If you are familiar with some generic drug names, you should already notice a lot of them share the same prefix or suffix. It usually means the same drug class sharing the same prefix or suffix. Here are some common prefixes and suffixes that are often associated with generic drugs.
| prefix, suffix | examples (generic names) | drug class or drug category |
| -afil | avanafil; sildenafil; tadalafil; vardenafil | phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor |
| -asone | betamethasone; dexamethasone; diflorasone; fluticasone; mometasone | corticosteroid |
| -bicin | doxorubicin; epirubicin; idarubicin; valrubicin | antineoplastic; cytotoxic agent |
| -bital | butabarbital; butalbital; phenobarbital; secobarbital | barbiturate (sedative) |
| -caine | bupivacaine; lidocaine; mepivacaine; prilocaine; proparacaine | local anesthetic |
| cef-, ceph- | cefaclor; cefdinir; cefixime; cefprozil; cephalexin | cephalosporin antibiotic |
| -cillin | amoxicillin; ampicillin; dicloxacillin; nafcillin; oxacillin | penicillin antibiotic |
| cort | clocortolone; fludrocortisone; hydrocortisone | corticosteroid |
| -cycline | demeclocycline; doxycycline; minocycline; tetracycline | tetracycline antibiotic |
| -dazole | albendazole; mebendazole; metronidazole; tinidazole | anthelmintic; antibiotic; antibacterial |
| -dipine | amlodipine; felodipine; nifedipine; nimodipine; nisoldipine | calcium channel blocker |
| -dronate | alendronate; etidronate; ibandronate; risedronate | bisphosphonate; bone resorption inhibitor |
| -eprazole | esomeprazole; omeprazole; rabeprazole | proton pump inhibitor (PPI) |
| -fenac | bromfenac; diclofenac; nepafenac | NSAID |
| -floxacin | besifloxacin; ciprofloxacin; levofloxacin; moxifloxacin; ofloxacin | quinolone antibiotic |
| -gliptin | saxagliptin; sitagliptin; linagliptin | antidiabetic; inhibitor of the DPP-4 enzyme |
| -glitazone | pioglitazone; rosiglitazone; troglitazone | antidiabetic; thiazolidinedione |
| -iramine | brompheniramine; chlorpheniramine; pheniramine | antihistamine |
| -lamide | acetazolamide; brinzolamide; dorzolamide; methazolamide | carbonic anhydrase inhibitor |
| -mab | adalimumab; daclizumab; infliximab; omalizumab; trastuzumab | monoclonal antibody |
| -mustine | carmustine; estramustine; lomustine; bendamustine | alkylating agent (antineoplastic) |
| -mycin | azithromycin; clarithromycin; clindamycin; erythromycin | antibiotic; antibacterial |
| -nacin | darifenacin; solifenacin | muscarinic antagonist (anticholinergic) |
| -nazole | fluconazole; ketoconazole; miconazole; terconazole; tioconazole | antifungal |
| -olol | atenolol; metoprolol; nadolol; pindolol; propranolol; timolol | beta blocker |
| -olone | fluocinolone; fluorometholone; prednisolone; triamcinolone | corticosteroid |
| -olone | nandrolone; oxandrolone; oxymetholone | anabolic steroid |
| -onide | budesonide; ciclesonide; desonide; fluocinonide; halcinonide | corticosteroid |
| -oprazole | dexlansoprazole; lansoprazole; pantoprazole | proton pump inhibitor (PPI) |
| parin; -parin | dalteparin; enoxaparin; fondaparinux; heparin; tinzaparin | antithrombotic; anticoagulant (blood thinner) |
| -phylline | aminophylline; dyphylline; oxtriphylline; theophylline | xanthine derivative (bronchodilator) |
| -pramine | clomipramine; desipramine; imipramine; trimipramine | tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) |
| pred; pred- | loteprednol; prednicarbate; prednisolone; prednisone | corticosteroid |
| -pril | benazepril; captopril; enalapril; lisinopril; moexipril; ramipril | ACE inhibitor |
| -profen | fenoprofen; flurbiprofen; ibuprofen; ketoprofen | NSAID |
| -ridone | iloperidone; paliperidone; risperidone | atypical antipsychotic |
| -sartan | candesartan; irbesartan; losartan; olmesartan; valsartan | angiotensin II receptor antagonist; ARB |
| -semide | furosemide; torsemide | loop diuretic (water pill) |
| -setron | alosetron; dolasetron; granisetron; ondansetron; palonosetron | serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist |
| -setron | dolasetron; granisetron; ondansetron; palonosetron | antiemetic and antinauseant |
| -statin | atorvastatin; lovastatin; pitavastatin; pravastatin; rosuvastatin; simvastatin | HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor; statins |
| sulfa- | sulfacetamide; sulfadiazine; sulfamethoxazole; sulfasalazine | antibiotic; anti-infective; anti-inflammatory |
| -tadine | cyproheptadine; desloratadine; loratadine; olopatadine | antihistamine |
| -tadine | amantadine; rimantadine | antiviral; anti-influenza-A |
| -terol | albuterol; arformoterol; formoterol; levalbuterol; salmeterol | beta agonist; bronchodilator |
| -thiazide | chlorothiazide; hydrochlorothiazide; methyclothiazide | thiazide diuretic (water pill) |
| -tinib | crizotinib; dasatinib; erlotinib; gefitinib; imatinib | antineoplastic (kinase inhibitor) |
| -trel | desogestrel; etonogestrel; levonorgestrel; norgestrel | female hormone (progestin) |
| tretin-; tretin; -tretin | acitretin; alitretinoin; isotretinoin; tretinoin | retinoid; dermatologic agent; form of vitamin A |
| -triptan | almotriptan; eletriptan; rizatriptan; sumatriptan; zolmitriptan | antimigraine; selective 5-HT receptor agonist |
| -tyline | amitriptyline; nortriptyline; protriptyline | tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) |
| vir; -vir | abacavir; efavirenz; enfuvirtide; nevirapine; ritonavir; tenofovir | antiviral; anti-HIV |
| vir; -vir | adefovir; entecavir; ribavirin (along with interferon) | antiviral; anti-hepatitis |
| -vir | acyclovir; famciclovir; penciclovir; valacyclovir | antiviral; anti-herpes |
| -vir | cidofovir; ganciclovir; valganciclovir | antiviral; anti-CMV |
| -vir | oseltamivir; zanamivir | antiviral; anti-flu |
| -vudine | lamivudine; stavudine; telbivudine; zidovudine | antiviral; nucleoside analogues |
| -zepam | clonazepam; diazepam; flurazepam; lorazepam; temazepam | benzodiazepine |
| -zodone | nefazodone, trazodone, vilazodone | antidepressant |
| -zolam | alprazolam; estazolam; midazolam; triazolam | benzodiazepine |
| -zosin | aFDAlfuzosin; doxazosin; prazosin; terazosin | alpha blocker |
This is not a complete list. New prefix/suffixes emerge as new drug classes are discovered, new generic prefix/suffixes are created to categorize them. An exhaustive list would be constantly evolving.