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30 Drug Suffixes Every Pharmacy Student Must Know (With Meaning & Examples)💊

Ever wondered why some drugs end with -pril, -olol, or -prazole? 😅

Here’s the secret: those little endings tell you what the drug does, which class it belongs to, and how it can help patients.

Knowing them makes you sound like a clinical wizard in class, IT, clerkship, and beyond.

1. –pril

Meaning: Angiotensin Converting Enzymes (ACE) inhibitors
Uses: Hypertension, heart failure
Examples: Enalapril, Lisinopril

2. –sartan

Meaning: Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
Uses: Hypertension
Examples: Losartan, Valsartan

3. –olol

Meaning: Beta-blockers
Uses: Hypertension, arrhythmias, anxiety
Examples: Propranolol, Atenolol

4. –dipine

Meaning: Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers
Uses: Hypertension, angina
Examples: Amlodipine, Nifedipine

5. –mycin

Meaning: Macrolides / some aminoglycosides
Uses: Antibacterial
Examples: Azithromycin, Clarithromycin

6. –floxacin

Meaning: Fluoroquinolone antibiotics
Examples: Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin

7. –azole

Meaning: Antifungals
Examples: Fluconazole, Ketoconazole

8. –cillin

Meaning: Penicillin antibiotics
Examples: Amoxicillin, Ampicillin

9. –vir

Meaning: Antivirals (esp. HIV/Hepatitis)
Examples: Ritonavir, Oseltamivir

10. –oxetine

Meaning: SSRIs
Examples: Fluoxetine, Paroxetine

11. –tidine

Meaning: H2 blockers
Uses: GERD, ulcers
Examples: Ranitidine, Famotidine

12. –prazole

Meaning: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
Uses: Ulcers, GERD
Examples: Omeprazole, Pantoprazole

13. –lukast

Meaning: Leukotriene receptor antagonists
Uses: Asthma
Examples: Montelukast

14. –statin

Meaning: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors
Uses: Lower cholesterol
Examples: Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin

15. –caine

Meaning: Local anesthetics
Uses: Numbing
Examples: Lidocaine, Bupivacaine

16. –barbital

Meaning: Barbiturates
Uses: Sedation
Examples: Phenobarbital

17. –triptan

Meaning: 5-HT₁ agonists
Uses: Migraines
Examples: Sumatriptan

18. –formin

Meaning: Biguanides
Uses: Diabetes
Examples: Metformin

19. –tadine

Meaning: Antihistamines or antivirals
Examples: Loratadine (antihistamine), Amantadine (antiviral)

20. –dronate

Meaning: Bisphosphonates
Uses: Osteoporosis
Examples: Alendronate

21. –setron

Meaning: 5-HT₃ antagonists
Uses: Anti-emetic
Examples: Ondansetron

22. –terol

Meaning: β₂ agonists
Uses: Asthma, COPD
Examples: Salbutamol, Formoterol

23. –zumab / –mab

Meaning: Monoclonal antibodies
Uses: Autoimmune diseases, cancers
Examples: Trastuzumab, Adalimumab

24. –lamide

Meaning: Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
Uses: Glaucoma, diuresis
Examples: Acetazolamide

25. –dazole

Meaning: Antiprotozoals / some anti-helminths
Examples: Metronidazole, Albendazole

26. –tropium

Meaning: Anticholinergics (respiratory)
Uses: COPD
Examples: Ipratropium, Tiotropium

27. –nacin

Meaning: Muscarinic antagonists
Uses: Overactive bladder
Examples: Darifenacin, Solifenacin

28. –parin

Meaning: Anticoagulants
Uses: Prevent clotting
Examples: Heparin, Enoxaparin

29. –thiazide

Meaning: Thiazide diuretics
Uses: Hypertension
Examples: Hydrochlorothiazide

30. –mab

Meaning: Monoclonal antibodies
Uses: Autoimmune diseases, cancers
Examples: Pembrolizumab, Infliximab

Learning drug suffixes is like learning the secret code of medicine.

Once you know them, you can identify a drug’s class, purpose, and effect just by its name. This is how pharmacy students look smart in class and in clerkship.

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Today I celebrate myself and all the pharmacists around the globe 🌎
Happy World Pharmacists Day
to us. Think Health, Think Pharmacist

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