Afghanistan Pharmacy Technician Exit Exam key terms

A written or electronic order from a licensed prescriber authorizing a pharmacy to prepare and supply a specific medicine, with dose, route, frequency, and quantity, for a named patient.

The professional process of reviewing a prescription, preparing or selecting the medicine, recording the supply, labeling it correctly, and handing it to the patient with appropriate instructions.

A health professional legally authorized under national law to issue prescriptions for medicines, such as a physician, dentist, or qualified midwife, within the limits of their license.

The printed information affixed to a dispensed medicine container stating patient name, drug name and strength, directions for use, quantity, date, storage advice, and pharmacy details.

A supplementary warning or instruction sticker added to a dispensed medicine, such as 'take with food', 'may cause drowsiness', or 'keep out of reach of children'.

A medicine whose possession, supply, or record-keeping is restricted by law because of risks of dependence, misuse, or diversion, requiring special prescriptions, registers, and secure storage.

A bound record book in which every receipt and supply of controlled medicines is entered with date, quantity, and balance, kept for inspection by authorized authorities.

The non-proprietary, internationally recognized name of an active substance, such as paracetamol or amoxicillin, which is the same regardless of which company manufactures it.

The proprietary trade name given by a manufacturer to a medicine, protected commercially and used in marketing, while the active ingredient is described by its generic name.

The demonstration that two medicine products release the same active ingredient into the body at a comparable rate and extent, so they can be expected to act the same clinically.

The condition in which two products contain the same amount of the same active ingredient in the same dosage form and meet the same quality standards, though they may differ in inactive ingredients.

The study of how the body handles a medicine over time, covering absorption into blood, distribution to tissues, metabolism by enzymes, and excretion from the body.

The proportion of an administered dose of a medicine that reaches the systemic circulation unchanged, and the speed at which it does so; intravenous doses are taken as fully available.

The loss of part of an oral dose as it passes through the gut wall and liver before reaching the general circulation, which can reduce the amount of active drug available.

The time taken for the amount of medicine in the body, or its blood concentration, to fall by half; it guides dosing intervals and how long effects or side effects may last.

The situation reached when the amount of medicine entering the body equals the amount leaving, so blood levels remain stable; usually attained after about four to five half-lives of regular dosing.

A harmful or unintended response to a medicine used at normal doses, ranging from mild rash to serious organ damage, which should be recognized, managed, and reported.

A predictable, usually dose-related unwanted effect of a medicine that is not the intended therapeutic action, such as drowsiness with antihistamines or stomach upset with some antibiotics.

The ongoing science of detecting, assessing, understanding, and preventing adverse effects or other medicine-related problems, mainly through collection and review of safety reports.

A system for health workers and patients to report suspected adverse drug reactions and quality problems to the national medicines safety authority for review and action.

A change in the effect of one medicine caused by another medicine, food, drink, or herbal product, which may increase toxicity or reduce the intended therapeutic benefit.

A situation, condition, or co-administered medicine in which a particular drug must not be used because the risk of harm clearly outweighs any possible benefit.

A caution that a medicine may be used but only with special care, monitoring, or dose adjustment in certain patients or circumstances, unlike an absolute contraindication.

Clear, two-way communication with a patient about how to take a medicine, what benefits and side effects to expect, and when to seek help, checking that the message was understood.

The extent to which a patient takes medicines exactly as agreed with the prescriber, including correct dose, timing, and duration, which strongly influences whether treatment succeeds.

A device or system such as a pill organizer, blister pack, or reminder chart that helps patients take multiple medicines correctly at the right times each day.

The preparation of a customized medicine by a pharmacy from raw ingredients or available products, according to a prescription or formula, when no suitable commercial product exists.

A medicine made up in the pharmacy at the time of dispensing to meet a specific patient's need, such as a liquid form for a child who cannot swallow tablets.

A documented, approved recipe for a compounded preparation giving ingredients, quantities, method, equipment, and quality checks, so that each batch is made consistently.

The physical form in which a medicine is supplied, such as tablet, capsule, syrup, cream, injection, or suppository, chosen to suit the route and the patient's needs.

An inactive ingredient added to a medicine to give it bulk, shape, stability, flavor, or preservation, for example binders, fillers, sweeteners, or preservatives.

The path by which a medicine enters the body, such as oral, topical, inhaled, rectal, or by injection into a vein or muscle, which affects speed and pattern of action.

The period during which a medicine kept under its stated storage conditions is expected to remain within approved quality specifications; it is shown as an expiry date.

The date after which a medicine must not be supplied or used, because its strength, purity, or safety can no longer be guaranteed, even if it looks unchanged.

The specified temperature, humidity, and light protection required to keep a medicine stable, such as cool, dry, refrigerated, or protected from direct sunlight.

The continuous system of refrigerated storage and transport that keeps temperature-sensitive products such as vaccines and insulin within a safe range from manufacture to use.

A record kept for each item showing quantities received, issued, and remaining, used to track inventory, detect shortages, and support ordering and accountability.

A stock rotation rule under which medicines with the earliest expiry date are issued first, reducing waste and ensuring patients receive products with adequate remaining shelf life.

The date after which a prepared or opened product, such as a reconstituted syrup or a compounded cream, must be discarded because it may no longer be safe or effective.

Cleaning the hands with soap and water or alcohol-based rub at the right moments, which is the single most effective action for preventing spread of infection in health care settings.

Protective items such as gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection worn by health workers to reduce exposure to infectious agents, hazardous drugs, and body fluids.

A set of practices that keep products and equipment free from microorganisms during preparation, using sterile supplies, disinfection, and careful handling in a controlled environment.

A calculation method used to find the ratio in which two or more products of different strengths must be mixed to produce a required intermediate strength or concentration.

A way of expressing strength as parts per hundred, where weight-in-volume percent means grams per 100 mL and volume-in-volume percent means mL per 100 mL.

Reducing the strength of a solution or product by adding a solvent or weaker product, commonly calculated using the relationship between initial and final concentration and volume.

Working out the exact amount of medicine to give a patient from the prescribed dose and the strength of the available product, taking care with units and patient factors.

A dose for a child calculated from body weight or body surface area, or taken from an approved age-based schedule, because children cannot simply receive adult doses.

An estimate of total body surface in square meters, calculated from height and weight, and used to set doses for some drugs, especially cancer medicines and in children.

Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medicine use or patient harm, such as wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong patient, or wrong route.

Medicines whose names or packaging appear or sound similar, such as two drugs with closely matching names, which can lead to selection errors unless carefully separated and checked.

The ability of bacteria and other microbes to survive medicines that once killed them, often driven by unnecessary or incomplete antibiotic use, making infections harder to treat.

Coordinated efforts to use antibiotics only when needed, at the right dose and duration, to improve patient outcomes and slow the development of resistant organisms.

The correct storage, temperature monitoring, and preparation of vaccines so that each dose remains potent and safe, including avoiding freeze damage and heat exposure.

A licensed health professional responsible for reviewing prescriptions, ensuring safe and correct dispensing, advising patients, and supervising pharmacy staff and medicine quality.

A trained and authorized pharmacy worker who assists with dispensing, stock management, labeling, and record-keeping under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.

The ethical and legal duty to keep a patient's health information private, sharing it only with those who need it for the patient's care or as required by law.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a treatment or procedure after receiving clear information about its purpose, benefits, risks, and alternatives in language they understand.

The principles guiding honest, respectful, and competent conduct in pharmacy practice, including putting patient welfare first, maintaining competence, and avoiding conflicts of interest.