PrescriptionDrugs.org

Drug Classes

Browse prescription medications organized by drug class. Each class groups drugs that share a common mechanism of action.

83 drug classes

5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors

Medications that inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), used for benign prostatic hyperpla...

2 drugs

5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists (Antiemetics)

Serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonists are among the most effective antiemetic agents available, primarily used for preven...

1 drug

ACE Inhibitors

Blood pressure medications that block angiotensin-converting enzyme.

2 drugs

Aldosterone Antagonists (Potassium-Sparing Diuretics)

Aldosterone antagonists competitively block mineralocorticoid receptors in the distal nephron, promoting sodium and wate...

1 drug

Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blockers

Selective alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonists used primarily for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)...

1 drug

Alpha-Beta Blockers

Alpha-beta blockers are a class of medications that block both alpha-1 and beta adrenergic receptors. By blocking alpha-...

1 drug

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

Blood pressure medications that block angiotensin II receptors.

4 drugs

Anti-Gout Agents

Medications specifically used for the treatment and prevention of acute gout flares. Colchicine, the primary agent in th...

1 drug

Anticonvulsants (Antiepileptic Drugs)

Anticonvulsants are a diverse class of medications primarily used to treat epilepsy and seizure disorders. Many are also...

4 drugs

Antihistamines (Anxiolytic)

Certain first-generation antihistamines, particularly hydroxyzine, are used for their anxiolytic and sedative properties...

1 drug

Antihistamines, Second-Generation

Second-generation antihistamines selectively block peripheral H1 histamine receptors with minimal CNS penetration, produ...

1 drug

Antimetabolites / Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)

Antimetabolites are drugs that interfere with normal metabolic processes, particularly nucleic acid synthesis. Methotrex...

1 drug

Antimuscarinics (Overactive Bladder)

Medications that block muscarinic (acetylcholine) receptors in the detrusor muscle of the bladder, reducing involuntary ...

1 drug

Antiplatelet Agents

Antiplatelet agents prevent blood clots by inhibiting platelet aggregation. They are widely used to reduce the risk of h...

1 drug

Antiviral Agents (Herpesvirus)

Antiviral medications specifically targeting herpesviruses (HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV). These nucleoside analogues are used to t...

1 drug

Atypical Antipsychotics (Second-Generation)

Atypical (second-generation) antipsychotics are medications used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and as adjunc...

3 drugs

Atypical Opioid Analgesics

Atypical opioid analgesics provide analgesia through a combination of weak opioid receptor agonism and monoamine reuptak...

1 drug

Azapirones

Azapirones are a class of anxiolytic medications that act as partial agonists at serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. Buspirone i...

1 drug

Benzodiazepines

Anti-anxiety and sedative medications that enhance GABA activity.

4 drugs

Beta-2 Adrenergic Agonists

Beta-2 adrenergic agonists are bronchodilators that relax airway smooth muscle, making it easier to breathe. They are a ...

2 drugs

Beta-Blockers

Medications that block the effects of adrenaline on beta-adrenergic receptors.

3 drugs

Biguanides

Biguanides are oral antidiabetic agents that lower blood glucose primarily by reducing hepatic glucose production. Metfo...

1 drug

Bisphosphonates

Medications that bind to bone mineral surfaces and inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Bisphosphonates are the ...

1 drug

Calcium Channel Blockers

Blood pressure medications that relax blood vessels by blocking calcium channels.

4 drugs

Cardiac Glycosides

Cardiac glycosides are a class of medications derived from the foxglove plant (Digitalis) that strengthen heart contract...

1 drug

Central Alpha-2 Agonists

Central alpha-2 agonists are antihypertensive medications that work in the brain to reduce sympathetic nervous system ou...

1 drug

Cephalosporin Antibiotics

Beta-lactam antibiotics structurally and pharmacologically related to penicillins. Cephalosporins are classified into fi...

1 drug

Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors

Medications that work in the small intestine to block the absorption of dietary and biliary cholesterol. Unlike statins,...

1 drug

CNS Stimulants

Central nervous system stimulants increase activity in the brain by enhancing the effects of dopamine and norepinephrine...

3 drugs

Corticosteroids

Anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive hormones.

3 drugs

COX-2 Selective Inhibitors

A subclass of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) designed to selectively inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) whi...

1 drug

Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other substances taken to supplement the diet. Melatoni...

1 drug

Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs)

Blood thinners that directly inhibit specific clotting factors.

2 drugs

Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (conventional DMARDs)

Conventional DMARDs are a group of medications that slow or stop the progression of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases...

1 drug

Dual GIP/GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists activate two incretin hormone receptors at once — glucose-dependent insulinotropic poly...

3 drugs

Eugeroics (Wakefulness-Promoting Agents)

Medications that promote wakefulness and alertness. Unlike traditional stimulants, eugeroics have a more targeted mechan...

1 drug

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics

Broad-spectrum synthetic antibiotics used to treat a variety of bacterial infections including urinary tract infections,...

1 drug

Gabapentinoids

Medications for nerve pain and seizures.

2 drugs

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

Medications that mimic the GLP-1 hormone to regulate blood sugar and appetite.

7 drugs

H2 Receptor Antagonists

H2 receptor antagonists reduce stomach acid production by blocking histamine H2 receptors on parietal cells. They are us...

1 drug

Insulins

Hormone replacement for diabetes management.

2 drugs

Intranasal Corticosteroids

Intranasal corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory nasal sprays used to treat allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, and other n...

1 drug

Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists

Asthma and allergy medications.

1 drug

Lincosamide Antibiotics

Lincosamides are antibiotics that include clindamycin and lincomycin. Clindamycin is particularly valued for its excelle...

1 drug

Lipase Inhibitors

Medications that inhibit gastric and pancreatic lipases in the gastrointestinal tract, preventing the digestion and abso...

1 drug

Long-Acting Muscarinic Antagonists (LAMAs)

Inhaled bronchodilators that block muscarinic receptors in airway smooth muscle, providing sustained bronchodilation for...

1 drug

Loop Diuretics

Loop diuretics are the most potent class of diuretics, producing rapid and pronounced natriuresis and diuresis. Furosemi...

1 drug

Low Molecular Weight Heparins

Low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) are injectable anticoagulants derived from unfractionated heparin through chemical...

1 drug

Macrolide Antibiotics

Macrolide antibiotics are broad-spectrum drugs used to treat respiratory infections, skin infections, and sexually trans...

1 drug

Mood Stabilizers

Mood stabilizers are a class of medications primarily used to treat bipolar disorder. They help control the extreme mood...

1 drug

Neuraminidase Inhibitors

Antiviral medications that work by blocking the neuraminidase enzyme on the surface of influenza viruses. This prevents ...

1 drug

Nitroimidazole Antibiotics

Nitroimidazoles are a class of antimicrobial agents effective against anaerobic bacteria and certain protozoa. Metronida...

1 drug

NMDA Receptor Antagonists

Medications that block N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the brain, which are involved in glutamate neurotransmis...

1 drug

Non-Opioid Analgesics

Non-opioid analgesics relieve pain and reduce fever without acting on opioid receptors. Acetaminophen is the most widely...

1 drug

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

Pain and inflammation medications.

3 drugs

Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (NDRIs)

NDRIs are antidepressants that enhance the activity of norepinephrine and dopamine by blocking their reuptake into presy...

1 drug

Opioid Antagonists

Opioid antagonists block opioid receptors in the brain and body. They are used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and al...

1 drug

Oxazolidinone Antibiotics

A class of synthetic antibiotics that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 23S ribosomal RNA of the 50S...

1 drug

Partial Opioid Agonists

Partial opioid agonists produce a limited opioid effect — enough to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings but with a c...

1 drug

PDE5 Inhibitors

Medications for erectile dysfunction that increase blood flow.

2 drugs

Penicillin Antibiotics

Penicillin antibiotics are a group of bactericidal drugs that kill bacteria by disrupting cell wall synthesis. They are ...

1 drug

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)

Acid-reducing medications for GERD and ulcer treatment.

3 drugs

Salicylates

Salicylates are a group of drugs derived from salicylic acid, with aspirin being the most widely known. They have analge...

1 drug

Sedative-Hypnotics (Non-Benzodiazepine)

Non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics (Z-drugs) are prescription sleep medications that act on GABA receptors similarly ...

1 drug

Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (NRIs)

A class of medications that selectively inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine in the brain, increasing norepinephrine a...

1 drug

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Antidepressants that increase serotonin levels in the brain.

5 drugs

Serotonin Modulators

Serotonin modulators affect serotonin signaling through multiple mechanisms. Trazodone, the most well-known drug in this...

1 drug

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)

Antidepressants that increase both serotonin and norepinephrine.

2 drugs

SGLT2 Inhibitors

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of oral diabetes medications that lower blood sugar by pre...

3 drugs

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants

Skeletal muscle relaxants reduce muscle spasm and associated pain through central or peripheral mechanisms. They are pri...

1 drug

Statins (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors)

Cholesterol-lowering medications that reduce cardiovascular risk.

4 drugs

Sulfonamide Antibiotics

One of the oldest classes of antibiotics, sulfonamides are synthetic antimicrobial agents effective against a broad rang...

1 drug

Systemic Retinoids

Systemic retinoids are vitamin A derivatives used to treat severe, recalcitrant nodular acne that has not responded to c...

1 drug

Tetracyclic Antidepressants (TeCA)

Tetracyclic antidepressants are a class of medications structurally related to tricyclic antidepressants but with a four...

1 drug

Tetracycline Antibiotics

Tetracyclines are broad-spectrum bacteriostatic antibiotics effective against a wide range of gram-positive and gram-neg...

1 drug

Thiazide Diuretics

Blood pressure medications that reduce fluid volume.

1 drug

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs)

Oral antidiabetic medications that improve insulin sensitivity by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ...

1 drug

Thyroid Hormones

Replacement hormones for hypothyroidism.

1 drug

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)

Tricyclic antidepressants are one of the earliest classes of antidepressants, named for their three-ring chemical struct...

1 drug

Triptans

Migraine-specific medications.

2 drugs

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs)

Targeted cancer therapies that block specific tyrosine kinase enzymes involved in cancer cell growth and survival. By in...

1 drug

Vitamin K Antagonists

Vitamin K antagonists are oral anticoagulants that prevent blood clot formation by inhibiting vitamin K-dependent clotti...

1 drug

Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitors

Medications that lower serum uric acid levels by inhibiting xanthine oxidase, the enzyme responsible for converting hypo...

1 drug