SSRIs Test Prep and Practice Pearls – Part 2

SSRI adverse effects are critical to know. In part 2 of this 2-part series on SSRIs, we cover the most important adverse effects to know, in addition to putting a nice bow on the most important clinical practice pearls on each SSRI. Enjoy the show! Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE! Support The Podcast and Check Out These Amazing Resources! NAPLEX Study Materials BCPS Study Materials BCACP Study Materials BCGP Study Materials BCMTMS Study Materials Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated) Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller) Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

This nursing pharmacology review provides a high-yield overview of the most important antibiotic classes used in clinical practice. The video explains how common antibiotics work, what infections they treat, and the major nursing considerations associated with each class. Key topics include penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, vancomycin, aminoglycosides, and sulfonamides. Emphasis is placed on side effects, black box warnings, allergy considerations, renal dosing, patient counseling, and critical monitoring parameters nurses should recognize in both inpatient and outpatient settings. You can find the full 16+ hour nursing pharmacology review course, including PDF handouts, cheat sheets, practice questions, and on-demand videos at meded101.com!

In this episode, we break down the pharmacology of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with a focus on the high-yield clinical pearls pharmacists, medical students, and healthcare professionals need to know. We compare the major SSRIs—including fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, and fluvoxamine—based on adverse effects, drug interactions, pharmacokinetics, and board exam relevance. Topics include serotonin syndrome, discontinuation syndrome, CYP450 interactions, QT prolongation, sexual dysfunction, weight changes, and SSRI selection in special populations such as older adults and pregnancy. Whether you are preparing for exams, clinical rotations, or looking to sharpen your psychopharmacology knowledge, this episode provides practical and memorable insights into one of the most commonly prescribed medication classes. This is Part 1 of 2. Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE! Support The Podcast and Check Out These Amazing Resources! NAPLEX Study Materials BCPS Study Materials BCACP Study Materials BCGP Study Materials BCMTMS Study Materials Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated) Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller) Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

This podcast episode gives nurses a practical, easy-to-apply overview of common thyroid disorders, focusing on how to recognize and manage both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in clinical practice. It reviews key differences in presentation—such as fatigue, weight gain, and cold intolerance in hypothyroidism versus weight loss, tachycardia, and heat intolerance in hyperthyroidism—while connecting these symptoms to underlying physiology. Nurses will learn important medication considerations, including proper administration of levothyroxine and monitoring for adverse effects with methimazole. The episode also highlights critical safety topics like recognizing thyroid storm, interpreting lab values (TSH, T3, T4), and providing effective patient education. With real-world clinical pearls, this episode helps nurses build confidence in managing thyroid conditions across care settings. Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

Polypharmacy is one of the most common—and often overlooked—challenges in modern healthcare, especially in older adults. It’s not just about the number of medications a patient is taking, but whether each one still has a clear indication, is providing benefit, and isn’t causing harm. As medication lists grow, so does the risk of adverse effects, drug interactions, and something we see all the time in practice: the prescribing cascade. A prescribing cascade happens when a medication causes a side effect that is misinterpreted as a new medical condition, leading to the addition of another drug. Over time, this can snowball into unnecessary complexity and increased risk for patients. In part 2 of this podcast, we outline 5 more examples that I’ve encountered in my geriatric pharmacist practice. Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE! Support The Podcast and Check Out These Amazing Resources! NAPLEX Study Materials BCPS Study Materials BCACP Study Materials BCGP Study Materials BCMTMS Study Materials Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated) Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller) Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

This podcast episode gives nurses a practical, bedside-focused guide to insulin therapy, helping simplify one of the most important—and often confusing—areas of diabetes management. It reviews key insulin types, including rapid-acting insulin lispro, long-acting insulin glargine, and intermediate options like NPH insulin, highlighting onset, peak, and duration differences that drive dosing decisions. Nurses will learn how to safely administer insulin, adjust for meals and blood glucose trends, and recognize and treat hypoglycemia quickly. Real-world clinical tips are included to help nurses feel confident managing insulin in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

Polypharmacy isn’t just about medication count—it’s about cumulative risk and unintended consequences. One of the biggest drivers is the prescribing cascade, where a drug side effect is mistaken for a new condition, and another medication gets added instead of addressing the root cause. You see this all the time in practice. A patient starts amlodipine and develops edema, then gets placed on furosemide. Or donepezil leads to urinary symptoms, and oxybutynin is added—potentially worsening cognition. These patterns add risk quickly. In this episode, I’ll break down common examples that I have recently encountered in practice. Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE! Support The Podcast and Check Out These Amazing Resources! NAPLEX Study Materials BCPS Study Materials BCACP Study Materials BCGP Study Materials BCMTMS Study Materials Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated) Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller) Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

This podcast episode provides nurses with a clear, practical overview of non-insulin diabetes medications, focusing on how to safely and effectively manage patients with type 2 diabetes. It reviews key drug classes such as metformin, glipizide, empagliflozin, and semaglutide, emphasizing mechanisms of action, common side effects, and important monitoring parameters. Nurses will learn how to recognize risks like hypoglycemia with sulfonylureas, genitourinary infections with SGLT2 inhibitors, and gastrointestinal effects with GLP-1 agents, along with key patient counseling points. The episode also connects medication selection to real-world considerations such as weight impact, cardiovascular benefit, and kidney function, helping nurses feel more confident in supporting individualized diabetes care. Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

If you’re managing patients with heart failure, you already know the medication landscape has evolved quickly over the past decade. From traditional volume management with furosemide to newer, guideline-driven therapies like sacubitril/valsartan and empagliflozin, staying up to date is essential—but not always easy. In this episode, we break down three cornerstone medication classes you’ll encounter every day in practice: loop diuretics, ARNI therapy, and SGLT2 inhibitors. We start with the fundamentals of loop diuretics—how they work, when to use them, and key monitoring parameters—before shifting into the mortality-reducing benefits of ARNI therapy. Finally, we explore the rapidly expanding role of SGLT2 inhibitors, which have transformed both heart failure and chronic kidney disease management. Whether you’re a pharmacist, nurse, or student, this episode focuses on practical, real-world application. We highlight clinical pearls, common pitfalls, and monitoring strategies to help you feel more confident when optimizing therapy. Tune in to sharpen your understanding of these essential therapies and walk away with actionable insights you can use right away in patient care. Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE! Support The Podcast and Check Out These Amazing Resources! NAPLEX Study Materials BCPS Study Materials BCACP Study Materials BCGP Study Materials BCMTMS Study Materials Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated) Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller) Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

This podcast episode breaks down diabetes “compelling indications” in a way that’s highly practical for nurses managing complex patients. It explains how comorbid conditions like cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease influence medication selection beyond just lowering A1c. Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!