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About this deck
This is a free 20-card pharmacology starter deck covering the drug classes that show up on almost every nursing exam. The front of each card asks about a drug class with a common example. The back gives the mechanism and one side effect or nursing consideration worth remembering.
All 20 cards in this deck
The full deck is listed below, front and back. Answers stay collapsed until you open them, so you can quiz yourself as you scroll.
Beta blockers (metoprolol): what do they do?
Block beta-1 receptors in the heart, which lowers heart rate and blood pressure. Hold the dose and notify the provider if the heart rate is below 60.
ACE inhibitors (lisinopril): mechanism?
Block the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, so vessels relax and blood pressure drops. A dry persistent cough is the classic side effect; watch potassium too.
ARBs (losartan): how do they differ from ACE inhibitors?
Block angiotensin II at its receptor instead of blocking its production. Similar effect on blood pressure without the ACE cough; still monitor for hyperkalemia.
Calcium channel blockers (amlodipine): mechanism?
Block calcium entry into vascular smooth muscle, so vessels dilate and pressure falls. Peripheral edema in the ankles is a common side effect.
Loop diuretics (furosemide): what do they do?
Block sodium and chloride reabsorption in the loop of Henle, pulling off large amounts of fluid. Watch for hypokalemia and monitor potassium levels.
Potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone): mechanism?
Block aldosterone, so the body excretes sodium and water but keeps potassium. Watch for hyperkalemia and tell patients to avoid salt substitutes.
Statins (atorvastatin): how do they lower cholesterol?
Inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, which lowers LDL. Teach patients to report unexplained muscle pain, a sign of possible rhabdomyolysis.
Warfarin: mechanism and key monitoring?
Blocks vitamin K dependent clotting factors, slowing clot formation. Monitor INR, usually targeting 2 to 3; vitamin K is the antidote.
Heparin: mechanism and antidote?
Activates antithrombin III, which inactivates thrombin and factor Xa. Monitor aPTT; protamine sulfate is the antidote, and watch platelet counts for HIT.
Digoxin: what does it do to the heart?
Inhibits the sodium-potassium pump, which strengthens contraction and slows the rate. Hold if the heart rate is below 60; nausea and visual changes suggest toxicity, and low potassium raises the risk.
Opioid analgesics (morphine): mechanism and biggest risk?
Bind mu opioid receptors in the CNS to block pain signals. Respiratory depression is the biggest danger; naloxone reverses it.
Benzodiazepines (lorazepam): mechanism?
Enhance the effect of GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, producing sedation and reduced anxiety. Flumazenil reverses overdose; dependence develops with long use.
SSRIs (sertraline): how do they work?
Block serotonin reuptake in the synapse, raising serotonin levels over time. Full effect takes several weeks; watch for serotonin syndrome when combined with other serotonergic drugs.
Proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole): mechanism?
Irreversibly block the gastric proton pump, cutting acid production. Give before the first meal of the day; long-term use is linked to fractures and low B12 and magnesium.
H2 blockers (famotidine): how do they reduce stomach acid?
Block histamine H2 receptors on gastric parietal cells, reducing acid secretion. Less potent than PPIs but useful for on-demand relief.
Rapid-acting insulin (lispro): onset and key teaching?
Starts working in about 15 minutes, so food must be ready when it is given. Teach patients to recognize hypoglycemia: shakiness, sweating and confusion.
Metformin: mechanism and one key precaution?
Decreases glucose production in the liver and improves insulin sensitivity. Hold it around iodinated contrast procedures because of the rare risk of lactic acidosis.
Levothyroxine: what is it and how should it be taken?
Synthetic T4 that replaces missing thyroid hormone. Take it in the morning on an empty stomach; a racing heart can mean the dose is too high.
Corticosteroids (prednisone): mechanism and key rule?
Suppress inflammation and the immune response. Never stop abruptly after long use; taper down, and watch for high blood sugar and infection.
Aminoglycosides (gentamicin): mechanism and toxicities?
Bind the bacterial 30S ribosome and kill gram-negative bacteria. Nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity are the classic risks, so monitor kidney labs and drug levels.
What this deck covers
The 20 cards cover the drug classes that anchor most first pharmacology courses and show up constantly on nursing exams: cardiovascular drugs like beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, calcium channel blockers and diuretics, the anticoagulants warfarin and heparin, pain and psych medications including opioids, benzodiazepines and SSRIs, GI acid reducers, diabetes drugs, levothyroxine, corticosteroids and one classic antibiotic family.
Each card follows the same pattern: the front names a drug class with a common example, and the back gives the mechanism plus one side effect or nursing consideration worth remembering. That pairing is deliberate. Exam questions rarely ask for a mechanism in isolation; they ask what to monitor, when to hold a dose, or which symptom signals toxicity.
Use the deck as a baseline check before an exam. If a card surprises you, that class belongs at the top of your study list. If you clear all 20 without a second look, you are ready to move on to dosing, interactions and the less common classes your course covers.
How to study drug classes
Do not memorize drugs one at a time. Learn the class, then attach the members. Once you know that beta blockers slow the heart and drop blood pressure, metoprolol, atenolol and propranolol come almost free, and the shared suffix does half the work: -olol for beta blockers, -pril for ACE inhibitors, -sartan for ARBs, -statin for cholesterol drugs.
For each class, force yourself to recall three things before flipping the card: what it does, the one side effect that shows up in exam questions, and the nursing action tied to it, such as checking the pulse before digoxin or monitoring potassium with furosemide. Saying the answer out loud before you flip is active recall, and it beats rereading the back ten times.
Why spaced repetition works for pharmacology
Pharmacology is high-volume and easy to forget, which makes it the ideal subject for spaced repetition: reviewing a card again just as you are about to forget it. Cards you know well come back less often; cards you miss come back sooner. The Review again button in this deck is a tiny version of that loop.
For the full version, upload your own lecture slides or drug list to StudyPDF. Bo builds flashcards from your exact course, keeps the wording your instructor uses, and schedules reviews so the classes you struggle with come back more often. Starting is free.
Written by the StudyPDF team. Last updated August 19, 2026.
Good to know
Are these pharmacology flashcards free?
Yes. All 20 cards are free to flip through as many times as you like. There is no paywall on this page.
What is a free StudyPDF account for?
Playing is free and runs fully in your browser. A free StudyPDF account is needed to download the PDF or to build bigger decks from your own lecture notes.
Who made these cards?
The StudyPDF team wrote every card. The deck covers common drug classes taught in nursing pharmacology courses, but always defer to your own course materials and current clinical guidance.
Can I make flashcards from my own pharmacology notes?
Yes. Upload your lecture slides or notes to StudyPDF and Bo turns them into flashcard decks grounded in your exact course, with spaced review built in.
What should a pharmacology flashcard include?
The drug class and one example on the front. On the back, the mechanism, one key side effect and one nursing consideration, such as what to monitor or when to hold a dose. That pairing matches how exams ask: what to check, when to hold, which symptom signals toxicity.
Can I export pharmacology flashcards to Anki?
Decks you build in StudyPDF from your own lecture slides export as an Anki .apkg file on Pro and up, and as a PDF on every plan. This 20-card starter deck downloads as a PDF from the page.
Need more than a sampler?
Upload your own prep book, slides or notes and Bo builds full-length practice tests from your exact materials, tracks which concepts you keep missing and targets your weak spots. Free to start.