazole | dexlansoprazole; lansoprazole; pantoprazole | proton pump inhibitor (PPI) |
| parin; -parin | dalteparin; enoxaparin; fondaparinux; heparin; tinzaparin | antithrombotic; anticoagulant (blood thinner) |
| -phylline | aminophylline; dyphylline; oxtriphylline; theophylline | xanthine derivative (bronchodilator) |
| -pramine | clomipramine; desipramine; imipramine; trimipramine | tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) |
| pred; pred- | loteprednol; prednicarbate; prednisolone; prednisone | corticosteroid |
| -pril | benazepril; captopril; enalapril; lisinopril; moexipril; ramipril | ACE inhibitor |
| -profen | fenoprofen; flurbiprofen; ibuprofen; ketoprofen | NSAID |
| -ridone | iloperidone; paliperidone; risperidone | atypical antipsychotic |
| -sartan | candesartan; irbesartan; losartan; olmesartan; valsartan | angiotensin II receptor antagonist; ARB |
| -semide | furosemide; torsemide | loop diuretic (water pill) |
| -setron | alosetron; dolasetron; granisetron; ondansetron; palonosetron | serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist |
| -setron | dolasetron; granisetron; ondansetron; palonosetron | antiemetic and antinauseant |
| -statin | atorvastatin; lovastatin; pitavastatin; pravastatin; rosuvastatin; simvastatin | HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor; statins |
| sulfa- | sulfacetamide; sulfadiazine; sulfamethoxazole; sulfasalazine | antibiotic; anti-infective; anti-inflammatory |
| -tadine | cyproheptadine; desloratadine; loratadine; olopatadine | antihistamine |
| -tadine | amantadine; rimantadine | antiviral; anti-influenza-A |
| -terol | albuterol; arformoterol; formoterol; levalbuterol; salmeterol | beta agonist; bronchodilator |
| -thiazide | chlorothiazide; hydrochlorothiazide; methyclothiazide | thiazide diuretic (water pill) |
| -tinib | crizotinib; dasatinib; erlotinib; gefitinib; imatinib | antineoplastic (kinase inhibitor) |
| -trel | desogestrel; etonogestrel; levonorgestrel; norgestrel | female hormone (progestin) |
| tretin-; tretin; -tretin | acitretin; alitretinoin; isotretinoin; tretinoin | retinoid; dermatologic agent; form of vitamin A |
| -triptan | almotriptan; eletriptan; rizatriptan; sumatriptan; zolmitriptan | antimigraine; selective 5-HT receptor agonist |
| -tyline | amitriptyline; nortriptyline; protriptyline | tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) |
| vir; -vir | abacavir; efavirenz; enfuvirtide; nevirapine; ritonavir; tenofovir | antiviral; anti-HIV |
| vir; -vir | adefovir; entecavir; ribavirin (along with interferon) | antiviral; anti-hepatitis |
| -vir | acyclovir; famciclovir; penciclovir; valacyclovir | antiviral; anti-herpes |
| -vir | cidofovir; ganciclovir; valganciclovir | antiviral; anti-CMV |
| -vir | oseltamivir; zanamivir | antiviral; anti-flu |
| -vudine | lamivudine; stavudine; telbivudine; zidovudine | antiviral; nucleoside analogues |
| -zepam | clonazepam; diazepam; flurazepam; lorazepam; temazepam | benzodiazepine |
| -zodone | nefazodone, trazodone, vilazodone | antidepressant |
| -zolam | alprazolam; estazolam; midazolam; triazolam | benzodiazepine |
| -zosin | aFDAlfuzosin; doxazosin; prazosin; terazosin | alpha blocker |
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)