NEET PG Rapid Revision
Pharmacology One-Liners for NEET PG: Rapid Revision
High-yield pharmacology one-liners for NEET PG covering drug mechanisms, side effects, drug of choice and pharmacokinetics.
MedNext Academy | 5 min read
Pharmacology One-Liners for NEET PG: Rapid Revision
High-yield pharmacology one-liners for NEET PG covering drug mechanisms, side effects, drug of choice and pharmacokinetics.
Pharmacology: rapid revision one-liners for NEET PG
Pharmacology is a consistently high-scoring subject in NEET PG. Questions revolve around mechanisms of action, drug of choice for specific conditions, characteristic adverse effects and drug interactions. These one-liners distil the most frequently tested facts.
The key to pharmacology is learning drugs in groups -- know the prototype, then learn the exceptions. These one-liners emphasise the exceptions and unique associations that examiners love to test.
Must-know one-liners
- Atropine is a competitive antagonist at muscarinic receptors
- Succinylcholine is the only depolarising neuromuscular blocker in clinical use
- Neostigmine is a reversible anticholinesterase used to reverse non-depolarising neuromuscular block
- Pralidoxime (2-PAM) reactivates acetylcholinesterase in organophosphorus poisoning (must be given before ageing)
- Adrenaline is the drug of choice for anaphylaxis
- Phenylephrine is a pure alpha-1 agonist used as a nasal decongestant and mydriatic
- Dobutamine is a beta-1 selective agonist used in cardiogenic shock
- Propranolol is a non-selective beta blocker; contraindicated in asthma
- Esmolol is an ultra-short-acting beta-1 selective blocker used in supraventricular tachycardia
- Prazosin is a selective alpha-1 blocker used in hypertension and BPH; first-dose hypotension is its major adverse effect
- ACE inhibitors cause dry cough (due to bradykinin accumulation) and angioedema; contraindicated in bilateral renal artery stenosis and pregnancy
- Losartan is an ARB that does not cause cough (no effect on bradykinin)
- Digoxin inhibits the Na+/K+ ATPase; toxicity is enhanced by hypokalaemia and hypercalcaemia
- Amiodarone causes pulmonary fibrosis, thyroid dysfunction (both hypo and hyper), corneal microdeposits and blue-grey skin discoloration
- Lignocaine (lidocaine) is a class IB antiarrhythmic; drug of choice for ventricular arrhythmias in acute MI
- Verapamil is a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker; contraindicated with beta blockers due to risk of heart block
- Adenosine is the drug of choice for terminating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT)
- Heparin acts by potentiating antithrombin III; monitored by aPTT
- Warfarin inhibits vitamin K epoxide reductase; monitored by PT/INR
- Protamine sulphate is the antidote for heparin overdose
- Vitamin K is the antidote for warfarin overdose; fresh frozen plasma for immediate reversal
- Streptokinase is a fibrinolytic that cannot be used again within 6 months to 1 year due to antibody formation
- Aspirin irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX); low dose inhibits COX-1 in platelets (antiplatelet effect)
- Clopidogrel irreversibly inhibits the P2Y12 ADP receptor on platelets
- Metformin is the first-line drug for type 2 diabetes; contraindicated in renal failure due to risk of lactic acidosis
- Sulfonylureas (glibenclamide, glipizide) stimulate insulin secretion from beta cells; risk of hypoglycaemia
- Pioglitazone activates PPAR-gamma; causes weight gain, oedema and risk of bladder cancer
- Insulin lispro is a rapid-acting insulin analogue; insulin glargine is a long-acting basal insulin
- Methotrexate inhibits dihydrofolate reductase; leucovorin (folinic acid) rescue prevents toxicity
- 5-Fluorouracil is a pyrimidine analogue that inhibits thymidylate synthase
- Cisplatin causes nephrotoxicity (prevented by aggressive hydration and amifostine) and ototoxicity
- Bleomycin causes pulmonary fibrosis; toxicity is enhanced by high-dose oxygen
- Doxorubicin causes dose-dependent cardiotoxicity (dilated cardiomyopathy); dexrazoxane is cardioprotective
- Vincristine causes peripheral neuropathy; vinblastine causes myelosuppression
- Cyclophosphamide causes haemorrhagic cystitis (prevented by mesna)
- Tamoxifen is a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) used in ER-positive breast cancer; increases risk of endometrial cancer
- Imatinib inhibits BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase; drug of choice for CML
- Trastuzumab (Herceptin) targets HER2; used in HER2-positive breast cancer; cardiotoxicity is a major concern
- Rituximab targets CD20; used in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis
- Corticosteroids cause Cushing syndrome, osteoporosis, hyperglycaemia, immunosuppression and peptic ulcer
- Dapsone causes methaemoglobinaemia and haemolytic anaemia (especially in G6PD deficiency)
- INH (isoniazid) causes peripheral neuropathy (prevented by pyridoxine/B6), hepatotoxicity and SLE-like syndrome
- Rifampicin is the most potent inducer of cytochrome P450 enzymes; causes orange-red discolouration of body fluids
- Pyrazinamide inhibits uric acid excretion; can precipitate gout
- Ethambutol causes optic neuritis (dose-dependent, reversible); colour vision testing is recommended
- Streptomycin is ototoxic and nephrotoxic; contraindicated in pregnancy (causes CN VIII damage in the fetus)
- Chloroquine is the drug of choice for P. vivax malaria
- Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the drug of choice for P. falciparum malaria
- Primaquine is used for radical cure of P. vivax (kills hypnozoites); causes haemolysis in G6PD deficiency
- Amphotericin B is the gold standard antifungal for systemic mycoses; nephrotoxicity is dose-limiting
- Fluconazole is the drug of choice for cryptococcal meningitis (maintenance) and candidiasis
- Acyclovir inhibits viral DNA polymerase after activation by viral thymidine kinase; used for HSV and VZV
- Zidovudine (AZT) is an NRTI that causes bone marrow suppression (anaemia and neutropenia)
- Drug of choice for status epilepticus is IV lorazepam (or IV diazepam), followed by IV phenytoin/fosphenytoin
- Phenytoin follows zero-order kinetics at therapeutic doses; causes gingival hyperplasia, hirsutism and teratogenicity
- Sodium valproate is the drug of choice for generalised epilepsy (absence, myoclonic, tonic-clonic); teratogenic (neural tube defects)
- Carbamazepine is the drug of choice for trigeminal neuralgia; causes SIADH and aplastic anaemia
- Lithium is the drug of choice for bipolar disorder prophylaxis; narrow therapeutic index, causes nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and hypothyroidism
- Levodopa combined with carbidopa is the gold standard treatment for Parkinson disease; long-term use causes dyskinesias
How to use these one-liners
Organise your revision around drug classes rather than individual drugs. Read through one class at a time, noting the prototype drug, mechanism, major side effects and drug of choice indications.
For maximum retention, create a two-column flashcard system: one side has the drug name, the other has the mechanism and key side effect. Test yourself both ways -- from drug to effect, and from clinical scenario to drug.
Key mnemonics
ABCDE of drug-induced SLE: Anti-histone antibodies are the marker. Culprits -- Hydralazine, INH, Procainamide, Methyldopa, Quinidine.
Rifampicin is a Red-coloured CYP inducer: Red urine, Red tears -- and it Revs up (induces) the P450 system.
Bleomycin Blows up the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis); Doxorubicin Damages the heart (cardiotoxicity); Cisplatin Crashes the kidneys (nephrotoxicity).
Revision schedule
Pharmacology needs frequent revisiting because of the sheer volume of drug names and associations. Revise these one-liners every 2 days, cycling through 3-4 drug classes per session. In the last 2 weeks, do a full run-through every day -- pharmacology is perhaps the single subject where last-minute revision pays off the most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which pharmacology topics are highest yield for NEET PG?
Drug of choice questions, mechanisms of action (especially receptor pharmacology), characteristic adverse effects and antidotes are the most commonly tested. Chemotherapy drugs, antimicrobials and cardiovascular pharmacology carry the most weight.
How do I remember so many drug side effects?
Learn side effects by association rather than rote memorisation. Group drugs that cause the same side effect together (e.g., all drugs causing SLE-like syndrome, all drugs causing pulmonary fibrosis). This makes pattern recognition much faster in the exam.
Are pharmacokinetics questions common?
Yes, especially concepts like zero-order vs first-order kinetics, volume of distribution, bioavailability, half-life and cytochrome P450 interactions. Phenytoin (zero-order) and enzyme inducers/inhibitors are classic exam topics.
Should I study KD Tripathi cover to cover?
For NEET PG, a focused approach works better. Read the pharmacology sections relevant to clinical subjects (e.g., anti-hypertensives with cardiology, antimicrobials with microbiology) and use one-liners for rapid recall. Full textbook reading is useful for understanding but not for last-minute revision.
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