Pharmacology is often one of the toughest parts of medical and nursing education. But with the right mnemonics, even the most complex drug categories become easy to recall.
From Cholinergic Crisis (SLUDGE) to Morphine Side Effects (MORPHINE) and Anti-inflammatory agents (SLAM!), these smart memory aids turn hours of memorization into seconds of recall.
Why this matters:
Faster learning & retention
Better recall during exams & clinical rounds Practical use at the bedside for safer patient care
This isn’t just about passing exams - it’s about building confidence in critical clinical decisions.
MBH/PS
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Students in healthcare professions taking pharmacology courses often feel challenged with learning and remembering crucial facts about medications, i.e., knowledge acquisition and retention. In addition, applying pharmacological knowledge into clinical settings consumes significant amounts of the student’s working memory (i.e., cognitive load). Mnemonics (memory aids) are used to reduce cognitive load and facilitate learning and knowledge retention among students. Our study assessed the impact of the mnemonics’ use in a Pharmacology course offered to second-year pharmacy students on students’ perceptions of knowledge acquisition, retention, and clinical application in correlation to their exam performance.
Great topic, Mnemonics like remembering ACE inhibitor side effects with CAPTOPRIL (Cough, Angioedema, Proteinuria, etc.) or recognizing prostaglandin effects with the 5 A’s (Analgesia, Anti-pyretic, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-thrombotic, Arteriosus closure) are not just study tricks. Recent research shows they boost learning and recall by around 20%, helping pharmacy students retain complex drug details more easily.
