Quick Timeline Of Discovery Of Common Medications
It’s hard to see a patient these days in the urgent care without prescribing a medication. Among my own friends I can’t think of anyone who is medication free. It’s either blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, anti-depressants, allergy meds or hypnotics.
I got curious as to when some of the most common meds which I prescribe first hit the market. So here is what I found in chronological order.
- nitroglycerin 1847
- aspirin 1897
- oxycodone 1917
- insulin 1923
- hydrocodone 1924
- hydromorphone 1926
- acetaminophen 1950
- chlorthiazide (first BP med) 1958
- propranolol 1964
- ibuprofen (OTC in 1983) 1969
- cyclobenzaprine 1972
- captopril (first ACE inhibitor) 1977
- lovastatin 1982
- azithromycin 1982
- verapamil 1982
- metformin (UK started it in 1958 – US lagged) 1994