Are you Weak in Pharma but Passed?

JustEnuff2BDangerous, BSN, RN · Jul 13, 2009

Pharm is one of my weak points, no doubt. I got a B in it in nursing school but honestly could not tell you much because it was such a whirlwind and I don't remember it.. To be perfectly honest I didn't spend much time studying drugs.. You can study and study and will your chances of getting a drug on NCLEX that you actually studied are slim at best, just because of the sheer multitude of drugs!

If you feel the need to study them I would stick with drug endings, like -pril, -olol, etc. and know what that family of drugs does. The only drugs I studied heavily were the insulins, I memorized the peak and duration and etc. I had very few pharm questions on the NCLEX, and I only actually knew one of the drugs, the rest I basically guessed on.. I would study the most commonly used drugs like beta blockers, antihypertensives, cardiac glycosides, antibiotics, anti-ulcers, anti-epileptics, psych meds.. And focus on what they do, adverse reactions, what to do about the adverse reactions, when to hold a drug, and S/S of toxicity. NCLEX does not expect you to be well-versed in them, and does not ask you in-depth questions like "What is the half-life of morphine?"; NCLEX does expect you to know how to react to a given scenario, such as, what would you do if a pt's next dose of digoxin is due and their last potassium serum level was 2.5? Sometimes NCLEX will pick an "obscure" drug you've never even heard of, and you'll just have to make an educated guess. You do need to know some pharm, but I would definitely not "waste" precious study time trying to memorize every fact about every drug. Sometimes on NCLEX it's just the luck of the draw!

starz6666 · Jul 13, 2009

I am also weak in Pharm...I haven't passed yet, but my one on one tutor explained to me that Pharm questions aren't just drug questions, they include questions about IV's, blood transfusions, etc. I agree with JustEnuff also, don't memorize every drug and its side effect. I would study each drug category and what to watch for with those specific drugs. Good luck!

shoegalRN, RN · Jul 13, 2009

Pharm is not my strong area either. However, what helped me was Mosby's Pharmacology Memory Notecards. It is a small picture book that you can put in your pocket and it has the major drugs and classifications. I am a visual learner and this book helped me so much during nursing school and for NCLEX.

When I took NCLEX, I had alot of very common drugs, and a couple of drugs I never heard of, but I knew the classifcation of said drugs and I was able to make a decision based on that.

I really focused on the classification, like ACE-I end in -pril. And I know to look for persistant dry cough and hyperkalemia. And salt subsitutes are high in K+. I know Digoxin should not be given if the pt's K+ level is low, could cause dig toxicity. I also know if the patient is vomiting, dig should not be given. These are things I really focused on.