DHA Pharmacist Exam key terms

The study of what a medicine does to the body, including how it binds to receptors and produces therapeutic or harmful effects. It links drug concentration with the response observed.

The study of how the body handles a medicine over time through absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. These processes determine when effects start, how strong they are, and how long they last.

A ratio comparing the dose that causes toxicity with the dose that produces the desired therapeutic effect. A low value means the medicine has a narrow margin of safety.

The breakdown of an orally taken medicine in the gut wall or liver before it reaches the general circulation. It can greatly reduce how much active drug is available to the body.

The time needed for the amount of medicine in the body, or its blood concentration, to fall by half. It helps estimate dosing frequency and how long effects may last.

A formal process of comparing a patient's current medicines with newly prescribed or recorded medicines to find and correct discrepancies. It is especially important at admission, transfer, and discharge.

A patient-centered way of practicing pharmacy in which the pharmacist takes responsibility for improving medicine use and health outcomes. It includes assessment, planning, monitoring, and follow-up with the patient.

The extent to which a patient takes medicines as agreed with the prescriber, including the correct dose, timing, and duration. Poor adherence can cause treatment failure or avoidable side effects.

The measurement of medicine concentrations in blood, usually for drugs with a narrow therapeutic range, to guide dose adjustment. It helps balance benefit against toxicity for an individual patient.

The science and activities involved in detecting, assessing, understanding, and preventing adverse effects or other problems related to medicines. It supports medicine safety during clinical use and after marketing.

The fraction of an administered dose of a medicine that reaches the general circulation in an unchanged form. Intravenous administration is generally considered to have complete bioavailability.

An inactive ingredient added to a medicine to help with manufacturing, stability, appearance, or taste. Excipients are not intended to produce the main therapeutic effect.

A demonstration that two medicine products deliver the same active ingredient into the body at a similar rate and extent. It is commonly used to support approval of generic products.

A dosage form designed to release a medicine slowly over an extended period after administration. This can reduce how often doses are needed and keep blood levels more stable.

The property of a molecule that exists in two mirror-image forms called enantiomers. These forms can have different biological effects, so a chiral medicine may need special analysis.

The study of how changes in a molecule's chemical structure affect its biological activity. It helps medicinal chemists design safer or more effective drug candidates.

An inactive or less active chemical form of a medicine that is converted in the body into the active substance. Prodrugs are designed to improve absorption, stability, or targeting.

A naturally occurring chemical compound produced by plants, many of which have biological effects used in medicine or research. Examples include alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenes.

The lowest concentration of an antimicrobial agent that prevents visible growth of a microorganism in a standardized laboratory test. It helps guide antibiotic selection and dosing.

The ability of microorganisms to survive and grow in the presence of medicines that would normally kill or inhibit them. It is driven by genetic changes and selective pressure from antimicrobial use.

A laboratory test that identifies a microorganism from a clinical sample and determines which antimicrobials stop its growth. The results help clinicians choose targeted antibiotic therapy.

A set of practices used to keep sterile products and equipment free from microorganisms during preparation and handling. It includes hand hygiene, sterile barriers, and working in controlled airflow.

An instrument that sterilizes equipment and supplies using pressurized saturated steam at high temperature. It works for many heat-stable items but not for heat-sensitive products.

A substance, often a bacterial endotoxin, that can cause fever when it enters the bloodstream. Sterile products for injection must be processed or tested to keep pyrogens within safe limits.

The date after which a prepared or dispensed medicine should no longer be used, based on its stability and risk of contamination. It may be shorter than the manufacturer's expiration date.

A medicine classified by law as having potential for abuse, dependence, or diversion, and therefore subject to special prescribing, storage, and record-keeping rules. Examples include opioids and some sedatives.

A set of regulatory requirements ensuring that medicines are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. It covers premises, personnel, documentation, equipment, and quality assurance.

The process by which a patient voluntarily agrees to a treatment or procedure after receiving and understanding information about benefits, risks, and alternatives. It respects patient autonomy.

A medicine that is deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled with respect to its identity, composition, or source. It may contain the wrong ingredients, too little active ingredient, or harmful substances.

Original research reports written by the investigators who conducted the study, such as clinical trials or laboratory experiments. They provide detailed and current evidence but need critical appraisal.

Resources that index, abstract, or summarize primary research, such as bibliographic databases and abstracting services. They help users locate relevant original studies efficiently.

Reference works that summarize and consolidate established knowledge, such as textbooks, guidelines, and formularies. They are useful for background information but may lag behind current research.

A continually updated list of medicines approved for use within a health system, often with prescribing guidance. It supports safe, cost-effective, and consistent medicine selection.

A study in which participants are randomly assigned to an intervention or control group to compare outcomes. Randomization helps balance known and unknown confounders between the groups.

The probability of obtaining a result at least as extreme as the observed one if the null hypothesis were true. It is not the probability that the null hypothesis is correct.

A range of values estimated from sample data that is likely to contain the true population value, usually with a stated confidence level such as 95 percent. It shows the precision of an estimate.

The number of patients who need to receive a treatment for one additional patient to benefit. It is the reciprocal of the absolute risk reduction and helps judge clinical usefulness.

A statistical method that combines results from multiple independent studies on the same question to produce a pooled estimate. It can increase precision but depends on study quality and similarity.