Top Drugs for the PTCB Exam: Brand, Generic and Class
Medications is 35% of the PTCE, and its first content area is generic names, brand names and classifications. This list covers 100 commonly prescribed drugs. Every row was checked three ways: the brand name against the FDA label on DailyMed and the National Library of Medicine's RxNorm, the class against FDA's established pharmacologic class (via NLM RxClass), and the DEA schedule against the FDA NDC Directory and the label's controlled substance section.
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Name patterns that give away the class
- -pril: ACE inhibitors (lisinopril)
- -sartan: angiotensin II receptor blockers (losartan, valsartan)
- -olol: beta blockers (atenolol, metoprolol); carvedilol is an alpha/beta blocker
- -statin: statins (atorvastatin, simvastatin)
- -prazole: proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, pantoprazole)
- -tidine: H2 blockers (famotidine)
- -gliptin: DPP-4 inhibitors (sitagliptin); -gliflozin: SGLT2 inhibitors (empagliflozin); -glutide: GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, dulaglutide)
- -xaban: factor Xa inhibitors (apixaban, rivaroxaban)
- -azepam / -zolam: benzodiazepines (clonazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam)
Every example above is in the table below with its FDA class.
The list
| Generic | Brand | Drug class | DEA schedule | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| allopurinol | Zyloprim | Xanthine oxidase inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| alprazolam | Xanax | Benzodiazepine | C-IV | FDA label · RxNorm |
| amlodipine | Norvasc | Calcium channel blocker (dihydropyridine) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| apixaban | Eliquis | Anticoagulant (factor Xa inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| aripiprazole | Abilify | Atypical antipsychotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| atenolol | Tenormin | Beta blocker | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| atorvastatin | Lipitor | Statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| azithromycin | Zithromax | Macrolide antibiotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| benazepril | Lotensin | ACE inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| budesonide | Pulmicort | Corticosteroid | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| budesonide and formoterol | Symbicort | Corticosteroid + long-acting beta-2 agonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| bumetanide | Bumex | Loop diuretic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| canagliflozin | Invokana | SGLT2 inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| candesartan | Atacand | Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| carvedilol | Coreg | Alpha/beta blocker | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| celecoxib | Celebrex | NSAID | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| cephalexin | Keflex | Cephalosporin antibiotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| ciprofloxacin | Cipro | Fluoroquinolone antibiotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| citalopram | Celexa | SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| clonazepam | Klonopin | Benzodiazepine | C-IV | FDA label · RxNorm |
| clonidine | Catapres | Central alpha-2 agonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| clopidogrel | Plavix | Antiplatelet (P2Y12 inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| dapagliflozin | Farxiga | SGLT2 inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| diltiazem | Cardizem | Calcium channel blocker | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| donepezil | Aricept | Cholinesterase inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| dulaglutide | Trulicity | GLP-1 receptor agonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| duloxetine | Cymbalta | SNRI (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| edoxaban | Savaysa | Anticoagulant (factor Xa inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| empagliflozin | Jardiance | SGLT2 inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| enalapril | Vasotec | ACE inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| escitalopram | Lexapro | SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| famotidine | Pepcid | H2 blocker (histamine-2 receptor antagonist) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| finasteride | Proscar | 5-alpha reductase inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| fluoxetine | Prozac | SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| fluticasone propionate | Flonase | Corticosteroid | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| furosemide | Lasix | Loop diuretic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| glipizide | Glucotrol | Sulfonylurea | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| glyburide | Glynase | Sulfonylurea | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| hydroxyzine pamoate | Vistaril | Antihistamine | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| insulin aspart | Novolog | Long-acting insulin analog | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| insulin degludec | Tresiba | Long-acting insulin analog | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| insulin detemir | Levemir | Long-acting insulin analog | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| insulin glargine | Lantus | Long-acting insulin analog | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| insulin lispro | Humalog | Long-acting insulin analog | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| irbesartan | Avapro | Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| labetalol | Trandate | Beta blocker | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| lamotrigine | Lamictal | Anticonvulsant (anti-epileptic), mood stabilizer | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| latanoprost | Xalatan | Prostaglandin analog | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| levothyroxine | Synthroid | Thyroid hormone (levothyroxine, T4) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| linagliptin | Tradjenta | DPP-4 inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| liraglutide | Victoza | GLP-1 receptor agonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| lisdexamfetamine | Vyvanse | CNS stimulant | C-II | FDA label · RxNorm |
| lisinopril | Zestril | ACE inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| lorazepam | Ativan | Benzodiazepine | C-IV | FDA label · RxNorm |
| losartan | Cozaar | Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| meloxicam | Mobic | NSAID | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| memantine | Namenda | NMDA receptor antagonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| metformin | Glucophage | Biguanide | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| methylphenidate | Concerta | CNS stimulant | C-II | FDA label · RxNorm |
| metoprolol tartrate | Lopressor | Beta blocker | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| mometasone | Nasonex | Corticosteroid | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| montelukast | Singulair | Leukotriene receptor antagonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| nebivolol | Bystolic | Beta blocker | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| nitrofurantoin | Macrobid | Nitrofuran antibiotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| olanzapine | Zyprexa | Atypical antipsychotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| olmesartan | Benicar | Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| omeprazole | Prilosec | Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| oxycodone | OxyContin | Opioid agonist | C-II | FDA label · RxNorm |
| pantoprazole | Protonix | Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| paroxetine | Paxil | SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| prasugrel | Effient | Antiplatelet (P2Y12 inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| pravastatin | Pravachol | Statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| prednisone | Rayos | Corticosteroid | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| quetiapine | Seroquel | Atypical antipsychotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| quinapril | Accupril | ACE inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| ramipril | Altace | ACE inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| risperidone | Risperdal | Atypical antipsychotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| rivaroxaban | Xarelto | Anticoagulant (factor Xa inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| rosuvastatin | Crestor | Statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| sacubitril and valsartan | Entresto | Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| semaglutide | Ozempic | GLP-1 receptor agonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| sertraline | Zoloft | SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| sildenafil | Viagra | PDE5 inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| simvastatin | Zocor | Statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| sitagliptin | Januvia | DPP-4 inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| spironolactone | Aldactone | Aldosterone antagonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim | Bactrim | Sulfonamide + dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor antibiotic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| tadalafil | Cialis | PDE5 inhibitor | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| tamsulosin | Flomax | Alpha blocker | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| telmisartan | Micardis | Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| ticagrelor | Brilinta | Antiplatelet (P2Y12 inhibitor) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| tiotropium | Spiriva | Anticholinergic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| tirzepatide | Mounjaro | GLP-1 receptor agonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| tizanidine | Zanaflex | Central alpha-2 agonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| torsemide | Soaanz | Loop diuretic | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| tramadol | Ultram | Opioid agonist | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| valacyclovir | Valtrex | Antiviral (herpesvirus nucleoside analog) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| valsartan | Diovan | Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| warfarin | Jantoven | Anticoagulant (vitamin K antagonist) | — | FDA label · RxNorm |
| zolpidem | Ambien | Sedative-hypnotic (GABA-A receptor positive modulator) | C-IV | FDA label · RxNorm |
“—” means the drug is not a federally controlled substance. Brand names are trademarks of their owners. This list is for exam study, not for clinical decisions.
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