PharmaNUS pharmacology learning webapp

PharMatch: WHO INN Drug Stem Matching Game

PharMatch is a word card-matching game that helps medical and health professionals and students actively recall and learn drug-class definitions for drug-name stems.

Launch PharMatch View all PharmaNUS webapps

Educational Purpose

PharMatch helps learners connect international nonproprietary name stems with drug classes and meanings, turning what can feel like memorisation into repeated pattern recognition.

The app is part of the PharmaNUS collection of free pharmacology learning webapps, which are developed and updated in response to learner feedback for students and medical and health professions learners.

What Learners Practise

  • WHO INN drug-name stems and their meanings
  • Drug-class recognition from naming patterns
  • Fast association between stems and pharmacological categories
  • Pattern-based recall for unfamiliar drug names

How To Play

  1. Choose a matching round or level.
  2. Flip or select cards to reveal drug stems and meanings.
  3. Match each stem with the correct drug-class definition.
  4. Use mistakes as prompts to review and retry.
  5. Repeat rounds until stems become recognisable patterns.

Use In Teaching

PharMatch can be used as a short independent practice activity, a warm-up before class, a revision task after teaching, or a prompt for small-group discussion. It works best when paired with debriefing, explanation, and connection back to core pharmacology concepts.

Educational Use Only

This webapp is intended for pharmacology learning and teaching. It is not medical advice, prescribing guidance, or a substitute for professional clinical judgement.