The Top 250 Drugs · For healthcare professionals and students
Learn the essentials of the top 250 drugs.
Build a rock-solid understanding of commonly prescribed medications with The Top 250 Drugs. Short video lessons connect pharmacology to the drug therapy you'll encounter in coursework, on rotations, and in practice.
- Understand how drug classes work and when they're used
- Review dosing, key adverse effects, and patient counseling points
- Reinforce what you learn with memory tips and quizzes
60+ video lessons · about 10 minutes each · 150+ quiz questions
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“This course is fantastic! I love the length of each module - short but thorough. The memorization tips were understandable and they definitely stick with you.”
Sample videos from the course
Try free lessons
Try the teaching before you buy. Choose a complete sample lesson or the course overview below. No enrollment required.
Keep learning with the complete course
Get all 60+ HD video lessons and 150+ comprehension quiz questions for $85, with lifetime access.
Looking for a particular medication?
Check the drug list to see what's covered in the course.
What students say
It made the mechanisms of action so much more clear! I found pharmacology using huge, complicated text books extremely difficult but your videos allowed me to not only remember more of it, but actually to really understand it for the first time and I've been practicing for close to two decades!
This course is fantastic! I love the length of each module - short but thorough. The memorization tips were understandable and they definitely stick with you.
I liked how the pharmacology of the medications was explained clearly and concisely. The animations were very helpful to my understanding, as I'm a visual learner.
Love the slides and explanations. Great counseling points. Not too overwhelming.
Why this approach works
Frustrated with learning pharmacotherapy?
Learning about drug therapy can feel like drinking from a firehose. There's a mountain of material and very little time. This course helps you make sense of the essentials, so you have a foundation to build on.
Understand the drug class
Visual explanations connect disease pathophysiology to how a drug works. Learn the relationships between medications, along with memory tips for the details.
Focus on the essentials
We've hand-picked the most important concepts and clinical pearls. Each lesson is roughly 10-minutes in length to keep the material manageable and laser-focused on the essentials.
Check what you remember
A brief quiz after each video gives you a chance to apply the material and find out what needs another look.
Course content
From how a drug works to what a patient needs to know
Review the essentials of commonly prescribed outpatient medications, organized by drug class and organ system.
Pharmacology & disease state
- Disease pathophysiology
- Mechanism of action
- Medicinal chemistry essentials
Classification & naming
- Drug class and subclass relationships
- Brand and generic naming
- Memorization aids that stick
Clinical use & dosing
- Drug indications
- Typical dosing ranges
- Dosage form concerns
Adverse effects & safety
- Common adverse effects
- Rare but serious adverse effects
- Boxed warnings and relevant contraindications
Patient care & clinical pearls
- Patient counseling points
- Relevant clinical pearls for everyday practice
- Connecting pharmacology to pharmacotherapy
Organized by organ system
- Cardiovascular, endocrine, and respiratory drugs
- Psychiatric, neurologic, and pain medications
- Gastrointestinal, infectious disease, and more
What's included
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60+ HD video lessons
Unlimited streaming of concise, roughly 10-minute videos you can replay anytime.
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150+ quiz questions
Brief quizzes after each video help you check your understanding.
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250 top medications
Common outpatient medications, grouped by drug class and organ system.
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Flexible progress tracking
Track your progress as you complete each unit, or skip ahead to the drug classes you need right now.
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Listen at your own pace
Replay lessons as often as you like, or adjust the playback speed using the video player's built-in controls.
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Lifetime access & updates
One purchase gives you lifetime access to review the course material and updates anytime, with no subscription.
See the course units and comprehension quizzes
The complete course is $85 with lifetime access.
Enroll for $85Who should take this course?
Preparing for class, rotations, or a return to the basics?
The course is for healthcare students and professionals who want a stronger working knowledge of drug therapy.
Pharmacists & pharmacy students (PharmD, RPh)
Connect pharmacology to therapeutics coursework, prepare for rotations, or review drug therapy for NAPLEX and BCPS study.
Physicians & physician assistants (MD, DO, PA)
Review common outpatient medications, mechanisms, dosing, and clinical pearls for rotations and practice.
Nurse practitioners & nurses (NP, RN)
Understand how common medications work, which adverse effects to watch for, and what to explain to patients.
Pharmacy technicians
Learn brand and generic names alongside drug classes, uses, dosage forms, and key safety concerns for PTCB or ExCPT study.
Meet your instructor
Sean P. Kane, PharmD, BCPS
Sean is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and the creator of ClinCalc.com. A faculty member since 2012, he delivers more than 100 hours of classroom instruction each year, teaching medical literature evaluation, cardiovascular pharmacotherapy, and critical care. His teaching emphasizes clear explanations, clinical examples, and applying the concepts.
Before transitioning to academia full-time, Sean practiced as a critical care pharmacist for more than a decade. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Butler University, completed PGY-1 pharmacy practice and PGY-2 critical care residencies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is board certified in pharmacotherapy.
Frequently asked questions
What medications are covered in The Top 250 Drugs?
The course focuses on 250 commonly prescribed outpatient medications in the United States. Download the drug list used in this course (PDF) to see what's included. For current prescribing rankings, visit ClinCalc DrugStats.
How much detail does the course cover?
This course is deliberately focused on the essentials: how drug classes work, their main uses, and the safety and counseling points worth remembering. The goal of the course is to develop a strong foundation for further study.
Can I use this for board exam review?
Use the lessons to supplement drug therapy review for NAPLEX, BCPS, PTCB, ExCPT, USMLE, COMLEX-USA, PANCE, PANRE, NCLEX, or AANP exams. Choose the drug classes relevant to your exam and use the quizzes to check your understanding. The course focuses on outpatient drug therapy rather than a complete exam review.
Can I speed up the videos to 1.25x, 1.5x, or 2x playback?
Yes. Use the video player's built-in playback speed controls to choose a pace that suits you.
Do I have to complete the units in order?
No. Follow the course in order or skip to the drug classes you need. Your progress is tracked as you complete each unit.
How long will I have access? Is there a subscription?
You get lifetime access with a single $85 payment, including free access to video and course updates. There are no recurring subscription fees.
Can a school, residency, or employer purchase group access?
Email academy@clincalc.com with your group's needs to discuss enrollment options.
Make sense of the medications you'll see every day
Work through the course from the beginning or start with the drug class you're studying now. Your $85 purchase includes every lesson, every quiz, and lifetime access to come back for a refresher.
Want to try a lesson first? Watch Free Lessons
Questions? Email academy@clincalc.com.
Complete course · Lifetime access
The Top 250 Drugs Online Course
- Unlimited streaming of 60+ high-definition videos
- Quiz yourself with 150+ comprehension questions
- Downloadable list of the 250 medications covered
- Lifetime access, including free video and course updates
One purchase. No recurring fees.