Understand your medicine
Medicine reading guides
Explore how medicines work, with concise summaries, referenced answers and optional external videos.
These English-language educational drafts use our existing authored material. They have not received independent clinical review.
- Albuterol
Ventolin HFA metered-dose oral inhaler,90 micrograms albuterol base per actuation, US label for age 4 years and older. Other devices and nebulizer solutions have different instructions.
- Amlodipine
Oral amlodipine besylate tablets; liquid products require their own instructions.
- Atorvastatin
Lipitor conventional oral tablets; US prescribing information. Other formulations require their own instructions.
- Ibuprofen
Oral ibuprofen; adult prescription tablets and explicitly identified nonprescription use. Pediatric products need their own weight-based label.
- Levothyroxine
Oral levothyroxine sodium tablets for thyroid-hormone replacement; other formulations and cancer suppression need specific instructions.
- Lisinopril
Oral lisinopril tablets; US labeling used for dose and indication scope.
- Losartan
Oral losartan potassium tablets; US labeling, including the specified compounded suspension where stated.
- Metformin
Oral metformin; dosing examples are US immediate-release tablets. Extended-release products have separate instructions.
- Metoprolol
Metoprolol succinate extended-release tablets only; not immediate-release metoprolol tartrate or sprinkle capsules.
- Rosuvastatin
Crestor conventional oral tablets; US prescribing information. Other formulations require their own instructions.
- Apixaban
Adult Eliquis tablets; detailed mechanism GIF and referenced patient questions.
- Adalimumab (Humira)
Reading guide · Reference Humira in adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. Other indications, children, device instructions, doses and biosimilar interchangeability are outside this guide.
- Empagliflozin (Jardiance)
Reading guide · Adults using single-ingredient Jardiance oral tablets. Separate uses: type 2 diabetes, heart failure, or eligible chronic kidney disease. This guide excludes children and combination products.
- Ezetimibe
Reading guide · Adults using single-ingredient ezetimibe tablets for primary hyperlipidemia, including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Other indications, children and fixed-combination products are outside this guide.
- Famotidine
Reading guide · Adults using prescription oral famotidine tablets. Excludes OTC self-treatment, combination products, liquids, injections and children.
- Glipizide
Reading guide · Adults using immediate-release, single-ingredient glipizide oral tablets. This guide excludes extended-release (ER/XL), children and combination products.
- Omeprazole
Reading guide · Adults using prescription omeprazole delayed-release capsules. This guide does not cover OTC self-treatment, children or immediate-release combination products.
- Ondansetron
Reading guide · Adults using standard prescription oral ondansetron tablets for labeled chemotherapy, radiotherapy or postoperative prevention. Excludes dissolving tablets (ODT), oral film, liquid, injections, children and off-label uses.
- Esketamine
US SPRAVATO intranasal esketamine for adults. This information does not describe racemic ketamine infusions, compounded ketamine products, or an anesthetic indication. Educational draft; independent clinical review pending.
- Sodium oxybate
US XYREM immediate-release sodium oxybate oral solution is the primary reference. LUMRYZ extended-release suspension, XYWAV mixed oxybate salts and manufacturer-specific generic access programs are distinguished below. Educational draft; independent clinical review pending.
- Sertraline
Oral sertraline; US tablet-label indications. Pediatric approval is for OCD at ages 6–17, not every adult indication. Formulation-specific instructions are outside this guide.
- Modafinil
Oral modafinil for adults with excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea or shift work disorder. It treats sleepiness, not airway obstruction; it is not an approved general-purpose study aid.
- Bydureon BCise
US Bydureon BCise: extended-release exenatide suspension in a single-dose subcutaneous autoinjector, labeled for glucose control with diet and exercise in people aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes. FDA lists this product as discontinued. Byetta is a different formulation; this guide does not provide dosing or switching instructions.
- Byetta
US Byetta: immediate-release exenatide solution in a multidose subcutaneous pen, labeled for glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes alongside diet and exercise. FDA lists the branded presentations as discontinued. Extended-release exenatide is a different formulation; this guide does not provide dosing or switching instructions.
- Saxenda
US Saxenda liraglutide subcutaneous pen: long-term weight management with reduced-calorie eating and increased activity in eligible adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older. Age, weight and health criteria are explained below. Final US wholesaler shipments are planned for late January 2027.
- Victoza
US Victoza liraglutide subcutaneous pen: glucose control with diet and exercise for type 2 diabetes from age 10, and cardiovascular-risk reduction in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease. This is not Saxenda's weight-management indication. No dosing or switching instructions are provided.
- Trulicity
US Trulicity dulaglutide single-dose subcutaneous pen: glucose control with diet and exercise for type 2 diabetes from age 10, and cardiovascular-risk reduction in adults with type 2 diabetes plus established cardiovascular disease or multiple risk factors. This is not a weight-management indication. No dosing or switching instructions are provided.
- Foundayo
US oral Foundayo (orforglipron), label revised July 2026. For long-term weight reduction in adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition, alongside reduced-calorie eating and increased activity. It is not labeled to treat diabetes or sleep apnea.
- Mounjaro
US Mounjaro (tirzepatide) subcutaneous injection, label revised August 2026. For glucose control in type 2 diabetes from age 10, alongside diet and exercise; also to reduce major cardiovascular-event risk in high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes. The cardiovascular indication is adult-only; Zepbound has different labeled uses.
- Zepbound
US Zepbound (tirzepatide) subcutaneous injection, label revised August 2026. Alongside reduced-calorie eating and increased activity: long-term weight reduction in adults with obesity or overweight plus a weight-related condition; and moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. This is not an indication for every type of sleep apnea.
- Ozempic
US Ozempic injection and tablets for adults with type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular eligibility differs by formulation; only injection carries the kidney-outcomes indication. Neither is approved for weight management or children. This guide explains mechanisms and evidence, not dosing or switching instructions.
- Rybelsus
US Rybelsus oral semaglutide for adults with type 2 diabetes. The manufacturer now lists it as replaced by updated Ozempic tablets, introduced in May 2026; the combined label still names both formulations. This prior-brand reference does not confirm remaining stock, regulatory withdrawal or a substitution plan.
- Wegovy
US Wegovy injection and tablets for eligible weight-management and cardiovascular uses. Injection alone covers obesity at ages 12 and older and adult noncirrhotic MASH with F2–F3 fibrosis. Wegovy HD is an adult weight-management option. Formulation-specific eligibility is explained below; dosing and switching instructions are outside this guide.