Real Life Pharmacology - Pharmacology Education for Health Care Professionals
Latest Episodes
Budesonide Formoterol Pharmacology
Budesonide/formoterol inhalation is sold under the brand name Symbicort. Budesonide/formoterol is a combination agent that is used in the management of COPD and asthma. Budesonide/formoterol is a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid and long-...
Benztropine Pharmacology
Benztropine is a highly anticholinergic medication that is primarily used for movement disorders. Antipsychotics can cause extrapyramidal adverse effects that can help be managed with benztropine. Because benztropine is highly anticholinergic,
Budesonide Pharmacology (Oral and Rectal Formulations)
Budesonide is a corticosteroid that can be given orally or rectally for management of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Because budesonide has a high first pass metabolism, the relative impact of systemic effects may be less than other steroids...
Cimetidine Pharmacology
Cimetidine blocks histamine 2 receptors which can suppress acid production and reduce symptoms of heartburn. One of the major downsides to cimetidine is that it has a ton of drug interactions. I discuss many of the common ones in this episode.
Clopidogrel Pharmacology
Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet agent that is often used in combination with aspirin to help reduce the risk of an MI. The risk of bleed is a high priority with the use of clopidogrel. Patients must be monitored for signs and symptoms of bleeding and...
Sulfasalazine Pharmacology
Sulfasalazine is a medication that can be used for diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and Ulcerative Colitis. Because sulfasalazine can cause GI upset, this is a major reason why we try to break up the dose and give it multiple (at...
Cholestyramine Pharmacology
On this episode, I discuss the pharmacology of cholestyramine. Cholestyramine was originally developed as an agent to manage cholesterol, but has fallen out of favor for some of the more effective agents like statins.
Rifampin Pharmacology
Rifampin is classified as an antibiotic and an antituberculosis agent. It primarily works by inhibiting bacterial RNA polymerase. While not extremely common, rifampin is well known to cause hepatic dysfunction.
Heparin Pharmacology
Heparin is an interesting drug with a lot of unique clinical quirks. This drug ultimately inhibits the formation of fibrin. Fibrin is an essential component of a blood clot. Because heparin has blood thinning effects,
Montelukast Pharmacology
On this episode, I discuss montelukast pharmacology Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist. Leukotrienes play an important role in causing inflammation and smooth muscle contraction in asthma and allergic rhinitis.