Speaking of Which

In this post, I mention that I think there should be more quiz questions about prescription drugs. I mean, they're advertised on TV all the time, most people are on 1 or a couple, and I'm a pharmacy technician which means that I'd get plenty of extra points you wouldn't get, since I'm around prescription drugs all the live-long day.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran across this quiz from mcsweeneys.net:

Prescription Drug or Metal Band? by Eryk Salvaggio

Go ahead and give it a try, if you wish. I'll wait. Then I'll let you know how I did.

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Okay, welcome back.

Basically, I don't have a chance of recognizing the metal bands, except for Ted Nugent, who I'm pretty sure is available over-the-counter, and Treponem Pal which I must have heard of back in my college radio days. Next I check off the drugs I definitely recognize. I count 14, which is about half. Avelox gives me pause. I haven't checked it off as a drug, but it sounds right. But I'll stay with 14, labelling the others as "metal bands" by default.

The answer key is totally screwed up. 15. Lantus (prescription insulin) doesn't appear in the answers at all. 23. Xalatan is not a metal band; it's an eye drop used for glaucoma, among other things.

The proper answer key should be:
Metal bands: 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 29
Prescription drugs: 1, 3, 4, 6, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 30

I miss Ketek (11), which is for respiratory tract infections. (A look at the ketek.com webpage reminds me what the box looks like. I'll never forget it. And Avelox, too, is for respiratory infections. So, 2 wrong out of 30. Not bad.

Also, here's how dumb I can be. I did a web search for Teponem Pal, just to remind myself who they are. Turns out they're named for the bacterium that causes syphillis. Which was also the subject of my microbiology lab final report, not 9 months ago. And I'd pretty much not made the connection. But no wonder it sounded doubly familiar.

-M
If this blog gives you an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, please consult your doctor.