In the end, there are numerous ways to classify a drug and thousands of different drug classes and subclasses. This doesn't even take into account the drugs that are used off-label for reasons other than what they were approved. It is for this same reason that two NSAIDs are not combined. For example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Motrin or aspirin are often avoided when taking anticoagulants (blood thinners) like Select one or more newsletters to continue. Asthma medication plays a key role in how well you control your condition. These medications block the formation of angiotensin II, a hormone with many potentially adverse effects on the heart and circulation in patients with heart failure. These drugs inhibit muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the enteric plexus and on smooth muscle. From the broadest perspective, the USP currently categorizes a drug or drug component under one of 49 different therapeutic classes:Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Further information. For consumers: dosage ... Has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions. Elaine Hinzey is a fact checker, writer, researcher, and registered dietitian. Among its many functions, the USP was tasked by the U.S. Congress to classify drugs so that Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit providers can include them in their annual formularies. There are two main types of treatment, each geared toward a specific goal. The effectiveness of a drug can often be reduced if the action of one drug diminishes the action of another. By classifying a drug by its CYP3A4 action, doctors are better able to avoid this interaction. If used incorrectly or for a long period of time, a drug may lose its potency as the infection becomes resistant to its effects. Metoclopramide is effective against nausea and vomiting associated with gastrointestinal disorders or migraine, following surgery and chemotherapy and is also effective against radiation-induced nausea and vomiting. Abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. For each level, either a letter or numbers are assigned. The drugs are often staged by the class under a prescribed guideline, with "preferred" classes used for first-line therapies and "alternate" classes used for subsequent therapies. Drug Classes; Gastrointestinal Agents; Print Share. To bring order to chaos, in 1976 the World Health Organization (WHO) created a multi-dimensional system called the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System, which categorizes a drug based on five levels: Drug class: benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine anticonvulsants. Moreover, if you take multiple drugs, your body chemistry may be changed in such a way that a drug is far less effective or the side effects are far more severe. In some cases, doubling the class of drug only serves to double the risk or severity of the side effects. There are three dominant methods of classifying these groups: Many people with lupus suffer from gastrointestinal problems, especially heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The risk of phosphate depletion increases in alcoholics, undernourished patients, and patients with renal disease (including those receiving hemodialysis). Medications used to treat chronic infections do so in a specific way. Gastrointestinal agents include many different classes of drugs that are used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. At low doses, they have minimal autonomic effects. 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