Suffix/prefix Examples Drug class

-afil sildenafil; tadalafil; vardenafil phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor

doxorubicin; epirubicin;
suffi idarubicin; valrubicin antineoplastic
butabarbital; butalbital;
-bital phenobarbital; secobarbital barbiturate (sedative)
bupivacaine; lidocaine;
mepivacaine; prilocaine;
-caine proparacaine local anesthetic
cefaclor; cefdinir; cefixime;
cef-, ceph- cefprozil; cephalexin cephalosporin antibiotic
amoxicillin; ampicillin;
-cillin dicloxacillin; nafcillin; oxacillin penicillin antibiotic
clocortolone; fludrocortisone;
cort hydrocortisone corticosteroid
demeclocycline; doxycycline;
-cycline minocycline; tetracycline tetracycline antibiotic
albendazole; mebendazole;
-dazole metronidazole; tinidazole anthelmintic; antibiotic; antibacterial

amlodipine; felodipine; nifedipine;

-dipine nimodipine; nisoldipine calcium channel blocker
alendronate; etidronate; bisphosphonate; bone resorption
-dronate ibandronate; risedronate inhibitor
esomeprazole; omeprazole;
-eprazole rabeprazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI)

-fenac bromfenac; diclofenac; nepafenac NSAID

ciprofloxacin; levofloxacin;
-floxacin moxifloxacin; ofloxacin quinolone antibiotic
antidiabetic; inhibitor of the DPP-4
-gliptin saxagliptin; sitagliptin; vildagliptin enzyme
pioglitazone; rosiglitazone;
-glitazone troglitazone antidiabetic; thiazolidinedione
brompheniramine;
-iramine chlorpheniramine; pheniramine antihistamine
acetazolamide; brinzolamide;
-lamide dorzolamide; methazolamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
pimecrolimus; sirolimus;
-limus tacrolimus immunosuppressant
daclizumab; infliximab;
-mab omalizumab; trastuzumab monoclonal antibody
carmustine; estramustine;
-mustine lomustine alkylating agent (antineoplastic)
 azithromycin; clarithromycin;
-mycin clindamycin; erythromycin antibiotic; antibacterial
-nacin darifenacin; solifenacin antimuscarinic (anticholinergic)
fluconazole; ketoconazole;
-nazole miconazole; terconazole antifungal
dasatinib; erlotinib; imatinib;
-nib sorafenib antineoplastic
atenolol; metoprolol; nadolol;
-olol pindolol; propranolol; timolol beta blocker
fluocinolone; fluorometholone;
-olone rimexolone; triamcinolone corticosteroid
nandrolone; oxandrolone;
-olone oxymetholone anabolic steroid

budesonide; ciclesonide; desonide;

-onide fluocinonide; halcinonide corticosteroid
dexlansoprazole; lansoprazole;
-oprazole pantoprazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
enoxaparin; fondaparinux; heparin; antithrombotic; anticoagulant (blood
parin; -parin tinzaparin thinner)
aminophylline; dyphylline;
-phylline oxtriphylline; theophylline xanthine derivative (bronchodilator)
clomipramine; desipramine;
-pramine imipramine; trimipramine tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
loteprednol; prednicarbate;
pred; pred- prednisolone; prednisone corticosteroid
benazepril; captopril; enalapril;
-pril lisinopril; moexipril; ramipril ACE inhibitor
fenoprofen; flurbiprofen;
-profen ibuprofen; ketoprofen NSAID
candesartan; irbesartan; losartan; angiotensin II receptor antagonist;
-sartan olmesartan; valsartan ARB
-semide furosemide; torsemide loop diuretic (water pill)

alosetron; dolasetron; granisetron;

-setron ondansetron; palonosetron serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist
dolasetron; granisetron;
-setron ondansetron; palonosetron antiemetic and antinauseant

beclomethasone; dexamethasone;
-sone fluticasone; mometasone corticosteroid
atorvastatin; lovastatin;
pravastatin; rosuvastatin;
-statin simvastatin HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor; statins
 sulfacetamide; sulfadiazine; antibiotic; anti-infective; anti-
sulfa- sulfamethoxazole; sulfasalazine inflammatory
cyproheptadine; desloratadine;
-tadine loratadine; olopatadine antihistamine
-tadine amantadine; rimantadine antiviral; anti-influenza-A
albuterol; arformoterol;
formoterol; levalbuterol;
-terol salmeterol beta agonist; bronchodilator
chlorothiazide;
hydrochlorothiazide;
-thiazide methyclothiazide thiazide diuretic (water pill)
desogestrel; etonogestrel;
-trel levonorgestrel; norgestrel female hormone (progestin)
tretin-; tretin; acitretin; alitretinoin; isotretinoin; retinoid; dermatologic agent; form of
-tretin tretinoin vitamin A

almotriptan; eletriptan; rizatriptan; antimigraine; selective 5-HT receptor

-triptan sumatriptan; zolmitriptan agonist
amitriptyline; nortriptyline;
-tyline protriptyline tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
abacavir; efavirenz; enfuvirtide;
vir; -vir nevirapine; ritonavir; tenofovir antiviral; anti-HIV
adefovir; entecavir; ribavirin
vir; -vir (along with interferon) antiviral; anti-hepatitis
acyclovir; famciclovir;
-vir penciclovir; valacyclovir antiviral; anti-herpes
cidofovir; ganciclovir;
-vir valganciclovir antiviral; anti-CMV
-vir oseltamivir; zanamivir antiviral; anti-flu
lamivudine; stavudine;
-vudine telbivudine; zidovudine antiviral; nucleoside analogues
clonazepam; diazepam;
flurazepam; lorazepam;
-zepam temazepam benzodiazepine
alprazolam; estazolam;
-zolam midazolam; triazolam benzodiazepine
alfuzosin; doxazosin; prazosin;
-zosin terazosin alpha blocker