Pharmacist Flashcards
6 cards from real DHA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Pharmacist flashcards as text
A patient is prescribed simvastatin 40mg and is started on clarithromycin for a respiratory infection. What is the most significant drug interaction concern?
Answer: Increased risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis due to elevated simvastatin levels
Clarithromycin is a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4, which metabolizes simvastatin. Co-administration dramatically increases simvastatin plasma levels, increasing the risk of severe myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Simvastatin should be temporarily suspended or switched to a non-CYP3A4-metabolized statin (e.g., pravastatin, rosuvastatin).
Under UAE Federal Law No. 14 of 1995 and DHA regulations, which category of medications requires a special permit for import and is subject to strict quantity limits on prescriptions?
Answer: Controlled substances (Schedule 1 narcotics/psychotropics such as morphine, tramadol, alprazolam)
UAE Federal Law No. 14/1995 on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances strictly regulates Schedule 1 controlled substances including opioids (morphine, codeine, tramadol), benzodiazepines, and other psychotropics. Special prescriptions, quantity limits, and import permits are required. DHA pharmacists must comply with these requirements.
A 70-year-old patient with atrial fibrillation is on warfarin. The pharmacist reviewing the medication list notices the patient was recently started on amiodarone. What action should the pharmacist take?
Answer: Alert the prescriber about the significant drug interaction — amiodarone inhibits warfarin metabolism, increasing bleeding risk, and INR monitoring must be intensified
Amiodarone is a potent inhibitor of CYP2C9 (and other enzymes) which metabolizes warfarin. This interaction significantly increases warfarin levels and INR. The pharmacist should alert the prescriber, recommend more frequent INR monitoring, and anticipate a warfarin dose reduction of 30–50%.
What is the maximum number of days' supply for which a community pharmacist in Dubai can dispense a Schedule H (prescription-only) medication without a valid prescription for a known regular patient in an emergency?
Answer: A 1-day supply (enough to continue until a prescription is obtained)
Emergency supply provisions in UAE/DHA allow pharmacists to dispense a limited quantity (typically 1 day or minimum necessary to bridge until a prescription is obtained) of a prescription medication in a genuine emergency where the patient cannot obtain a prescription and risk of harm from stopping is established. Controlled substances cannot be supplied this way.
A patient with renal impairment (eGFR 20 mL/min) is prescribed a medication. Which of the following drugs is LEAST likely to require dose adjustment in renal failure?
Answer: Atorvastatin
Atorvastatin is primarily metabolized by the liver (CYP3A4) and excreted via bile with minimal renal elimination. No dose adjustment is required for renal impairment. Metformin, digoxin, and gentamicin are renally cleared and require dose reduction or avoidance in renal failure.
The term 'bioequivalence' in pharmacy regulation refers to:
Answer: Two pharmaceutical products with the same active ingredient that achieve equivalent drug concentrations in blood (similar AUC and Cmax within acceptable limits, typically 80–125%)
Bioequivalence means two formulations of the same active ingredient produce statistically equivalent plasma drug concentrations (AUC and Cmax within 80–125% of each other). This is the regulatory basis for generic drug approval — bioequivalent generics can substitute for brand-name drugs.