CAOP Drug Information and Literature Evaluation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of drug information resource is considered a tertiary source?
- Clinical Pharmacology database
- Package insert
- A randomized controlled trial
- Textbook such as Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Textbook such as Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach
Tertiary sources are comprehensive compiled references such as textbooks that synthesize information from primary and secondary sources.
Question 2: When evaluating a drug information request, which step should be performed FIRST?
- Search the literature
- Formulate a response
- Classify the question type
- Clarify background information from the requestor (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Clarify background information from the requestor
Obtaining background information about the patient and the specific context of the question is the essential first step before any literature search.
Question 3: A pharmacist reviews a study reporting an odds ratio of 1.0 for a drug-induced event. How should this be interpreted?
- The drug doubles the risk of the event
- There is no association between the drug and the event (Correct answer)
- The drug halves the risk of the event
- The study was not powered adequately
Correct answer: There is no association between the drug and the event
An odds ratio of 1.0 indicates no difference in odds between exposed and unexposed groups, meaning no association exists.
Question 4: Which study design provides the highest level of evidence for evaluating drug efficacy?
- Case-control study
- Cross-sectional study
- Randomized controlled trial (Correct answer)
- Case series
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial
Randomized controlled trials are at the top of the evidence hierarchy for evaluating causality and drug efficacy due to their controlled, unbiased design.
Question 5: What does a 95% confidence interval that crosses 1.0 for a relative risk indicate?
- The result is statistically significant
- The drug is harmful
- The result is not statistically significant (Correct answer)
- The sample size was too large
Correct answer: The result is not statistically significant
A confidence interval crossing 1.0 for a relative risk means the null hypothesis (no effect) cannot be excluded, indicating a non-significant result.
Question 6: Which PubMed filter is most useful for a pharmacist seeking the best available evidence on a clinical question?
- Case Reports
- Clinical Queries — Therapy (Correct answer)
- Letters to the Editor
- Editorials
Correct answer: Clinical Queries — Therapy
PubMed's Clinical Queries filter with the Therapy category uses validated search strategies designed to retrieve high-quality evidence for treatment questions.
CAOP Drug Information and Literature Evaluation 1
Which type of drug information resource is considered a tertiary source?