Learning why medications were were named the way they are can yield surprisingly useful & often fascinating information and can making remembering them easier. Test your knowledge about these medicine name origins with this fun quiz !
Results
Sweet job 👏🏽👏🏽
Ahem…A little work is needed…I guess
#1. Vancomycin
Vancomycin was isolated in the jungles of Borneo from a soil fungus named Streptomyces orientalis. It was one of the first compounds to vanquish drug-resistant staphylococcus, hence the name !
#2. Lasix
Lasix LAsts SIX to 8 hours in the human body !
#3. Warfarin
Discovered by professor Link of the University of Wisconsin as the mysterious compound killing cows – this first became a useful rat poisin , then a human medicine after a soldier failed to kill himself from suicide from this, showing scientists that it be used to prevent clotting.
Read more about fascinating history of warfarin on the Wisconsin Alumni website
#4. Macrobid
a formulation of Macrodantin taken twice a day. There now you know its dosed twice a day !
#5. Apixaban
Xa-Ban is exactly what the drug does – bans Factor Xa and hence the anticoagulant action.
Same goes for Rivaroxaban and Edoxaban
#6. Protonix
Named after mechanism of action – it nixes or cancels proton pumps
#7. Namenda
The generical drug Memantine is a NMDA – receptor blocker . Has more than 50 brand names worldwide ! ‘Nameda’ was derived from it’s mechanism of action.
NMDA itself stands for N-methyl-D-aspartate
#8. Sinemet
Using Levodopa alone results in enzymatic conversion to Dopamine in brain as well as peripheral tissues, the latter caused bad nausea/emesis. Adding Carbidopa prevented peripheral conversion of Levodopa into dopamine, hence the name Sinemet made from “Sine Emesis” (Without vomitting) !
#9. Nystatin
Nystatin was discovered by two women scientists – Elizabeth Hazen and Rachel Fuller while working for the New York State department , hence the name Nystatin !
#10. Ambien
“Good Morning”
AM – Morning & Bien – Spanish for Good
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