Pharmacological Drug Classes
Explore therapeutic drug families grouped by biochemical mechanism of action, cellular receptors, and physiological organ systems.
Adrenal cortical steroids
Adrenal cortical steroids, also known as corticosteroids, are natural hormones produced by the adrenal glands that help the body manage stress, inflammation,…
Sex hormone combinations
Sex hormone combinations are medications that contain two types of sex hormones, such as estrogen with progestin or estrogen with androgen. These…
Sex hormones
Sex hormones are natural chemicals in the body that control sexual development and reproduction. They include estrogens and progestins (female hormones) and…
SGLT-2 inhibitors
SGLT-2 inhibitors are a class of medications used to lower high blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. They are…
Skeletal muscle relaxant combinations
Skeletal muscle relaxant combinations are medications that combine a muscle relaxant with other drugs, such as pain relievers, in a single pill.…
Skeletal muscle relaxants
Skeletal muscle relaxants are medications that help reduce muscle tension and spasms. They are often called muscle relaxants and can work in…
Smoking cessation agents
Smoking cessation agents are medicines that help people quit smoking by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Somatostatin and somatostatin analogs
Somatostatin and somatostatin analogs are medications that mimic a natural hormone in the body. This hormone helps regulate the release of other…
Spermicides
Spermicides are chemicals that kill sperm to prevent pregnancy. They come in forms like creams, jellies, and foams.
Statins
Statins are a class of medications that lower cholesterol levels in the blood. They are often prescribed to reduce the risk of…
Sterile irrigating solutions
Sterile irrigating solutions are sterile, nonpyrogenic isotonic solutions used for washing, irrigation, and rinsing of body cavities, wounds, and surgical sites.
Streptogramins
Streptogramins are a type of antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial infections. They are made from two different components that work together…
Streptomyces derivatives
Streptomyces derivatives are a class of antibiotics that fight certain bacterial infections, including tuberculosis. They are used when other treatments have not…
Succinimide anticonvulsants
Succinimide anticonvulsants are a class of medications primarily used to control absence seizures, a type of epilepsy characterized by brief staring spells.
Sulfonamides
Sulfonamides, also known as sulfa drugs, are a group of synthetic medicines that include antibiotics and non-antibiotic drugs used for conditions like…
Sulfonylureas
Sulfonylureas are a class of medications used to manage type 2 diabetes by helping the pancreas release more insulin.
Synthetic ovulation stimulants
Synthetic ovulation stimulants are medications that help women who have trouble ovulating (releasing an egg) to become fertile. They work by tricking…
Tetracyclic antidepressants
Tetracyclic antidepressants are a class of medications used to treat depression. They have a unique chemical structure with four rings and work…
Tetracyclines
Benzodiazepines are a class of medications that act as central nervous system depressants. They are commonly used to treat anxiety, insomnia, seizures,…
Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals
Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive drugs used in higher doses to treat certain cancers and other diseases by delivering radiation directly to the…
Therapeutic vaccines
Therapeutic vaccines are a type of treatment that uses the body's own immune system to fight diseases, such as cancer or infections.…
Thiazide diuretics
Thiazide diuretics are a type of medication that helps your body get rid of extra fluid by increasing urine production. They are…
Thiazolidinediones
Thiazolidinediones, also known as glitazones, are a class of oral medications used to treat type 2 diabetes. They help lower blood sugar…
Thioxanthenes
Thioxanthenes are a class of typical antipsychotic medications used to manage mental health conditions like schizophrenia. They are related to another group…
Third generation cephalosporins
Third generation cephalosporins are a group of broad-spectrum antibiotics that kill a wide range of bacteria. They are derived from a mold…
Thrombin inhibitors
Thrombin inhibitors are a type of medication that helps prevent blood clots from forming. They are often called blood thinners, but they…
Thrombolytics
Thrombolytics are emergency medications used to dissolve dangerous blood clots that cause strokes, heart attacks, or pulmonary embolisms.
Thyroid drugs
Thyroid drugs are medications used to replace or supplement thyroid hormones in people whose thyroid gland does not produce enough. They are…
TNF alfa inhibitors
TNF-alpha inhibitors are a class of medications that block a protein called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which is involved in causing inflammation…
Tocolytic agents
Tocolytic agents, also called labor suppressants, are medications used to delay preterm labor for a short time (usually 48 hours) to allow…
Topical acne agents
Topical acne agents are creams, gels, lotions, and washes applied to the skin to treat acne. They are often used for mild…
Topical agents
Topical agents are medications applied directly to the skin or mucous membranes, such as creams, ointments, lotions, or eye drops, to treat…
Topical anesthetics
Topical anesthetics are medications applied directly to the skin or mucous membranes to temporarily numb the area and relieve pain. They come…
Topical anti-infectives
Topical anti-infectives are medications applied directly to the skin, nails, or mucous membranes to treat infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses.…
Topical anti-rosacea agents
Topical anti-rosacea agents are medications applied to the skin to treat rosacea, a condition causing redness, bumps, and pimples on the face.
Topical antibiotics
Topical antibiotics are medications in cream or ointment form that are applied directly to the skin to treat or prevent bacterial infections.
Topical antifungals
Topical antifungals are medications applied directly to the skin, nails, hair, mouth, or vagina to treat fungal infections. They come in various…
Topical antihistamines
Topical antihistamines are medications applied directly to the skin, nose, or eyes to relieve allergy symptoms like itching, swelling, and redness.
Topical antineoplastics
Topical antineoplastics are medications applied directly to the skin to treat certain types of skin cancer. They work by targeting and destroying…
Topical antipsoriatics
Topical antipsoriatics are medications applied directly to the skin to treat psoriasis, a chronic condition causing itchy, dry, scaly patches. They come…
Topical antivirals
Topical antivirals are creams or ointments applied directly to the skin to treat viral infections like cold sores.
Topical astringents
Topical astringents are products applied to the skin that cause tissues to tighten and dry. They help protect minor wounds and soothe…
Topical debriding agents
Topical debriding agents are medications applied directly to wounds to help clean them by removing dead tissue and debris, promoting faster healing…
Topical depigmenting agents
Topical depigmenting agents are creams or lotions applied to the skin to lighten dark spots or patches caused by excess pigment.
Topical emollients
Topical emollients are creams, lotions, or ointments that soothe and soften the skin. They are also called moisturizers and help keep the…
Topical keratolytics
Topical keratolytics are medications applied to the skin to soften and remove the outer layer of dead skin cells. They help exfoliate…
Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are creams, gels, or sprays applied directly to the skin over painful joints or bones. They help…
Topical photochemotherapeutics
Topical photochemotherapeutics are medications applied to the skin that make it more sensitive to light. They are used together with light therapy…
Topical rubefacient
Topical rubefacients are medications applied to the skin that cause redness and a feeling of warmth. They are used to relieve pain…
Topical steroids
Topical steroids are medications applied directly to the skin to reduce inflammation, redness, and swelling. They come in various forms like creams,…
Topical steroids with anti-infectives
Topical steroids with anti-infectives are combination medications applied to the skin or scalp. They contain a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation and an…
Transthyretin stabilizers
Transthyretin stabilizers are a class of medications that help prevent the breakdown of a specific protein called transthyretin (TTR). This protein normally…
Triazine anticonvulsants
Triazine anticonvulsants are a class of medications used to control certain types of seizures by stabilizing electrical activity in the brain.
Tricyclic antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are a group of medicines used mainly to treat depression, but also other conditions like anxiety, chronic pain, and…
Ultrasound contrast media
Ultrasound contrast media are substances used during an ultrasound to make the images clearer and more detailed. They help doctors see blood…
Upper respiratory combinations
Upper respiratory combinations are multi-ingredient products designed to relieve symptoms of colds, allergies, or flu, such as cough, congestion, sneezing, and runny…
Urea anticonvulsants
Urea anticonvulsants are a class of medications that were designed to treat seizures with fewer birth defects and liver problems than older…
Urea cycle disorder agents
Urea cycle disorder agents are medications used to treat rare genetic conditions that prevent the body from properly removing ammonia, a toxic…
Urinary anti-infectives
Urinary anti-infectives are medications used to prevent or treat infections in the urinary tract, such as the bladder and urethra.
Urinary antispasmodics
Urinary antispasmodics are a class of medications that help relax the bladder muscle, reducing sudden urges to urinate and controlling bladder spasms.
Urinary pH modifiers
Urinary pH modifiers are medications that change the acidity of your urine, making it less acidic (more alkaline). They are used to…
Uterotonic agents
Uterotonic agents are medications that make the uterus contract more strongly and frequently. They are used to start or strengthen labor, manage…
Vaccine combinations
Vaccine combinations are single shots that protect against multiple diseases or multiple strains of the same disease. They combine different vaccines into…
Vaginal anti-infectives
Vaginal anti-infectives are medications used to treat infections in the vagina. They come in forms like creams, tablets, gels, or solutions that…
Vaginal preparations
Vaginal preparations are medications that are inserted or applied directly into the vagina to treat various vaginal conditions. They come in forms…
Vasodilators
Vasodilators are medications that widen blood vessels, making it easier for blood to flow through them. They are used to treat conditions…
Vasopressin antagonists
Vasopressin antagonists are a class of medications that block the effects of vasopressin, a hormone that helps regulate water balance and blood…
Vasopressors
Vasopressors are medications that help raise blood pressure by tightening blood vessels. They are often used in emergency situations when blood pressure…
VEGF/VEGFR inhibitors
VEGF/VEGFR inhibitors are medications that block the activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor (VEGFR), which are proteins that…
Viral vaccines
Viral vaccines are medications that help your body build protection against specific viruses. They contain either killed (inactivated) viruses or weakened (live…
Viscosupplementation agents
Viscosupplementation agents are treatments that contain hyaluronic acid, a natural substance injected into the knee joint to relieve pain from osteoarthritis.
Viscosupplementation agents
Viscosupplementation agents are treatments that contain hyaluronic acid, a natural substance injected into the knee joint to relieve pain from osteoarthritis.
Vitamin and mineral combinations
Vitamin and mineral combinations are supplements that provide essential nutrients your body needs in small amounts for proper growth, development, and overall…
Vitamins
Vitamins are essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy. They are found naturally in foods, but your…
VMAT2 inhibitors
VMAT2 inhibitors are a class of medications used to reduce involuntary movements in conditions like Huntington's disease and tardive dyskinesia.