Cardiovascular Drug Classes Every Pharmacy Tech Should Know

Major Cardiovascular Drug Classes

Cardiovascular medications represent one of the most commonly dispensed drug categories in any pharmacy. For the PTCB exam, you need to know the major classes, their generic and brand names, and common side effects.

ACE inhibitors such as lisinopril (Zestril) and enalapril (Vasotec) end in the suffix "-pril" and are used for hypertension and heart failure. Common side effects include a dry cough and hyperkalemia.

Beta-Blockers and Calcium Channel Blockers

Beta-blockers like metoprolol (Lopressor) and atenolol (Tenormin) end in "-olol" and reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc) and diltiazem (Cardizem) relax blood vessels.

Statins including atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor) lower cholesterol and end in "-statin." Patients should be monitored for liver function and muscle pain.

Study These Drug Classes

Reinforce your knowledge of cardiovascular drugs with our PTCB flashcards and test yourself with mini practice exams. Knowing the suffix patterns is a reliable shortcut for identifying drug classes on exam day.