Real Life Pharmacology - Pharmacology Education for Health Care Professionals

On this very special episode of the Real Life Pharmacology podcast, we tackle asthma pharmacotherapy and some of the things that Beth sees in her everyday practice as an ambulatory care pharmacist. When discussing asthma pharmacotherapy with pediatric patients and their families, it is critical to address the concern of suppressed growth with corticosteroid use. Beth shares her expertise and thoug...

On this podcast episode, I discuss lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more. Lisdexamfetamine is a stimulant medication that is used in the management of ADHD. Stimulants like lisdexamfetamine can increase heart rate, raise blood pressure, and suppress appetite. Lisdexamfetamine is a schedule 2 controlled substance and has a high potential for abus...

On this podcast episode, I cover etanercept pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions and much more. Etanercept is classified as a DMARD but is different from older DMARDs in that it is a biologic agent and needs to be injected. Vaccination assessment in patients is important prior to initiating etanercept due to the fact that the medication may blunt the effectiveness of the vaccines. Immu...

On this podcast episode, I discuss the pharmacology, adverse effects, and drug interactions of insulin lispro (Humalog). I spend some time on this podcast episode discussing carb ratios and sliding scale insulin when using insulin lispro. Potassium is critical to monitor in diabetic ketoacidosis as insulin therapy can cause significant hypokalemia. Sliding-scale insulin lispro is discouraged in th...

On this podcast episode, I discuss (Lyrica) pregabalin pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more. I compare pregabalin and gabapentin in this episode and one important difference is the percent absorption of gabapentin compared to pregabalin. Pregabalin can exacerbate the risk of respiratory depression and overdose in patients who are taking opioids. Pregabalin is most freque...

On this podcast episode, I discuss tamoxifen pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interaction, and much more. Tamoxifen is converted to a more active compound in the body by CYP2D6. CYP2D6 inhibitors such as paroxetine, fluoxetine, or bupropion can essentially reduce the effectiveness of tamoxifen. Hot flashes are a common adverse effect of tamoxifen and I discuss a few pharmacologic options to man...

On this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology Podcast, I cover phenobarbital pharmacology, adverse effects, important drug interactions and much more. Phenobarbital is an enzyme inducer. It is an inducer at CYP3A4 so this can lead to numerous drug interactions. Phenobarbital can exacerbate the risk for opioid overdose and increase the risk for respiratory depression and death. Phenobarbital can de...

On this episode, I discuss isotretinoin pharmacology, side effects, drug interactions, and much more. The iPLEDGE program is in place to ensure that pregnant patients do not receive this medication. I discuss this in more detail on this episode. Sun sensitivity is an important adverse effect that patients should be aware of during seasons of high sun exposure. Hepatic issues, myalgia, and psychiat...

On this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology Podcast, I discuss lovastatin pharmacology, adverse effect, drug interactions, and more! Lovastatin is broken down by CYP3A4 so drugs like clarithromycin, diltiazem, and others may increase concentrations. Lovastatin is a lipophilic statin and I discuss the importance of this on the podcast. Lovastatin has a very short half-life which means that it is...

On this podcast episode, I discuss clindamycin pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more! Clindamycin (oral administration) can cause esophageal irritation and it is recommended to take this medication with a full glass of water. C. Diff risk and frequent dosing are two of the biggest downsides to using clindamycin to manage infections. Clindamycin has good activity against m...

On this podcast episode, I discuss dextroamphetamine’s pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more! Dextroamphetamine is a stimulant medication. Weight loss, insomnia, tachycardia, and hypertension are all possible complications. There is a patch dosage form of dextroamphetamine available called Xelstrym. I discuss it on this episode. Vitamin C can reduce GI absorption of...

On this podcast episode, I discuss vardenafil pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more. Vardenafil is a PDE-5 inhibitor used primarily for erectile dysfunction in males. Using nitrates with vardenafil is contraindicated due to the risk of profound hypotension. I have discussed how long to wait between vardenafil and nitrates in a previous post on Meded101.com . Be sure to ch...

On this podcast episode, I discuss niacin pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more. Niacin has historically been used to manage lipids but has fallen out of favor due to adverse effects, and newer, more effective therapies being developed. Niacin can elevate uric acid. Be sure to use this medication cautiously in patients with gout. Flushing is one of the most common adverse...

I discuss dextromethorphan pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and more on this podcast episode. CYP2D6 metabolizes Dextromethorphan. A commonly used antidepressant is a CYP2D6 inhibitor. I discuss this on the podcast. Dextromethorphan is a commonly used OTC cough suppressant. There is potential for abuse with this medication. In excessive doses, dextromethorphan may cause euphoria,...

On this podcast episode, I discuss bexagliflozin pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more. I wasn’t wowed by the A1C reduction of this medication. I get into the specifics on bexagliflozin in the podcast episode. SGLT2 inhibitors like bexagliflozin increase the glucose in the urine which can facilitate the growth of bacteria and fungi in the genitourinary tract. Limb a...

On this episode, I discuss cefuroxime pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interaction, pharmacokinetics, and much more. Cefuroxime is a 2nd generation cephalosporin that binds Penicillin-binding proteins and prevents bacterial cell wall synthesis. Medications that create a higher pH in the stomach such as antacids can ultimately reduce the concentrations of cefuroxime. Cefuroxime is primarily elim...

On this episode, I discuss risperidone pharmacology, adverse effects, monitoring, and common indications. There are numerous drug interactions that I discuss in this podcast episode. CYP2D6 inhibitors may increase drug concentrations. Risperidone increases prolactin more than most 2nd generation antipsychotics. This can lead to sexual adverse effects. QTC prolongation is a concern with all antipsy...

On this podcast episode, I discuss vortioxetine pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more. Because of vortioxetine’s long half-life, antidepressant discontinuation syndrome is going to be less prominent compared to ADPs with shorter half-lives. Vortioxetine is metabolized by CYP2D6. Drugs that inhibit this enzyme will likely raise concentrations and place the patient mo...

On this episode, I discuss isosorbide mononitrate pharmacology, adverse effects, and important drug interactions. Isosorbide mononitrate is a vasodilator that works by relaxing and widening the blood vessels (primarily veins) through nitric oxide action. This reduces the preload and oxygen demand on the heart. The primary use for isosorbide mononitrate is angina prevention. It is important to reme...

On this episode of the RLP podcast, I discuss azelastine nasal spray pharmacology, adverse effects, administration, and much more! While most nasal sprays for allergic rhinitis are corticosteroids, azelastine is classified as an antihistamine. Systemic absorption of azelastine is about 40%, so while not common, systemic adverse effects like sedation can happen. On this podcast episode, I use azela...

On this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology Podcast, I discuss amlodipine pharmacology, adverse effects, and important drug interactions. I break down why edema occurs with amlodipine on this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology podcast. While beta-blockers are typically the first-line agent for the prevention of chronic angina symptoms, CCBs like amlodipine can be used as an alternative. There...

On this episode, I discuss pyridoxine pharmacology, adverse effects, and important clinical uses. Pyridoxine is most well known for its potential to reduce the likelihood of isoniazid-induced neuropathy. Another common indication of pyridoxine is its use for nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. Pyridoxine plays an important role in the production of heme, so deficiency will increase the...

On this episode of the Real Life Pharmacology podcast, I discuss vibegron pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions and more! I spend some time comparing and contrasting vibegron to mirabegron . Both are beta-3 agonists used for overactive bladder. Vibegron dosing is very simple. It is dosed once daily with no alternative dosage forms available. The starting dose is the target dose. Being p...

Bempedoic acid, also known as Nexletol, is a once-daily medication used in lipid management. I discuss its pharmacology, side effects, and much more on this podcast episode. Bempedoic is a once-daily medication that doesn’t need to be titrated. Standard dosing is 180mg once daily which can be taken with or without food.  What are the most common side effects of bempedoic acid? One of the most nota...

On this podcast episode, I discuss exenatide pharmacology, adverse effects, drug interactions, and much more! Exenatide has an immediate release formulation (Byetta) and a long acting formulation (Bydureon). I discuss the differences in this podcast episode. Byetta use has fallen out of favor due to frequent dosing, patient inconvenience and needing to time the dose 60 minutes prior to meals. I di...