Drug Class Abbreviations
113 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Drug class abbreviations group medicines by how they work or what they treat: ACEI and ARB for blood pressure, SSRI and SNRI for depression, DOAC and LMWH for anticoagulation, SGLT2i and GLP-1 RA for diabetes and NSAID for pain and inflammation. Clinicians use them in notes, guidelines and interaction warnings because drugs in one class usually share benefits, side effects and contraindications. A few class abbreviations are risky: ISMP notes that SSRI has also been used for "sliding scale regular insulin", and that "NOAC" has been misread as "no anticoagulation", so many institutions prefer DOAC.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 3GC | Third-generation cephalosporin | Cephalosporin antibiotics with enhanced gram-negative activity, including ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and ceftazidime (IV) and cefdinir and cefpodoxime (oral). |
| 5-ARI | 5-alpha reductase inhibitor | Drugs that block conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT): finasteride and dutasteride. |
| 5-HT3 RA | 5-HT3 receptor antagonist | Antiemetics, including ondansetron, granisetron and palonosetron, that block serotonin type 3 receptors in the gut and brainstem. |
| AAD | Antiarrhythmic drug | Medicines that restore or maintain normal heart rhythm, such as amiodarone, flecainide, sotalol, dofetilide and dronedarone. |
| ACEI | Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor | Class of blood pressure drugs ending in "-pril", such as lisinopril, enalapril and ramipril, that block formation of angiotensin II. |
| AChEI | Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor | Drugs that prevent breakdown of acetylcholine, including donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine for Alzheimer disease and other dementias, and pyridostigmine for… |
| ACT | Artemisinin-based combination therapy | First-line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria, pairing a fast-acting artemisinin derivative with a longer-acting partner drug, for example… |
| ADC | Antibody-drug conjugate | Targeted cancer drug made of a monoclonal antibody linked to a potent chemotherapy payload, which delivers the toxin mainly to cells expressing the target protein. |
| AED | Antiepileptic drug | Older umbrella term for medicines that prevent seizures, from phenytoin and carbamazepine to levetiracetam and lamotrigine. |
| AG | Aminoglycoside | Bactericidal antibiotics, including gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin and streptomycin, used mainly IV for serious gram-negative infections and in synergy against some… |
| AGI | Alpha-glucosidase inhibitor | Diabetes drugs acarbose and miglitol that slow the breakdown of starches and sugars in the intestine, reducing spikes in blood glucose after meals. |
| AI | Aromatase inhibitor | Hormonal breast cancer drugs, anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane, that block the enzyme converting androgens to estrogen in fat and other tissues. |
| ARB | Angiotensin II receptor blocker | Blood pressure and heart failure drugs ending in "-sartan", such as losartan, valsartan and irbesartan, that block angiotensin II at its receptor. |
| ARNI | Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor | Heart failure drug class combining an ARB with a neprilysin inhibitor; the only member is sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto). |
| ASM | Antiseizure medication | Term now preferred by the International League Against Epilepsy for drugs used to control seizures, because they suppress seizures rather than cure epilepsy. |
| ASO | Antisense oligonucleotide | Short synthetic strand of nucleic acid that binds a specific RNA to block, degrade or alter the processing of a disease-causing protein's message. |
| ATD | Antithyroid drug | Medicines that block thyroid hormone production, mainly methimazole, carbimazole and propylthiouracil, used to treat Graves disease and other causes of hyperthyroidism… |
| BAS | Bile acid sequestrant | Resins that bind bile acids in the gut, forcing the liver to use cholesterol to make more: cholestyramine, colestipol and colesevelam. |
| BB | Beta-blocker | Drugs ending in "-olol", such as metoprolol, carvedilol, atenolol and propranolol, that block adrenaline's effects on beta receptors to slow heart rate and lower blood… |
| BiTE | Bispecific T-cell engager | Engineered antibody that binds a T cell with one arm and a cancer cell with the other, directing the immune system to kill the tumor. |
| BL/BLI | Beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor | Antibiotic combinations pairing a penicillin or cephalosporin with a drug that blocks bacterial beta-lactamase enzymes, such as amoxicillin-clavulanate… |
| BTKi | Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor | Oral targeted drugs that block a key signaling enzyme in B cells: ibrutinib, acalabrutinib, zanubrutinib and pirtobrutinib. |
| BZD | Benzodiazepine | Sedative and anti-anxiety drugs, including diazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam and midazolam, that enhance the calming neurotransmitter GABA. |
| BZRA | Benzodiazepine receptor agonist | Group of sleep drugs acting at the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor, including benzodiazepines and the "Z-drugs" zolpidem, zaleplon and eszopiclone. |
| CAI | Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor | Drugs that block the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, including oral acetazolamide and methazolamide and the eye drops dorzolamide and brinzolamide. |
| CCB | Calcium channel blocker | Drugs that block calcium entry into heart and blood vessel muscle cells. |
| CDK4/6i | Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor | Oral drugs, palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib, that halt the cancer cell cycle. |
| CNI | Calcineurin inhibitor | Immunosuppressants, tacrolimus and cyclosporine, that block calcineurin and the activation of T cells. |
| COC | Combined oral contraceptive | Birth control pill containing both an estrogen, usually ethinyl estradiol, and a progestin. |
| COX-2 | Cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitor | NSAIDs that preferentially block the COX-2 enzyme involved in inflammation while sparing COX-1, which protects the stomach lining. |
| DHP | Dihydropyridine | Subclass of calcium channel blockers, including amlodipine, nifedipine, felodipine and nicardipine, that act mainly on blood vessels rather than heart muscle. |
| DMARD | Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug | Medications that slow or stop the immune-driven joint damage of rheumatoid arthritis and related diseases, unlike painkillers, which only relieve symptoms. |
| DOAC | Direct oral anticoagulant | Anticoagulants taken by mouth that directly block a single clotting factor: apixaban, rivaroxaban and edoxaban inhibit factor Xa, and dabigatran inhibits thrombin. |
| DORA | Dual orexin receptor antagonist | Newer insomnia drugs, suvorexant (Belsomra), lemborexant (Dayvigo) and daridorexant (Quviviq), that block orexin, a brain chemical that promotes wakefulness, rather… |
| DPP-4i | Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor | Oral diabetes drugs ending in "-gliptin", such as sitagliptin, linagliptin and saxagliptin, that prolong the action of the body's own incretin hormones. |
| DRI | Direct renin inhibitor | Blood pressure drug class whose only member is aliskiren (Tekturna), which blocks renin, the first step of the renin-angiotensin system. |
| DTI | Direct thrombin inhibitor | Anticoagulants that bind thrombin directly, including IV argatroban and bivalirudin and oral dabigatran. |
| EC | Emergency contraception | Methods used after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure to prevent pregnancy: levonorgestrel pills (up to 72 hours, available over the counter), ulipristal acetate… |
| ERA | Endothelin receptor antagonist | Oral drugs for pulmonary arterial hypertension, bosentan, ambrisentan and macitentan, that block endothelin-1, a powerful vessel-constricting peptide. |
| ERT | Enzyme replacement therapy | Treatment that supplies a missing or defective enzyme by regular IV infusion in inherited lysosomal storage disorders such as Gaucher, Fabry and Pompe diseases and… |
| ESA | Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent | Injectable drugs that stimulate red blood cell production: epoetin alfa, darbepoetin alfa and methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta. |
| FGA | First-generation antipsychotic | Older "typical" antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, chlorpromazine, fluphenazine and perphenazine, that strongly block dopamine D2 receptors. |
| FQ | Fluoroquinolone | Broad-spectrum oral and IV antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, that block bacterial DNA gyrase. |
| GC | Glucocorticoid | Steroid hormones and drugs such as cortisol, hydrocortisone, prednisone, methylprednisolone and dexamethasone that suppress inflammation and immune responses and affect… |
| GIP/GLP-1 RA | Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist | Dual incretin agonist class whose first member, tirzepatide, is injected once weekly as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for obesity and obstructive sleep apnea. |
| GLP-1 RA | Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist | Drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus), liraglutide and dulaglutide that mimic a gut hormone to boost insulin release, slow stomach emptying and reduce… |
| GnRHa | Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist | Drugs such as leuprolide (Lupron), goserelin, triptorelin and histrelin that, after an initial surge, shut down pituitary signals to the testes and ovaries. |
| GPI | Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor | IV antiplatelet drugs, eptifibatide and tirofiban, that block the final common pathway of platelet aggregation. |
| H2RA | Histamine-2 receptor antagonist | Acid-reducing drugs, famotidine, cimetidine and nizatidine, that block histamine's signal to stomach acid cells. |
| HRT | Hormone replacement therapy | Treatment with estrogen, usually with a progestogen if the uterus is present, to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness and… |
| ICI | Immune checkpoint inhibitor | Monoclonal antibodies that release the brakes on the immune system so T cells attack cancer, targeting PD-1 (pembrolizumab, nivolumab), PD-L1 (atezolizumab, durvalumab)… |
| ICS | Inhaled corticosteroid | Anti-inflammatory steroid delivered to the airways by inhaler, including fluticasone, budesonide, beclomethasone, mometasone and ciclesonide. |
| ICS/LABA | Inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta-agonist combination | Combination inhalers containing an anti-inflammatory steroid and a long-acting bronchodilator, such as fluticasone/salmeterol (Advair), budesonide/formoterol… |
| IMiD | Immunomodulatory imide drug | Thalidomide and its analogs lenalidomide and pomalidomide, which modulate the immune system and degrade specific cancer-promoting proteins. |
| INCS | Intranasal corticosteroids | Steroid nasal sprays, including fluticasone, mometasone, budesonide and triamcinolone, that reduce nasal inflammation. |
| INSTI | Integrase strand transfer inhibitor | HIV drugs that block integrase, the enzyme that inserts viral DNA into human chromosomes: raltegravir, elvitegravir, dolutegravir, bictegravir and cabotegravir. |
| JAKi | Janus kinase inhibitor | Oral small-molecule drugs, including tofacitinib, baricitinib and upadacitinib, that block JAK enzymes inside immune cells to dampen cytokine signaling. |
| LABA | Long-acting beta2-agonist | Inhaled bronchodilator that relaxes airway muscle for 12 to 24 hours, including salmeterol, formoterol, vilanterol and olodaterol. |
| LABA/LAMA | Long-acting beta-agonist and long-acting muscarinic antagonist combination | Dual long-acting bronchodilator inhalers for COPD, such as umeclidinium/vilanterol (Anoro), tiotropium/olodaterol (Stiolto) and glycopyrrolate/formoterol (Bevespi). |
| LAI | Long-acting injectable | Depot formulation that releases a drug slowly for weeks to months after a single injection, most often antipsychotics such as paliperidone palmitate, aripiprazole… |
| LAMA | Long-acting muscarinic antagonist | Inhaled bronchodilator that blocks acetylcholine receptors in airway muscle for about 24 hours, including tiotropium, umeclidinium, glycopyrronium and aclidinium. |
| LMWH | Low-molecular-weight heparin | Injectable anticoagulants, mainly enoxaparin (Lovenox) and dalteparin (Fragmin), made by breaking heparin into smaller fragments. |
| LTRA | Leukotriene receptor antagonist | Oral anti-inflammatory drugs, montelukast (Singulair) and zafirlukast, that block leukotrienes involved in airway narrowing and allergy. |
| mAb | Monoclonal antibody | Laboratory-made antibodies designed to bind a single target, used as drugs for cancer, autoimmune disease, migraine, asthma, high cholesterol and infections. |
| MAOI | Monoamine oxidase inhibitor | Older antidepressants, including phenelzine, tranylcypromine and isocarboxazid, plus the selegiline skin patch, that block enzymes that break down serotonin… |
| MHT | Menopausal hormone therapy | Preferred modern term for estrogen therapy, with or without a progestogen, used to treat menopause symptoms. |
| MRA | Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist | Drugs that block aldosterone at its receptor, including spironolactone, eplerenone and finerenone. |
| mTORi | Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor | Drugs that block mTOR, a regulator of cell growth: sirolimus, everolimus and temsirolimus. |
| NAI | Neuraminidase inhibitor | Influenza antivirals, oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza) and IV peramivir, that block the viral neuraminidase enzyme and stop new virus particles from leaving… |
| NaSSA | Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant | Classification for mirtazapine (Remeron), which blocks alpha-2 and certain serotonin receptors to increase norepinephrine and serotonin release. |
| NDRI | Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor | Class whose main member is bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), an antidepressant that also helps with smoking cessation and, combined with naltrexone (Contrave), weight loss. |
| NK1 RA | Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist | Antiemetics, including aprepitant, fosaprepitant, rolapitant and netupitant, that block substance P at NK1 receptors. |
| NNRTI | Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor | HIV drugs that bind directly to reverse transcriptase at a site away from the active center, including efavirenz, nevirapine, rilpivirine, doravirine and etravirine. |
| NOAC | Novel oral anticoagulant | Older name for direct oral anticoagulants such as apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran and edoxaban, later reinterpreted as "non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant". |
| NRT | Nicotine replacement therapy | Smoking cessation aids that deliver nicotine without tobacco smoke: patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers and nasal spray. |
| NRTI | Nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor | HIV drugs that mimic DNA building blocks and stop the virus copying its RNA into DNA. |
| NSAID | Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug | Pain, fever and anti-inflammatory drugs that block cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, including ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketorolac, meloxicam and celecoxib. |
| OAC | Oral anticoagulant | Umbrella term for anticoagulants taken by mouth, including vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin and the direct oral anticoagulants. |
| OCP | Oral contraceptive pill | Daily birth control pill, either combined estrogen-progestin or progestin-only, that prevents pregnancy mainly by suppressing ovulation. |
| OCS | Oral corticosteroids | Steroid tablets and liquids, such as prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone and dexamethasone, used in short bursts for asthma and COPD attacks and long-term for… |
| OHA | Oral hypoglycemic agent | General term for diabetes medications taken by mouth, such as metformin, sulfonylureas, DPP-4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors. |
| OIT | Oral immunotherapy | Treatment for food allergy in which a patient eats tiny, gradually increasing daily amounts of the allergen, such as peanut, to raise the threshold that triggers a… |
| P-CAB | Potassium-competitive acid blocker | Newer class of acid suppressants that reversibly block the stomach's proton pump by competing with potassium. |
| P2Y12i | P2Y12 inhibitor | Antiplatelet drugs that block the P2Y12 receptor on platelets: clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor and IV cangrelor. |
| PAMORA | Peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist | Drugs that block opioid receptors in the gut but do not cross into the brain, relieving opioid-induced constipation without reversing pain relief. |
| PARPi | Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor | Oral targeted cancer drugs, olaparib, niraparib, rucaparib and talazoparib, that block a DNA repair enzyme. |
| PCSK9i | PCSK9 inhibitor | Cholesterol-lowering drugs that block proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, increasing LDL receptors on the liver. |
| PDE5i | Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor | Drugs that enhance the effects of nitric oxide on blood vessels: sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio), tadalafil (Cialis, Adcirca), vardenafil and avanafil. |
| PGA | Prostaglandin analog | First-line glaucoma eye drops, including latanoprost, bimatoprost, travoprost and tafluprost, that lower eye pressure by increasing fluid outflow. |
| PI | Protease inhibitor | Antiviral drugs that block viral protease enzymes needed to produce mature virus particles. |
| PPI | Proton pump inhibitor | Most potent class of stomach acid reducers, including omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole and rabeprazole. |
| SABA | Short-acting beta2-agonist | Rescue bronchodilators, mainly albuterol (salbutamol) and levalbuterol, that open the airways within minutes and last about 4 to 6 hours. |
| SAMA | Short-acting muscarinic antagonist | Inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilator with a short duration of action, mainly ipratropium bromide, used as an add-on rescue treatment in acute asthma and COPD… |
| SARI | Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor | Antidepressant class that includes trazodone and nefazodone, which block 5-HT2A receptors and weakly inhibit serotonin reuptake. |
| SARMs | Selective androgen receptor modulators | Investigational drugs designed to mimic testosterone's muscle and bone effects with fewer effects on other tissues. |
| SCIT | Subcutaneous immunotherapy | Allergen immunotherapy given as "allergy shots": gradually increasing injections of pollen, dust mite, animal dander or insect venom extracts, followed by maintenance… |
| SERD | Selective estrogen receptor degrader | Hormonal breast cancer drugs that bind the estrogen receptor and cause its destruction, used for hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer. |
| SERM | Selective estrogen receptor modulator | Drugs that act like estrogen in some tissues and block it in others: tamoxifen and raloxifene for breast cancer treatment and prevention and osteoporosis, clomiphene… |
| SGA | Second-generation antipsychotic | "Atypical" antipsychotics, including risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone, lurasidone and clozapine, used for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder… |
| SGLT2i | Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor | Oral drugs ending in "-gliflozin", such as empagliflozin, dapagliflozin and canagliflozin, that make the kidneys excrete glucose in the urine. |
| SLIT | Sublingual immunotherapy | Allergen immunotherapy taken as tablets or drops dissolved under the tongue each day, an alternative to allergy shots for grass pollen, ragweed and dust mite allergy. |
| SMART | Single maintenance and reliever therapy | Asthma strategy in which one inhaler containing an inhaled corticosteroid plus formoterol, usually budesonide-formoterol, is used both as daily maintenance and for… |
| SNRI | Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor | Antidepressants that block reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine: venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, levomilnacipran and milnacipran. |
| SSRI | Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor | Most widely prescribed class of antidepressants, including fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram and paroxetine. |
| SU | Sulfonylurea | Older oral diabetes drugs, including glipizide, glimepiride and glyburide, that stimulate the pancreas to release insulin regardless of blood glucose level. |
| TCA | Tricyclic antidepressant | Older antidepressants named for their three-ring chemical structure, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline, imipramine and clomipramine. |
| TKI | Tyrosine kinase inhibitor | Small-molecule targeted cancer drugs, with generic names ending in "-tinib", that block overactive signaling enzymes, such as imatinib for chronic myeloid leukemia and… |
| TNFi | Tumor necrosis factor inhibitor | Biologic drugs that block the inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha: infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept, certolizumab pegol and golimumab. |
| TPO-RA | Thrombopoietin receptor agonist | Drugs that stimulate platelet production by activating the thrombopoietin receptor: weekly injected romiplostim and oral eltrombopag, avatrombopag and lusutrombopag. |
| TZD | Thiazolidinedione | Insulin-sensitizing diabetes drugs, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, that activate the PPAR-gamma receptor in fat and muscle. |
| UFH | Unfractionated heparin | Standard heparin, extracted mostly from pig intestines, given IV by weight-based infusion or subcutaneously for clot treatment and prevention. |
| VKA | Vitamin K antagonist | Oral anticoagulants that block the recycling of vitamin K needed for several clotting factors. |
| VMAT2i | Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 inhibitor | Drugs that reduce dopamine release by blocking its packaging into nerve vesicles: tetrabenazine, deutetrabenazine and valbenazine. |
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