PEBC Part I (MCQ) study guide
PEBC Part I (MCQ) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PEBC Qualifying Examination Part I is the multiple-choice component of the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada's qualifying examination - the assessment pathway that helps determine whether a pharmacist's knowledge and judgement are ready for Canadian practice. It is most often written by internationally educated pharmacy graduates working toward licensure in a Canadian province or territory; graduates of Canadian accredited programs generally enter the process at the OSCE stage, so confirm your own eligibility and entry point with PEBC before you register. The PEBC Part I (MCQ) study guide has 10 sections and about 3,736 words.
01Biomedical Sciences: Structure, Function and Disease Mechanisms
The biomedical sciences domain asks you to connect structure and function to drug action and disease. Expect homeostasis, fluid/electrolyte and acid-base regulation, cardiac and renal physiology, autonomic and receptor pharmacology foundations, inflammation and immunity, microbial structure and virulence, and core biochemistry (glycolysis, Krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, enzyme kinetics).
381 words, about 2 min02Pharmaceutical Sciences: Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacokinetics
Pharmaceutics, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics are tested as an integrated set: how formulation affects absorption, how structure affects receptor binding, and how ADME determines dose and interval. Expect bioavailability, first-pass metabolism, volume of distribution, clearance, half-life, zero- versus first-order kinetics, CYP induction/inhibition, protein binding, prodrugs, stereochemistry and BCS classification.
408 words, about 2 min03Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapy: Assessment, Decisions and Monitoring
This domain tests clinical reasoning: gathering subjective and objective data, identifying drug therapy problems, selecting guideline-concordant therapy, individualizing dose, and monitoring efficacy and toxicity. Expect heart failure, diabetes, asthma/COPD, anticoagulation, hypertension, infectious disease, pain, and geriatric deprescribing, always with renal/hepatic adjustment and drug-interaction check.
372 words, about 2 min04Pharmaceutical Calculations, Compounding and Product Preparation
Pharmaceutical calculations and compounding test accuracy under time pressure: unit conversion, ratio/proportion, dilution and alligation, percentage concentrations, milliequivalents, osmolarity, IV flow rates, creatinine clearance, pediatric weight-based dosing, and compounding calculations such as displacement volume, aliquot method and capsule filling. Always convert to one unit system before calculating; write the equation with units and cancel them.
394 words, about 2 min05Professional Practice, Law, Ethics and Regulatory Requirements
Professional practice, law and ethics test your obligations as a pharmacist in Canada: scope of practice, prescriptive authority, consent, confidentiality, privacy legislation, controlled substances, mandatory reporting, conflict of interest, advertising, record retention, and the standards of provincial colleges. Questions often use a dilemma with no perfect answer; choose the option that protects the patient, follows the legal hierarchy, and documents the decision.
385 words, about 2 min06Drug Distribution, Dispensing and Medication Safety/Quality Assurance
This domain covers the medication-use system: prescription screening, dispensing accuracy, product selection, labeling and counseling, inventory and recalls, storage, narcotic control, sterile and non-sterile compounding, automation, incident reporting, and quality assurance. The exam tests whether you can catch an error before it reaches the patient and whether you understand system fixes rather than blame.
351 words, about 2 min07Social, Behavioural and Administrative Pharmacy Sciences
Social, behavioural and administrative pharmacy sciences test how patients actually use medicines and how pharmacies are managed. Expect health behaviour models, adherence, patient-centred communication, social determinants of health, health literacy, pharmacy business metrics, inventory management, human resources, quality improvement, and change management.
362 words, about 2 min08Communication, Education and Interprofessional Collaboration
Communication, education and interprofessional collaboration test whether you can exchange information clearly, confirm understanding, and work in a team. Expect teach-back, plain language, health literacy, cultural safety, interpreters, SBAR, conflict resolution, documentation, and patient education for devices and high-risk drugs.
350 words, about 2 min09Health Promotion, Population Health and Public Health
Health promotion, population health and public health test prevention at the individual and community level: levels of prevention, screening criteria, immunization, harm reduction, health equity, social determinants, outbreak investigation, notifiable diseases, and travel health. Primary prevention prevents disease before it occurs (immunization, smoking prevention); secondary prevention detects early disease (screening); tertiary prevention limits complications (rehabilitation, adherence).
363 words, about 2 min10Evidence-Based Practice, Research Methods and Informatics
Evidence-based practice, research methods and informatics test whether you can appraise evidence and use information systems safely. Expect study designs, bias, randomization, intention-to-treat, confidence intervals, p-values, NNT/NNH, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, diagnostic test characteristics, pharmacoepidemiology, and informatics (CPOE, clinical decision support, privacy, interoperability).
370 words, about 2 min