🔴 ANTI-INFLAMMATORY / PAIN
NSAIDs (↓ COX → ↓ prostaglandins)
Pattern: ends in -fenac, -profen, -oxicam
ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)
ketorolac (Acular, Acuvail, Toradol)
diclofenac (Voltaren)
bromfenac (Bromday, Prolensa)
flurbiprofen (Ansaid, Ocufen)
piroxicam (Feldene)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“PRO FENs DICe BRom”
(PROfen, DIClofenac, BRomfenac)
⚠️ NBEO pearl: NSAIDs ≠ steroids → no IOP rise
Corticosteroids (↓ phospholipase A2)
Pattern: -one, -olone, -pred
prednisolone (Pred Forte, Pred Mild)
dexamethasone (Maxidex)
loteprednol (Lotemax, Alrex)
fluorometholone (FML)
difluprednate (Durezol)
methylprednisolone (Medrol, Solu-Medrol)
triamcinolone (Kenalog)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“STER-OIDs have ONE goal” (-one endings)
⚠️ NBEO: ↑ IOP, cataracts, infection risk
🦠 ANTI-Biotics
Antibiotics – Protein Synthesis
Tetracyclines (30S)
Pattern: -cycline
tetracycline (Achromycin, Sumycin)
doxycycline (Doryx, Vibramycin)
minocycline (Minocin, Dynacin)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“Buy CYCLes at 30”
NBEO loves: MGD, rosacea, corneal melts
Fluoroquinolones (DNA gyrase)
Pattern: -floxacin
ciprofloxacin (Cipro, Ciloxan)
ofloxacin (Ocuflox)
levofloxacin (Levaquin, Iquix, Quixin)
moxifloxacin (Vigamox, Moxeza)
gatifloxacin (Zymar, Zymaxid)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“FLOX the DNA”
⚠️ NBEO: corneal toxicity with overuse
Sulfa drugs
“SULFA stops folate”
sulfacetamide (Sulamyd)
TMP-SMX (Bactrim)
sulfadiazine, sulfisoxazole
🧠 Mnemonic:
“SULFA stops folate”
Antivirals
🧠 Mnemonic:
“-VIR fights VIRuses”
acyclovir / valacyclovir / ganciclovir
trifluridine (Viroptic)
oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
Antifungals
🧠 Mnemonic:
“FUNGI are AZOLE-y”
natamycin (Natacyn)
amphotericin B
fluconazole, ketoconazole, voriconazole
🧠 Mnemonic:
“FUNGI are AZOLE-y”
👁️ GLAUCOMA DRUGS
Prostaglandin analogs (↑ uveoscleral outflow)
Pattern: -prost
latanoprost (Xalatan)
travoprost (Travatan)
bimatoprost (Lumigan)
tafluprost (Zioptan)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“PROST = PRO lashes”
👁️ GLAUCOMA DRUGS
Beta blockers (↓ aqueous production)
Pattern: -olol
timolol (Timoptic)
betaxolol (Betoptic)
levobunolol (Betagan)
carteolol (Ocupress)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“-OLOL lowers fluid”
⚠️ asthma, bradycardia
👁️ GLAUCOMA DRUGS
Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors
Pattern: -zolamide
acetazolamide (Diamox)
methazolamide (Neptazane)
dorzolamide (Trusopt)
brinzolamide (Azopt)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“ZOLAMIDE zaps bicarb”
👁️ GLAUCOMA DRUGS
Alpha-2 agonists
“Alpha-2 = aqueous ↓ + outflow ↑”
brimonidine (Alphagan, Combigan)
apraclonidine (Iopidine)
🌼 ALLERGY / MAST CELL
Antihistamines (H1 blockers)
Pattern: -tadine, -zine
loratadine (Claritin)
cetirizine (Zyrtec)
fexofenadine (Allegra)
diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“-TADINE keeps allergies at bay”
🌼 ALLERGY / MAST CELL
Mast cell stabilizers
cromolyn (Crolom, Opticrom)
nedocromil (Alocril)
lodoxamide (Alomide)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“CROM locks the mast cell”
❤️ CARDIO / SYSTEMIC
ACE inhibitors
Pattern: -pril
“-PRIL prevents angiotensin II”
lisinopril, enalapril, captopril, benazepril
❤️ CARDIO / SYSTEMIC
ARBs
Pattern: -sartan
“-SARTAN blocks the receptor”
losartan, valsartan
CNS
PAM calms, TYLENE depresses
Cholesterol
Pattern: -statin
atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin
Benzos
diazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam (-pam)
TCAs
amitriptyline, imipramine
SSRIs
fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine
Macrolides (50S)
Pattern: -thromycin
azithromycin (AzaSite, Z-Pak, Zithromax)
erythromycin (Ilotycin)
🧠 Mnemonic:
“MACRO = BIG (50S)”
