MOHAP Pharmacist Exam key terms

A patient-centred practice model in which the pharmacist takes shared responsibility for meeting a patient's medicine-related needs, aiming for defined therapeutic outcomes and improved quality of life.

A structured, collaborative service in which the pharmacist reviews a patient's full medication regimen, identifies drug-related problems, and agrees on a monitoring and follow-up plan with the patient and prescriber.

Any event or circumstance involving drug therapy that actually or potentially interferes with a desired health outcome, such as an untreated indication, wrong dose, adverse effect, or non-adherence.

The extent to which a patient's behaviour, such as taking medicines, following diets, or attending appointments, matches the agreed recommendations of the healthcare provider.

The clinical practice of measuring plasma concentrations of drugs with narrow therapeutic indices, such as digoxin, lithium, or vancomycin, to individualise dosing and avoid toxicity or treatment failure.

A property of drugs whose effective and toxic dose ranges are close together, so small changes in plasma concentration can cause serious harm or loss of efficacy, requiring careful dosing and monitoring.

The time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to fall by half during elimination, used to estimate how long a drug acts and how long it takes to reach steady state.

The condition reached when the rate of drug administration equals the rate of elimination, so plasma concentrations remain stable; it is generally approached after four to five half-lives of regular dosing.

The volume of plasma from which a drug is completely removed per unit time by all elimination pathways combined, determining the maintenance dose needed to achieve a target concentration.

The fraction of an administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches the systemic circulation, equal to 100 percent for intravenous dosing and usually lower for oral products.

Metabolism of an orally absorbed drug in the intestinal wall or liver before it reaches the systemic circulation, which can substantially reduce oral bioavailability and make oral doses larger than intravenous doses.

The absence of a significant difference in the rate and extent of absorption of two pharmaceutically equivalent products, usually shown by comparing plasma concentration profiles within accepted statistical limits.

An inactive or less active chemical derivative that must be converted in the body, usually by metabolism, into the active drug to produce its therapeutic effect.

The substance in a medicine that produces the intended pharmacological effect, as distinct from excipients, which are inactive ingredients used to formulate the finished product.

Any inactive component of a medicine, such as a filler, binder, disintegrant, preservative, or colouring, added to aid manufacture, stability, or patient acceptability rather than to treat disease.

A liquid dosage form in which insoluble solid drug particles are dispersed throughout a liquid vehicle, requiring shaking before use to ensure dose uniformity.

A dosage design that delivers drug over an extended period at a predictable rate, reducing dosing frequency and smoothing peak-to-trough plasma fluctuations compared with immediate-release products.

The branch of pharmaceutical science concerned with medicines derived from natural sources, including the identification, isolation, chemistry, and standardisation of plant and other biological materials.

A therapeutic product made from plant parts or plant extracts, used for medicinal purposes, whose active constituents may be complex and variable between batches.

The process of adjusting and verifying a natural product or extract so that a specified marker constituent or biological activity falls within defined limits, promoting consistent quality between batches.

The science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or any other medicine-related problem after products are marketed.

A harmful and unintended response to a medicine occurring at doses normally used in humans for prevention, diagnosis, or treatment, which warrants reporting and clinical management.

The systematic review of adverse event reports and other data to identify previously unknown or incompletely documented associations between a medicine and an adverse outcome that may need further evaluation.

A spontaneous reporting system in which healthcare professionals and patients submit suspected adverse drug reactions to the national regulatory authority for assessment and possible regulatory action.

Prescribing or supplying a licensed medicine for an indication, dose, age group, or route not covered by its approved marketing authorisation, which carries additional professional and legal responsibilities.

The official approval granted by a regulatory authority allowing a specific medicine to be marketed for defined indications, with an agreed product information document and conditions of use.

A product containing the same active substance as an originator medicine, shown to be bioequivalent and approved for the same indications, usually marketed after the originator's patent or exclusivity expires.

The set of quality-assurance requirements ensuring that medicines are consistently produced and controlled to standards appropriate for their intended use, covering premises, personnel, documentation, and validation.

A legally required, bound record in which the receipt, supply, and balance of controlled medicines are entered chronologically, supporting accountability and detection of diversion.

The mandatory elements a valid prescription must contain, such as prescriber details, patient identification, medicine name, strength, dose, quantity, and date, as set by national medicines law.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a treatment or procedure after receiving and understanding relevant information about its purpose, benefits, risks, and alternatives, given without coercion.

A structured, interactive conversation in which the pharmacist gives a patient clear information about their medicine, checks understanding, and addresses concerns to support safe and effective use.

The degree to which a person can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions, which shapes how counselling should be delivered.

A communication technique in which the patient explains in their own words how they will take their medicine, allowing the pharmacist to confirm understanding and correct misunderstandings.

Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medicine is in the control of a healthcare professional, patient, or consumer.

Medicines whose names or packaging appear similar and are easily confused, creating a recognised risk of wrong-drug selection that requires segregation, tall-man lettering, or independent double checks.

A structured, team-based investigation that traces an adverse event or medication error back to its underlying system failures so that corrective and preventive actions can be implemented.

A change in the effect of a medicine caused by a herbal product, often through altered drug metabolism or transport, such as enzyme induction or inhibition by St John's wort.

The study of how genetic variation among individuals affects drug response, including metabolism, efficacy, and risk of adverse effects, guiding selection and dosing of certain medicines.