Pharmacy and Pharmacology
What this domain tests
Pharmacy and pharmacology questions check whether you can move safely from a prescribed dose to the drug label and the patient. Expect drug classes, routes, pharmacokinetics, dispensing, storage, controlled-substance handling, and dose and volume calculations. Technician scope varies by state, but calculation and documentation standards do not.
Core rules
- Convert weight first: 1 kg = 2.2 lb; 1 lb = 0.454 kg.
- Dose formula: total dose (mg) = dose (mg/kg) × body weight (kg). Volume (mL) = total dose (mg) ÷ concentration (mg/mL).
- Percentage conversions: 1% = 10 mg/mL; 2% = 20 mg/mL; 1:1000 = 1 mg/mL.
- Know the difference between mg/kg and mg/lb; most veterinary labels use mg/kg.
- Controlled substances need secure storage, perpetual inventory, witnessed waste, and no gaps in logs.
- Oral drugs can undergo first-pass hepatic metabolism; route affects onset and bioavailability.
Worked example
A 20 kg dog is prescribed 5 mg/kg of a 2% solution. First calculate total dose: 5 × 20 = 100 mg. Convert 2% to 20 mg/mL. Then 100 ÷ 20 = 5 mL. Show units canceling correctly and round only at the end.
Traps that cost marks
Using 2.2 instead of dividing by 2.2 when converting pounds; treating 1% as 1 mg/mL instead of 10 mg/mL; misreading mg/mL as mg/kg; failing to shake suspensions; not recording controlled-drug waste; assuming a tablet can be split accurately.