ESIC Pharmacist Recruitment Exam flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Bioavailability formula

Absolute bioavailability F = (AUC oral / AUC IV) × (Dose IV / Dose oral); it measures the fraction of an administered dose reaching systemic circulation unchanged, and is reduced by first-pass metabolism.

Noyes-Whitney equation

Describes dissolution rate as dC/dt = D·A·(Cs − C)/h, where A is surface area, Cs saturation solubility, and h diffusion layer thickness; reducing particle size raises A and speeds dissolution.

HLB scale

Hydrophilic-lipophilic balance ranks surfactants: values 3–6 favour water-in-oil emulsions, 8–18 favour oil-in-water emulsions; Tween 80 (about 15) is an O/W emulsifier.

Autoclave sterilization parameters

Moist heat sterilization uses saturated steam at 121 °C and 15 psi for 15–20 minutes, killing spores by protein coagulation; Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores serve as the biological indicator.

Chelating antidotes

Dimercaprol chelates arsenic, mercury, and gold; deferoxamine chelates iron; penicillamine chelates copper in Wilson's disease; EDTA chelates lead and calcium, forming stable ring complexes.

Prodrug examples

Enalapril is hydrolysed to enalaprilat, sulfasalazine is cleaved by colonic bacteria to 5-aminosalicylic acid, and levodopa crosses the blood-brain barrier before decarboxylation to dopamine.

Therapeutic index

Therapeutic index equals TD50 divided by ED50; a low index, as with digoxin, lithium, and warfarin, means narrow separation between effective and toxic doses and warrants therapeutic drug monitoring.

First-order elimination

A constant fraction of drug is eliminated per unit time; half-life t½ = 0.693 × volume of distribution / clearance, and about four to five half-lives are needed to reach steady state.

Zero-order kinetics drugs

Phenytoin, ethanol, and high-dose aspirin show saturation kinetics, eliminating a constant amount per time; small dose increases can cause disproportionate rises in plasma concentration and toxicity.

Paracetamol antidote

N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione and detoxifies the reactive metabolite NAPQI; it is most effective within 8–10 hours of overdose, and liver function and INR are monitored.

Dragendorff test

A chemical test for alkaloids producing an orange-red precipitate with bismuth potassium iodide reagent; used in pharmacognostical identification of drugs such as belladonna, opium, and cinchona.

Cardiac glycoside test

Keller-Kiliani test detects cardiac glycosides: acetic acid plus ferric chloride layered under sulphuric acid gives a reddish-brown ring and bluish-green acetic acid layer, as with digitalis.

Volatile oil sources

Clove yields eugenol, peppermint yields menthol, eucalyptus yields cineole, and fennel yields anethole; these oils are obtained by hydrodistillation or steam distillation of plant material.

Beer-Lambert law

Absorbance A = εbc, where ε is molar absorptivity, b is path length in cm, and c is concentration; absorbance is directly proportional to concentration within the linear calibration range.

Chromatographic resolution

Resolution Rs = 2(t2 − t1)/(w1 + w2), where t is retention time and w is peak width; a value of at least 1.5 indicates baseline separation of two adjacent peaks.

ICH validation parameters

ICH Q2(R1) requires accuracy, precision, specificity, detection limit, quantitation limit, linearity, range, and robustness; LOD equals 3.3σ/S and LOQ equals 10σ/S.

Limit test for iron

Thioglycollic acid reacts with ferrous iron in ammoniacal citrate solution to form a pale pink to purple complex; colour is compared against a standard iron solution.

Cockcroft-Gault equation

Creatinine clearance = [(140 − age) × weight in kg] / (72 × serum creatinine in mg/dL), multiplied by 0.85 for females; used to adjust renally cleared drug doses.

Therapeutic drug monitoring

Measurement of plasma drug concentrations for narrow-index drugs such as digoxin (0.5–2 ng/mL), phenytoin (10–20 µg/mL), and lithium (0.6–1.2 mEq/L) to individualize dosing.

Naranjo scale

A validated ten-item questionnaire scoring causality of an adverse drug reaction as definite, probable, possible, or doubtful based on temporal relationship, dechallenge, rechallenge, and alternative causes.

Michaelis-Menten kinetics

Velocity v = Vmax[S]/(Km + [S]); Km is the substrate concentration giving half maximal velocity; competitive inhibitors increase apparent Km while non-competitive inhibitors lower Vmax.

Blood reference values

Normal arterial pH 7.35–7.45, PaCO2 35–45 mmHg, bicarbonate 22–26 mEq/L, fasting glucose 70–100 mg/dL, and haemoglobin 13–17 g/dL in adult males.

Schedule H drugs

Prescription-only medicines listed under Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules; they must be sold on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner in a licensed pharmacy.

Schedule X requirements

Narcotic and psychotropic drugs under Schedule X require a special licence, separate secure storage, and a register recording prescriptions retained for two years under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules.

Pharmacy Act 1948

Established the Pharmacy Council of India and state pharmacy councils, which maintain registers of qualified pharmacists and set minimum education standards, such as the Diploma in Pharmacy.

Gram staining steps

Crystal violet primary stain, iodine mordant, alcohol-acetone decolourizer, and safranin counterstain; Gram-positive bacteria retain the purple crystal violet complex, Gram-negative bacteria appear pink.

Sterility test media

Soyabean casein digest medium supports bacterial growth at 30–35 °C, while Sabouraud dextrose medium supports fungal growth at 20–25 °C; membrane filtration uses 0.45 µm filters.

Compound interest formula

Compound interest = P[(1 + R/100)^T − 1]; for two years the difference between compound and simple interest equals P × (R/100)², useful in shortcut aptitude problems.

Alligation rule

Ratio of cheaper to dearer quantity equals (dearer price − mean price) : (mean price − cheaper price); applied to mixing, dilution, and weighted average problems.

RAM and ROM

RAM is volatile primary memory that loses contents when power is off and holds running programs; ROM is non-volatile and stores firmware such as the basic input-output system.

Subject-verb agreement

A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject a plural verb; collective nouns take a singular verb when acting as one unit and a plural verb when members act separately.