finasteride(Proscar, Propecia)
5-alpha-reductase inhibitor (type II selective)
Pronunciation
/fɪˈnæstərɪd/
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Say it aloud once — you will remember it forever.
At a glance
- Generic name
- finasteride
- Brand names
- Proscar, Propecia
- Therapeutic class
- 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor (type II selective)
- Mechanism (summary)
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Clinical pearls
- Take once daily, with or without food.
- May take 3-6 months to see benefit for BPH; up to 12 months for hair.
- Crushed/broken tablets MUST NOT be handled by pregnant women or women of childbearing age (fetal genital malformations).
- Tell your doctor before PSA testing - finasteride halves PSA.
- ### NAPLEX practice notes
Sources
See how finasteride appears in NAPLEX-style questions
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