Test your knowledge of clinical pharmacy practice, laboratory data interpretation, and related concepts.
Test Your Knowledge
Showing questions 1 - 20 of 315
1. Which of the following is NOT a subject typically taught in the Master of Pharmacy Practice programme, as per the sources?
The Master of Pharmacy Practice programme focuses on subjects like pathophysiological basis of diseases, patient data analysis, applied therapeutics, clinical pharmacokinetics, and communication skills, but not advanced surgical techniques.
2. According to the sources, what is a key professional responsibility of community pharmacists?
Community pharmacy is described as the provision of pharmaceutical care by pharmacists in primary healthcare settings. Community pharmacists are often the first point-of-contact and have great potential in patient care.
3. When providing information about medicines, what is the first stage in successful delivery, as per the sources?
The first stage in successful information delivery is to CHECK the client’s knowledge level and their information requirements, then adapt the information accordingly.
4. Which of the following is a core responsibility for pharmacists in patient counselling?
Educating patients about the safe and effective use of their medications is a core responsibility for both hospital and community pharmacists. Patient counselling requires therapeutic knowledge and good communication skills, aiming to improve medication safety and effectiveness.
5. According to the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines process, how often is an expert international committee constituted to evaluate evidence?
An expert international committee is constituted every two years to evaluate the evidence submitted for adding or deleting drugs from the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.
6. When identifying a drug interaction between doxycycline and iron, what advice should a pharmacist give to avoid therapeutic failure?
The pharmacist should recommend taking doxycycline in the morning and at night with food, and iron at lunch time. This is because heavy metal ions like iron can chelate tetracyclines like doxycycline, reducing oral absorption, which can be avoided by separating their administration by at least two hours.
7. What is the primary objective when estimating an intravenous loading dose of aminophylline to achieve a target plasma theophylline concentration?
Calculation of the loading dose for a drug like aminophylline, to achieve a target plasma concentration, primarily requires knowledge of the drug's volume of distribution.
8. Which factor is NOT typically considered when interpreting Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) results, according to the sources?
Factors to consider when interpreting TDM results include patient data (age, sex, lean body weight), dosage regimen and duration of therapy, and sampling time. Patient's favorite color is not a relevant factor.
9. In critical appraisal of a research paper, what does the 'IMRAD' format refer to?
Research papers appearing in biomedical literature usually conform to a standard format known as IMRAD: Introduction (background details and research question), Methods (how the study was conducted and details of statistical analysis), Results and Discussion (authors present their study findings and interpret results).
10. Which of the following is considered a 'primary resource' in drug information, as per the sources?
Primary literature describes unique experiences and includes original reports such as research results, concise reports, and letters to the editor, published principally in scientific journals. Adverse drug reaction reports are also an example of primary literature.
11. When handling a poison information query, what should be the poison information specialist's initial step?
The first step in handling a poison information query is to obtain the requester’s demographics, establish identity, gather contact details, and determine the urgency of the enquiry.
12. What is the ultimate goal of clinical research, as stated in the sources?
The ultimate goal of clinical research is to make an impact on patient care, contributing to improved quality of life through prevention and treatment of diseases in the most cost-effective manner. This impact is achieved by widely sharing research findings through presentations and publications.
13. In pharmacoeconomic evaluations, what does the 'societal perspective' imply?
The societal perspective is preferred in pharmacoeconomic evaluations because it considers all costs and consequences, offering a broad viewpoint rather than being limited to the patient, provider, or payer perspective.
14. According to the sources, what is a key function of an Ethics Committee (EC) in clinical research?
An Ethics Committee (EC) must review documents such as the trial protocol(s)/amendment(s) and written informed consent form(s) and their updates, along with other related documentation, to fulfill its responsibilities.
15. What term describes the average volume of red blood cells, and what does an abnormally high value often indicate?
The Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) is an estimate of the average volume of red blood cells (RBCs). Abnormally large cells have an increased MCV and are called macrocytic, which can be caused by vitamin B12 and folate deficiency.
16. Which laboratory test is considered the preferred cardiac biochemical marker for evaluating patients with suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)?
Cardiac troponins (cTnI or cTnT) are the preferred cardiac biochemical markers for the evaluation of patients presenting with suspected ACS due to their attractive features and acceptance in clinical practice.
17. When performing a urinalysis using dipsticks, what might a dark yellow or greenish-brown color suggest?
A dark yellow or greenish-brown color in urine generally suggests bilirubin in the urine (bilirubinuria), as most test strips rely on the reaction between bilirubin and a diazotized organic dye to yield a distinct color.
18. Which of the following statements about CLIA-waived Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) is true?
CLIA-waived tests are approved for use only with unprocessed specimens that require no manipulation, such as centrifugation or dilution. While POCT can be rapid, results are typically available within 5–10 minutes, not always less than one minute. POCTs for infectious diseases are generally qualitative.
19. According to the sources, what is a common cause of a false positive for amphetamines by immunoassay urine drug screens?
Urine drug screens by immunoassay for amphetamines are subject to cross-reactivity with several sympathomimetic amine-type drugs (e.g., ephedrine and pseudoephedrine and their variants), which can cause a false positive result.
20. Which of the following is a criterion for a pharmacogenetic test to be clinically useful, as highlighted by NACB guidelines?
The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) guidelines developed criteria for clinically useful pharmacogenetic tests, including analytical reliability, operational implementation, clinical predictive power (specificity and sensitivity consistent with other diagnostics in use), and compatibility with therapeutic management.