The $25000 Drug Pyramid Part I Quiz

Answer: Aspirin

Aspirin is a salicylate analgesic (pain reliever) as well as an antiplatelet agent. (Simply put, it's a "blood thinner" that inhibits the formation of blood clots, thereby preventing a stroke or a heart attack.) It is also a fever reducer. If you have ever seen the abbreviation ASA and wondered what it meant, well, it means aspirin! APAP is the abbreviation for acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol.

Answer: Treats the symptoms of diarrhea

Also called Imodium, loperamide "slows things down." Bismuth subsalicyalte (Pepto-Bismol) is another other-the-counter remedy. A narcotic option for treating diarrhea is diphenoxylate-atropine (Lomotil), a C-V controlled substance.

When deciding on an over-the-counter medication for diarrhea or any condition, always carefully read and follow the directions and warnings on the package, and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure of anything. Diarrhea can lead to more serious problems, or it may be a sign of an underlying condition.

Answer: SSRI antidepressants

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) help relieve the symptoms of depression by restoring the body's balance of certain chemicals called neurotransmitters. SSRIs are popular due to their relatively low side effect and drug interaction profiles. Two other drugs in this class are paroxetine (Paxil) and fluoxetine (Prozac).

Answer: Atorvastatin (Lipitor)

Other drugs in atorvastatin's class include simvastatin (Zocor), rosuvastatin (Crestor), and lovastatin (Mevacor). With the official name of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, it's easy to see why most people call them "statins." Two other classes of antihyperlipidemics are bile acid sequestrants and fibric acid derivatives.

Answer: Omeprazole (Prilosec)

Among other dosage forms, omeprazole comes as a 20mg delayed-release capsule, and as a peach-flavored powder to be mixed with water. Have you ever seen the advertisements for the "little purple pill?" The purple pill in question is another proton pump inhibitor, esomeprazole (Nexium).

Other treatment options for heartburn include antacids like magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, or calcium carbonate, as well as H2 blockers such as famotidine (Pepcid) and ranitidine (Zantac).

Answer: Azithromycin (Zithromax)

All of the choices listed were antibiotics, but azithromycin was the only macrolide among them. Zithromax may be dispensed as a Z-Pak, a dosing system in which the patient takes two 250mg doses immediately, and then one 250mg dose per day for the next four days - a short and powerful course of treatment.

The sheer number of different varieties of antibiotics is stunning indeed. This is because different bacteria require different drugs to kill them or inhibit their growth. And the selection of antibiotics is expanding all the time, as new drugs are developed to combat strains that are resistant to existing drugs.

Answer: Mesalamine (Asacol, Pentasa)

Mesalamine is prescribed for inflammation of the bowel. The Pentasa variety comes as a 250mg controlled-release capsule, and Asacol is a 400mg delayed-release tablet. The two other forms of this drug are Canasa and Rowasa.

Maybe you've seen the ads for cyclosporine ophthalmic solution (Restasis). It's interesting to note that cyclosporine is an antirejection drug that can also relieve the symptoms of dry eye.

Answer: Oral hypoglycemics: sulfonylureas

Type II diabetics may be able to use oral hypoglycemic medications as part of their treatment regimen, but oral drugs won't work for type I diabetics; these patients need to inject insulin. Oral hypoglycemic medications fall into several classes, with each class employing a different mechanism of action to lower blood glucose. Sulfonylureas like Amaryl work by stimulating higher insulin production in the body.

Answer: Benazepril (Lotensin)

ACE inhibitors such as Benazepril help lower blood pressure, and are frequently prescribed for patients with congestive heart failure.

Some therapeutic classes include drugs with similar sounding names. This can assist health care professionals with memorization. We saw this with the "statins," and it generally holds true for ACE inhibitors as well - their names usually end in "-pril." Other drugs in this class include lisinopril and captopril. But just as with foreign languages, one must be careful, because there are false friends out there - never assume a drug falls into a particular class because of its name.

Answer: Dantrolene (Dantrium)

Dantrolene is a skeletal muscle relaxant that also reverses the skyrocketing body temperature and other symptoms associated with malignant hyperthermia.

If you answered all ten questions correctly, congratulations are in order... But I'm afraid the only prizes are bragging rights and/or 100 FunTrivia points (plus bonus points, where applicable). The $25000 was, sadly, a metaphorical prize contrived to provide additional structure to this quiz. At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the quiz and learned something new.

Clarification of some details in this quiz was provided by Don A. Ballington and Mary M. Laughlin's Pharmacology for Technicians, 3rd edition, and Harold M. Silverman's The Pill Book, 12th edition.