Medication Reference
Medications A-Z
A library of drug guides focused on a single question: how is this medication different for Black patients? Every page leads with the published evidence, cites FDA labels and professional-society guidelines, and flags uncertainty where the research is mixed or absent.
Drug class
Used for
Bupropion
Norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI)Brand: Wellbutrin, Zyban, Aplenzin
Bupropion is an important option for Black patients for two reasons:Tobacco disparity. Black Americans smoke at slightly lower rates than white Americans …
View guideEscitalopram
SSRIBrand: Lexapro
The STAR*D and CO-MED trials enrolled reasonable numbers of Black participants (~18 percent in STAR*D). Remission rates with citalopram (closely related to …
View guideFluoxetine
SSRIBrand: Prozac, Sarafem
Fluoxetine is primarily metabolized by CYP2D6 (with contributions from CYP2C9 and 3A4). CYP2D6 allele distributions vary by ancestry, but variant effects on …
View guideParoxetine
SSRIBrand: Paxil, Pexeva, Brisdelle
Paroxetine is a potent CYP2D6 inhibitor and is itself metabolized by CYP2D6. This creates pharmacokinetic complexity that is not specifically race-differential but …
View guideSertraline
SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)Brand: Zoloft
SSRIs as a class have more complex race-specific evidence than cardiovascular drugs. Three themes matter:Response rates. Post-hoc analyses of STAR*D (Lesser et …
View guideTrazodone
Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI)Brand: Desyrel, Oleptro
Low-dose trazodone for insomnia has weak clinical-trial support across all populations — a 2017 Cochrane review found only small, short-term benefits. But …
View guideVenlafaxine
Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI)Brand: Effexor, Effexor XR
Venlafaxine is metabolized to its active metabolite desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) by CYP2D6. CYP2D6 poor metabolizers — more common in some Black populations for …
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