*Note: Jenny has given me permission to use her email. I have blacked out personal details. An intern (Jenny) that is using the Memorise Medicine website sent me an email asking about part 1 of the oral exam. I replied back with a link to…
Category: Study Tip
Understanding the name: H2 antagonist.
Understanding the name: There are a plethora of abbreviations used in the medical world. Some are commonly accepted and others are not. What happens when the abbreviation becomes more common than the actual name? So common is the abbreviation of “H2” in H2 antagonist that…
Tug Of War: Dopamine Agonist VS. Antagonist.
Medicine is a broad and complex topic. Let’s simplify things, as much as possible.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In Australia, ALL antipsychotic (e.g. olanzapine, haloperidol, quetiapine and risperidone) medicines block dopamine. Additionally, a lot of antiemetics (eg domperidone, haloperidol, prochlorperazine and metoclopramide) are also dopamine ANTAGONIST. Notice how haloperidol is…
Ursodeoxycholic acid & Cholesterol-lowering medicines.
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) (Ursofalk ®) is used to treat forms of cholestatic liver disease (CLD). Example: primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and cholestasis related to cystic fibrosis. Hypercholesterolemia is a common feature of CLD. So a patient that needs to take UDCA may already…
Passing The Pharmacy Australia Intern Oral Exam: The easy way
New second edition to help you prepare for the new 2021 oral exam format!Attention! Australian Intern Pharmacist. Are you scared of the upcoming oral exam? I thought so. I’ve written a book to help, ‘Passing The Pharmacy Australia Intern Oral Exam: The easy way.’ It’s…
UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) Medicines & The Interaction You Need To Know.
In Australia, we treat UTIs with the following medicines: Trimethoprim Cephalexin Amoxycillin with clavulanic acid Nitrofurantoin Norfloxacin Fosfomycin trometamol (NEW) Hexamine hippurate (used prophylactically). Patients with an UTI often have painful and burning sensation when they urinate. We can help treat this…
Don’t Worry About Learning Styles. Use This Instead.
Until Uni restarts, I think I'll take a break from medicine information post. Because it's the holidays and you've already spent a lot of time studying and cramming for your exams. "No need to learn new information!" you're thinking. "I'm already starting to forget what…
Are PPIs & H2 Antagonists Causing Anaemia?
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs e.g. Nexium® & Pariet®) and histamine-2 (H2) antagonists (H2RAs e.g. Zantac®) are frequently used for the treatment of stomach acid‐related disorders. E.g. peptic ulcer, GORD (gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease) and as prevention and or treatment of NSAIDs’ upper GI adverse effects.…
Melatonin (Circadin) & Food.
Do you know why melatonin (Circadin) is listed to have with food? Hint: the answer is not in your AMH (Australian Medicines Handbook).First, let’s look at why we take certain medicines with food. In the majority of cases, it’s to prevent gastrointestinal (GI) upset. And…
Potassium and Blood Pressure
Here’s an easy way to remember what happens when you have too much potassium. Increase POTassium can lead to a decrease in blood pressure, this increase the chance of hyPOTension (low blood pressure). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What are two of the most common medicines we use to…