Clinical Pharmacy and Laboratory Data: MCQ Test

221. What is the primary role of the 'Ethics Committee' (EC) in clinical research?

• To manage the budget of the study
• To recruit participants
• To review the trial protocol and informed consent document to protect the rights and safety of subjects
• To market the research findings

222. What is the ultimate goal of 'Continuing Professional Development' (CPD)?

• To achieve a higher salary
• To ensure that practitioners maintain their competency to practice
• To solely focus on research
• To reduce the need for further education

223. What is a common problem associated with maintaining patient medication sheets or cards, especially when a patient attends different clinics?

• They are often too short
• Keeping medication sheets up-to-date and accurate
• They are not accepted by all healthcare providers
• They are difficult to print

224. Which of the following is a primary objective of 'Pharmacoepidemiology'?

• To develop new drugs
• To identify new Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) and new indications for drugs
• To reduce the cost of drug therapy in individual patients
• To conduct basic molecular biology research

225. What is a key difference between a 'drug information centre' and a 'poison information centre'?

• Drug information centers provide only general drug facts, while poison information centers focus on management of poisoning cases
• Poison information centers focus solely on illicit drugs
• Drug information centers are for pharmacists, while poison information centers are for the public
• There are no significant differences

226. What is a major challenge for hospitals in India concerning employment opportunities for clinical pharmacists?

• Too many available positions for clinical pharmacists
• Lack of hospital-funded positions for clinical pharmacists
• Over-reliance on clinical research organizations
• Decreasing need for patient care services

227. What is the primary method used to prevent contamination during Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification reactions?

• Using non-sterile equipment
• Prealiquoting reagents and physically separating reaction preparation from product analysis area
• Performing PCR in open air
• Increasing the concentration of DNA template

228. What is one of the 'specialized tests' used to aid in the diagnosis of asthma when other tests are inconclusive, and to evaluate drug therapy effects on airway hyperreactivity?

• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Bronchial provocation tests (BPTs)
• Liver function tests (LFTs)
• Complete blood count (CBC)

229. What is a major advantage of using 'capillary electrophoresis (CE)' platforms?

• They require very large sample amounts
• They are manual and labor-intensive
• Ability to apply higher voltages than traditional electrophoresis and ease of automation
• They are limited to separating only DNA fragments

230. What is a characteristic of 'tertiary literature' in the context of drug information?

• It is always published in scientific journals as original research
• It provides unique experiences and individual responses to drugs
• It typically consists of summaries of primary and secondary literature, like textbooks, and is revised less frequently than secondary sources
• It focuses on indexing and abstracting services

231. What type of cardiac biochemical marker is 'B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)' used for?

• Diagnosis of myocardial infarction
• Evaluation of heart failure
• Detection of cardiac arrhythmias
• Assessment of coronary artery disease

232. What is a potential risk associated with the concomitant administration of levothyroxine and ferrous ascorbate?

• Enhanced absorption of both drugs
• Drug interaction, potentially reducing levothyroxine absorption
• No interaction, they can be taken together
• Increased iron absorption

233. What is the primary purpose of 'patient counselling'?

• To increase drug sales
• To improve the safety and effectiveness of medications
• To conduct market research
• To replace medical consultations

234. What is the normal reference range for 'potassium' in traditional and SI units?

• 1.5–2.2 mEq/L
• 3.5–5 mEq/L
• 8–20 mg/dL
• 136–145 mEq/L

235. What is one of the 'Key Messages' regarding medication errors and adverse drug events?

• Medication errors are unavoidable and cannot be reduced
• There are significant opportunities to improve medication use safety by reducing medication errors
• Only dispensing pharmacists are responsible for medication safety
• Computer systems alone will eliminate all errors

236. What are 'Microaerophiles'?

• Microorganisms that only grow in the complete absence of oxygen
• Microorganisms that require high levels of oxygen
• Microorganisms that can grow satisfactorily at very low oxygen levels but not in its complete absence
• Microorganisms that are inhibited by oxygen

237. What is the key role of pharmacists in the initial identification of drug interactions?

• Relying on intuition
• Being familiar with and appropriately using information from a wide range of sources
• Ignoring theoretical interactions
• Only consulting with prescribers

238. What is a major advantage of 'liquid growth media systems' for culturing mycobacteria compared to conventional solid media?

• They require less specialized equipment
• They provide more rapid isolation of AFB (acid-fast bacilli)
• They are less prone to contamination
• They are only suitable for non-pathogenic mycobacteria

239. What should be the initial step when receiving a drug information enquiry, according to the systematic approach?

• Immediately conduct a literature search
• Identify the enquirer and obtain sufficient contact details, gauging the depth of response required and establishing a deadline
• Refine and categorise the question
• Formulate and provide a response

240. What is the common approach for clinical pharmacists to enhance their clinical knowledge during ward rounds in teaching hospitals?

• Avoiding all ward rounds
• Joining Professor/Unit chief rounds, which address more complex issues
• Solely focusing on pre-rounds for basic cases
• Only attending teaching rounds for medical students