Updated 7 min read
Learn classes, then exceptions
Memorising drugs one by one does not scale. Learn each class as a unit — mechanism, main uses, typical adverse effects, key interactions — then note the members that behave differently. Most MCQ distractors come from within the same class, so the exceptions are exactly what gets tested.
Anchor everything to the mechanism
Adverse effects and interactions usually follow from how a drug works. ACE inhibitors cause cough because bradykinin accumulates; non-selective beta blockers can worsen asthma because they block β2 receptors. If you know the mechanism, you can often reason your way to the answer.
High-yield areas
- Autonomic pharmacology and receptor selectivity
- Antimicrobial mechanisms and characteristic toxicities
- Cardiovascular drugs, anticoagulants and digoxin
- CNS drugs and their antidotes
- Antidiabetic agents
- Enzyme inducers and inhibitors
Make interaction tables
Keep one table of common enzyme inducers (such as rifampicin, carbamazepine and phenytoin) and inhibitors (such as ketoconazole, erythromycin and cimetidine), with the drugs they affect. Interaction questions become quick once the table is familiar.
Practise by system, revise mixed
Work through one system at a time while learning, with 20–30 MCQs per session. Once a system is covered, include it in mixed sets so it stays fresh while you move on to the next.