Which of the following is NOT a sedative/hypnotic/CNS depressant listed?

• A. Barbiturates
• B. Benzodiazepines
• C. Methaqualone
• D. Fentanyl

Answer: (D)

The main idea is recognizing how drugs are classified as sedatives or hypnotics. Barbiturates and benzodiazepines are classic CNS depressants that act mainly by enhancing GABA effects, causing sedation or sleep. Methaqualone is a non-barbiturate sedative-hypnotic, historically used to induce calmness and sleep. Fentanyl, however, is an opioid analgesic that produces pain relief and CNS/respiratory depression through mu-opioid receptor activation, not through the same GABAergic mechanisms that define sedative-hypnotics. So while fentanyl can depress the CNS, it does not belong to the sedative/hypnotic/CNS depressant class in the way the others do.