Question about studying drugs

[Technicalglitch]

Hi all,

I've heard that the drugs on the NCLEX tend to be the ones advertised on TV, and I've found a source (via these boards, thanks to the person who directed me!) to learn what those are, since I don't watch TV and am from out of country.

What I'm wondering now is, what sort of specifics does one have to know about drugs? We're not expected to have all the doses memorized, are we? Are they looking for what the drug does, side effects, what diseases it treats? Are they looking for drug interactions? I'm Canadian, and there we routinely look things up rather than carrying it all inside our heads, so I'm wondering, if you carry it around in your heads, what details about drugs are you expected to carry around in there?

Can the newest drugs be on the exam, or does it tend to be the more established ones? Is it the more "essential" drugs, or are the more elective ones too?

Thanks for any direction anyone can give me. I'm not looking for people to tell me what's on the exam, just to narrow down what an American nurse passing the NCLEX is supposed to know about drugs, because there is no WAY s/he can know it all!

[KAYBDT6, BSN, RN]

If you have access to Pearson 2010 drug book or other edition, but i will prefer the recent edition because it will have most current drug. I think mostly all the drug on NCLEX comes from the drug book. You need to know s/e, pt teaching aspect, adverse effect, interaction, what to avoid when taking such drug.