Antibiotic Memory Tricks [Full Lecture]

Antibiotic Classes and Drug Names

The list of antibiotic classes and drug names is extensive.

With all the different antibiotic classifications and drug names available, it can be challenging to
remember which medications belong to each class.

Fortunately, this lecture will simplify that for you!

This lecture will cover:

• 10 Major Antibiotic Classes

• Aminoglycosides, Cephalosporins, Tetracyclines, Penicillins, Sulfonamides,

Fluoroquinolones, Macrolides, Carbapenems, Lincosamides, Glycopeptides

• Example Drug Names within each class

• Memory Tricks to remember the drug names for each class

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Antibiotic Classes and Drug Names
The list of antibiotic classes and drug names is extensive.

With all the different antibiotic classifications and drug names available, it can be challenging to
remember which medications belong to each class.

Fortunately, this lecture will simplify that for you!

We will walk through 10 main antibiotic classes, and you will be given simple memory tricks to
remember the drug names within each class. Let’s get started!

Antibiotic Pharmacology Trick

As previously mentioned, it can be challenging to remember all the different antibiotic classes
and drug names.

Fortunately, there are a few pharmacology tricks that can help you out!

We will use the following memory tricks below to remember the medication/drug names for the
10 antibiotic classes listed below.

**These tricks are not hard-and-fast rules, and there are some exceptions.

Image - The drug names in each antibiotic class can be remembered using the above prefixes and
suffixes.

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Aminoglycosides = End in “mycin/micin”
Antibiotics belonging to the aminoglycoside class typically end in the suffix “mycin/micin”.

Examples of aminoglycosides include gentamicin, tobramycin, neomycin, and streptomycin.

Image - Aminoglycoside drug names typically end in “mycin/micin”. Examples include

streptomycin and gentamicin.

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Cephalosporins = Begin with “Cef/Ceph”
Cephalosporin drug names begin with “cef” or “ceph”.

There are 5 generations of cephalosporin medications, and each generation has coverage against
certain bacteria.

There are memory tricks to remember which medications belong to each cephalosporin
generation.

And there are also memory tricks to remember their spectrum of coverage against gram-positive
and gram-negative bacteria, along with pseudomonas and MRSA!

Make sure to check out the cephalosporin lectures and content for those memory tricks.

Examples of cephalosporins include ceftriaxone, cefepime, cefazolin, cephalexin, cefdinir, and

cefuroxime.

Image - Medications in the cephalosporin class use the prefix “cef/ceph”. Examples include
ceftriaxone and cefepime.

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Tetracyclines = End in “cycline”
Medications in the tetracycline class usually end in “cycline”

Examples of tetracyclines include doxycycline, minocycline, demeclocycline, and tetracycline.

Image - Tetracycline drug names typically end in “cycline”. Examples include doxycycline and
tetracycline.

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Penicillins = End in “cillin”
Penicillins are easy to remember because their drug names typically end in “cillin”, similar to
their class name “penicillin”.

Examples of penicillins include amoxicillin, ampicillin, nafcillin, dicloxacillin, and oxacillin.

Image - Penicillins typically use the suffix “cillin”. Examples include ampicillin and amoxicillin.

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Sulfonamides = Begin with “Sulfa”
Drugs belonging to the sulfonamide class can be remembered by the prefix “sulfa”.

Examples of sulfonamides include sulfasalazine (typically used for inflammatory conditions),

sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethizole, and sulfadiazine.

Image - Medications in the sulfonamide class typically use the prefix “sulfa”. Examples include
sulfasalazine and sulfamethoxazole.

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Fluoroquinolones = End in “floxacin”
Fluoroquinolone drug names can be remembered by the suffix “floxacin”.

Examples of fluoroquinolones include ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and ofloxacin.

Image - Fluoroquinolone drug names usually end in “floxacin”. Examples include ciprofloxacin
and levofloxacin.

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Macrolides = End in “thromycin”
Medications in the macrolide class typically end in “thromycin”.

Examples include azithromycin, erythromycin, and clarithromycin.

Image - Macrolide medications typically use the suffix “thromycin”. Examples include
azithromycin and erythromycin.

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Carbapenems = End in “penem”
Carbapenems are another easy class to remember as their drug names typically use the suffix
“penem”, similar to their class name “carbapenem”

Examples of carbapenems include meropenem and ertapenem.

Image - Drug names in the carbapenem class usually end in “penem”. Examples include
meropenem and ertapenem.

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Lincosamides = End in “mycin/in”
Most medications belonging to the lincosamide class end in “mycin/in”.

Be careful as we previously mentioned aminoglycosides can end in “mycin” as well.

Examples of lincosamides include clindamycin, lincomycin, and pirlimycin.

Image - Lincosamides typically use the suffix “mycin/in”. Examples include clindamycin and
lincomycin.

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Glycopeptides = End in “mycin/in”
Glycopeptide drug names typically end in “mycin/in”.

A common example of a glycopeptide is vancomycin.

Again, be careful as we have now learned aminoglycosides and lincosamides can end in
“mycin”.

You may have to commit the most common medications to memory, which are:

Gentamicin = Aminoglycoside

Clindamycin = Lincosamide

Vancomycin = Glycopeptide

Image - Glycopeptide drug names usually end in “in/mycin”. A common example is vancomycin.

**Make sure to check out the Antibiotic Chart in the Antibiotics Made Easy lecture that goes into
detail on the coverage, mechanism of action, uses, and examples of the above antibiotic classes!

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**For more information on Antibiotic Classes and Drug Names, check out the lecture and video
on the EZmed website and YouTube channel!

Website: www.ezmedlearning.com

YouTube Channel: EZmed

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