Taking my CPhT exam in 10 weeks and the drug memorization requirement is stressing me out. I know I need to know brand/generic names, drug class, and common uses but 200 drugs is a lot to hold in my head.
I've tried flashcards but I keep confusing drugs within the same class — like I'll know it's an ACE inhibitor but then mix up lisinopril and enalapril on specific details.
What memory tricks actually worked for people? And does the CPhT practice test cover the drug list comprehensively or just the high-yield ones?
I made audio recordings of brand/generic pairs and played them during my commute. Passive repetition got them into memory faster than active flashcard sessions for me.
The suffix patterns help more than people give them credit for. -pril = ACE inhibitor, -sartan = ARB, -olol = beta blocker. Once those are automatic you can often reason through unfamiliar drugs on the exam.
Group by drug class and learn one representative drug cold before adding the others in that class. Once you know atorvastatin completely, rosuvastatin and simvastatin follow naturally because you're just noting the differences.
The exam does hit the full top 200 list, not just the most common ones. Don't skip the less familiar drugs in the list — I got a question on a drug I almost didn't study.