By promoting the release of acetylcholine, inhibiting cholinesterase, and stimulating ganglionic neurons, Pyrantel serves as a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent in helminths. This causes extensive depolarization of the helminth muscle membrane, resulting in tension to the helminth's muscles, leading to paralysis and release of their attachment to the host organism intestinal walls. This action is unlike piperazine, which is a hyperpolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent that causes relaxation of the helminth muscles, leading to a subsequent detachment from the intestinal wall. Excretion of the parasites in the feces occurs by normal peristalsis.

Pyrantel  is an Antihelminthic used to treat helminth infections.