Philippine Pharmacist Licensure Exam cheat sheet

Arrhenius acid-base theory: acid releases H+ in water, base releases OH-; Bronsted-Lowry: acid is proton donor, base is proton acceptor; Lewis: acid accepts an electron pair, base donates one.

pH = -log[H+]; pOH = -log[OH-]; pH + pOH = 14 at 25 degrees C. For a weak acid, [H+] = sqrt(Ka x C) when dissociation is small.

Henderson-Hasselbalch: pH = pKa + log([salt]/[acid]); when [salt] = [acid], pH = pKa, the point of maximum buffer capacity.

Buffer capacity is greatest at pH = pKa and falls off rapidly beyond about one pH unit from pKa; useful buffer range is pKa plus or minus 1.

Ka x Kb = Kw = 1.0 x 10^-14 at 25 degrees C; a stronger acid has a larger Ka and a smaller pKa (pKa = -log Ka).

Inorganic qualitative tests: flame test colors (Na yellow, K violet, Ca brick-red, Ba apple-green, Sr crimson); silver nitrate gives white AgCl soluble in ammonia, pale yellow AgBr, yellow AgI.

Organic functional group identification: Tollens reagent (ammoniacal AgNO3) gives a silver mirror with aldehydes; 2,4-DNP gives a yellow-orange precipitate with ketones and aldehydes; iodoform test is positive for methyl ketones and ethanol.

Analytical methods: Beer-Lambert law A = epsilon x b x c; in potentiometric titration the equivalence point is the steepest part of the curve; Karl Fischer titration measures water content.

Chromatography parameters: retention factor Rf = distance traveled by solute / distance traveled by solvent front; resolution improves with smaller particle size and longer column.

Alkaloids are basic nitrogen-containing plant compounds; they are extracted by basifying the plant material with alkali then partitioning into an organic solvent, or by acid extraction as water-soluble salts.

Key alkaloid sources and uses: morphine and codeine from Papaver somniferum (opium poppy); quinine and quinidine from Cinchona bark; atropine and scopolamine from Atropa belladonna and Datura; caffeine from Coffea and Camellia; nicotine from Nicotiana tabacum.

Cardiac glycosides (digitalis, digoxin, digitoxin) consist of an aglycone with a steroid nucleus and a lactone ring plus sugar moieties; they inhibit the Na+/K+-ATPase pump.

Glycoside classification: O-glycosides (sugar linked through oxygen), S-glycosides (thioglycosides, e.g. sinigrin in mustard), N-glycosides, and C-glycosides; hydrolysis yields aglycone plus sugar.

Tannins: hydrolysable tannins yield gallic acid and glucose on hydrolysis; condensed tannins are proanthocyanidins (flavonoid polymers). They precipitate proteins and gelatin, and give a blue-black color with ferric chloride.

Volatile oils (essential oils) are mixtures of terpenes, sesquiterpenes, and phenylpropanoids; they are obtained by steam distillation, expression, or solvent extraction and are used as flavorings and carminatives.

Resins and oleoresins: examples include benzoin, myrrh, and asafoetida; they are insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol and ether, and are used as irritants and expectorants.

Fixed oils are triglycerides, distinguished from volatile oils by leaving a permanent grease spot on paper that does not evaporate; saponification value, iodine value, and acid value characterize them.

Pharmacognostic identification uses organoleptic characters, macroscopic and microscopic anatomy (stomata, trichomes, calcium oxalate crystals), and chemical tests such as the Borntrager test for anthraquinones.

Rate of solution (Noyes-Whitney): dm/dt = (D x A x (Cs - C)) / h; increasing surface area A or reducing diffusion layer thickness h increases dissolution rate.

Stokes law for sedimentation: v = (2 r^2 (rho_p - rho_l) g) / (9 eta); smaller particle size, lower density difference, and higher viscosity slow settling.

Powder flow and mixing: particle size, shape, density, and moisture affect flow; Carr's compressibility index and angle of repose quantify flowability; V-blenders and double-cone blenders are used for dry mixing.

Tablet manufacture: wet granulation (binder, granulate, dry, mill, blend with lubricant, compress), direct compression, and dry granulation (slugging or roller compaction); common excipients include diluents, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, and glidants.

Tablet defects: capping (top or bottom separates), lamination (horizontal splitting), picking (material sticks to punch), sticking (adhesion to die wall), and mottling (uneven color).

Suspensions and emulsions: suspending agents increase viscosity and slow sedimentation; emulsifying agents lower interfacial tension; HLB value predicts surfactant behavior (low HLB for w/o, high HLB for o/w).

Sterilization methods: moist heat autoclave at 121 degrees C, 15 psi for 15 minutes; dry heat at 160-170 degrees C for 2 hours; ethylene oxide for heat-sensitive devices; membrane filtration (0.22 micron) for heat-labile solutions.

Pharmacokinetic parameters: half-life t1/2 = 0.693 / k; volume of distribution Vd = dose / plasma concentration; clearance CL = k x Vd; bioavailability F = (AUC_oral x dose_IV) / (AUC_IV x dose_oral).

Quality control: weight variation, friability, hardness, disintegration time, and dissolution testing are standard tablet tests; content uniformity applies to low-dose products.

Receptor types: ligand-gated ion channels (fastest, milliseconds), G protein-coupled receptors (seconds), kinase-linked receptors, and nuclear receptors (slowest, hours to days, gene transcription).

Agonist, antagonist, and partial agonist: full agonist produces maximal response; competitive antagonist shifts the dose-response curve right without lowering the maximum; noncompetitive antagonist lowers the maximum response.

Dose-response relationships: ED50 is the dose producing 50% of maximal effect; LD50 is the median lethal dose; therapeutic index = LD50 / ED50 (higher index means safer drug).

Autonomic pharmacology: sympathetic stimulation increases heart rate and blood pressure via norepinephrine acting on alpha and beta receptors; parasympathetic stimulation slows the heart via acetylcholine acting on muscarinic receptors.

Common antidotes: naloxone for opioids, flumazenil for benzodiazepines, acetylcysteine for acetaminophen, atropine and pralidoxime for organophosphate poisoning, deferoxamine for iron, dimercaprol for arsenic and mercury, methylene blue for methemoglobinemia.

Cytochrome P450 interactions: inducers (rifampin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, St John's wort) reduce drug levels; inhibitors (ketoconazole, erythromycin, cimetidine, grapefruit juice) raise drug levels.

Toxicology principles: dose makes the poison; acute versus chronic exposure; target organ toxicity; first-order kinetics at low doses and zero-order (saturation) kinetics at high doses for some drugs such as ethanol and phenytoin.

Pharmacogenomics: G6PD deficiency increases risk of hemolysis with primaquine, sulfonamides, and dapsone; slow acetylators are more prone to isoniazid neuropathy; CYP2C9 and VKORC1 variants affect warfarin dosing.

Philippine pharmacy law is governed by Republic Act No. 10918 (Philippine Pharmacy Act of 2016), which repealed RA 5921; it defines the practice of pharmacy and the scope of the pharmacist's role.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Professional Regulatory Board of Pharmacy administer licensure; the pharmacist licensure examination covers the five domains listed in this sheet.

A pharmacist license must be renewed every three years; continuing professional development (CPD) units are required for renewal under PRC rules.

The Board of Pharmacy may suspend or revoke a license for causes including unprofessional conduct, gross negligence, fraud in obtaining the license, and violation of the Pharmacy Act.

Prescription requirements: a valid prescription contains the patient's name, drug name, strength, dosage form, quantity, directions, prescriber's name and signature, and date; controlled or regulated drugs require additional safeguards.

Ethical duties of the pharmacist include confidentiality of patient information, avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining professional competence, and reporting adverse drug reactions to the FDA Philippines.

Pharmacy administration: inventory control methods include economic order quantity (EOQ) and ABC analysis; EOQ = sqrt((2 x annual demand x ordering cost) / holding cost per unit).

Pharmacy practice settings include community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, industrial pharmacy, and regulatory affairs; hospital pharmacists participate in the pharmacy and therapeutics committee.

Arrhenius acid-base theory: acid releases H+ in water, base releases OH-; Bronsted-Lowry: acid is proton donor, base is proton acceptor; Lewis: acid accepts an electron pair, base donates one.

pH = -log[H+]; pOH = -log[OH-]; pH + pOH = 14 at 25 degrees C. For a weak acid, [H+] = sqrt(Ka x C) when dissociation is small.

Henderson-Hasselbalch: pH = pKa + log([salt]/[acid]); when [salt] = [acid], pH = pKa, the point of maximum buffer capacity.

Buffer capacity is greatest at pH = pKa and falls off rapidly beyond about one pH unit from pKa; useful buffer range is pKa plus or minus 1.

Ka x Kb = Kw = 1.0 x 10^-14 at 25 degrees C; a stronger acid has a larger Ka and a smaller pKa (pKa = -log Ka).

Inorganic qualitative tests: flame test colors (Na yellow, K violet, Ca brick-red, Ba apple-green, Sr crimson); silver nitrate gives white AgCl soluble in ammonia, pale yellow AgBr, yellow AgI.

Organic functional group identification: Tollens reagent (ammoniacal AgNO3) gives a silver mirror with aldehydes; 2,4-DNP gives a yellow-orange precipitate with ketones and aldehydes; iodoform test is positive for methyl ketones and ethanol.

Analytical methods: Beer-Lambert law A = epsilon x b x c; in potentiometric titration the equivalence point is the steepest part of the curve; Karl Fischer titration measures water content.

Chromatography parameters: retention factor Rf = distance traveled by solute / distance traveled by solvent front; resolution improves with smaller particle size and longer column.

Alkaloids are basic nitrogen-containing plant compounds; they are extracted by basifying the plant material with alkali then partitioning into an organic solvent, or by acid extraction as water-soluble salts.

Key alkaloid sources and uses: morphine and codeine from Papaver somniferum (opium poppy); quinine and quinidine from Cinchona bark; atropine and scopolamine from Atropa belladonna and Datura; caffeine from Coffea and Camellia; nicotine from Nicotiana tabacum.

Cardiac glycosides (digitalis, digoxin, digitoxin) consist of an aglycone with a steroid nucleus and a lactone ring plus sugar moieties; they inhibit the Na+/K+-ATPase pump.

Glycoside classification: O-glycosides (sugar linked through oxygen), S-glycosides (thioglycosides, e.g. sinigrin in mustard), N-glycosides, and C-glycosides; hydrolysis yields aglycone plus sugar.

Tannins: hydrolysable tannins yield gallic acid and glucose on hydrolysis; condensed tannins are proanthocyanidins (flavonoid polymers). They precipitate proteins and gelatin, and give a blue-black color with ferric chloride.

Volatile oils (essential oils) are mixtures of terpenes, sesquiterpenes, and phenylpropanoids; they are obtained by steam distillation, expression, or solvent extraction and are used as flavorings and carminatives.

Resins and oleoresins: examples include benzoin, myrrh, and asafoetida; they are insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol and ether, and are used as irritants and expectorants.

Fixed oils are triglycerides, distinguished from volatile oils by leaving a permanent grease spot on paper that does not evaporate; saponification value, iodine value, and acid value characterize them.

Pharmacognostic identification uses organoleptic characters, macroscopic and microscopic anatomy (stomata, trichomes, calcium oxalate crystals), and chemical tests such as the Borntrager test for anthraquinones.

Rate of solution (Noyes-Whitney): dm/dt = (D x A x (Cs - C)) / h; increasing surface area A or reducing diffusion layer thickness h increases dissolution rate.

Stokes law for sedimentation: v = (2 r^2 (rho_p - rho_l) g) / (9 eta); smaller particle size, lower density difference, and higher viscosity slow settling.

Powder flow and mixing: particle size, shape, density, and moisture affect flow; Carr's compressibility index and angle of repose quantify flowability; V-blenders and double-cone blenders are used for dry mixing.

Tablet manufacture: wet granulation (binder, granulate, dry, mill, blend with lubricant, compress), direct compression, and dry granulation (slugging or roller compaction); common excipients include diluents, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, and glidants.

Tablet defects: capping (top or bottom separates), lamination (horizontal splitting), picking (material sticks to punch), sticking (adhesion to die wall), and mottling (uneven color).

Suspensions and emulsions: suspending agents increase viscosity and slow sedimentation; emulsifying agents lower interfacial tension; HLB value predicts surfactant behavior (low HLB for w/o, high HLB for o/w).

Sterilization methods: moist heat autoclave at 121 degrees C, 15 psi for 15 minutes; dry heat at 160-170 degrees C for 2 hours; ethylene oxide for heat-sensitive devices; membrane filtration (0.22 micron) for heat-labile solutions.

Pharmacokinetic parameters: half-life t1/2 = 0.693 / k; volume of distribution Vd = dose / plasma concentration; clearance CL = k x Vd; bioavailability F = (AUC_oral x dose_IV) / (AUC_IV x dose_oral).

Quality control: weight variation, friability, hardness, disintegration time, and dissolution testing are standard tablet tests; content uniformity applies to low-dose products.

Receptor types: ligand-gated ion channels (fastest, milliseconds), G protein-coupled receptors (seconds), kinase-linked receptors, and nuclear receptors (slowest, hours to days, gene transcription).

Agonist, antagonist, and partial agonist: full agonist produces maximal response; competitive antagonist shifts the dose-response curve right without lowering the maximum; noncompetitive antagonist lowers the maximum response.

Dose-response relationships: ED50 is the dose producing 50% of maximal effect; LD50 is the median lethal dose; therapeutic index = LD50 / ED50 (higher index means safer drug).

Autonomic pharmacology: sympathetic stimulation increases heart rate and blood pressure via norepinephrine acting on alpha and beta receptors; parasympathetic stimulation slows the heart via acetylcholine acting on muscarinic receptors.

Common antidotes: naloxone for opioids, flumazenil for benzodiazepines, acetylcysteine for acetaminophen, atropine and pralidoxime for organophosphate poisoning, deferoxamine for iron, dimercaprol for arsenic and mercury, methylene blue for methemoglobinemia.

Cytochrome P450 interactions: inducers (rifampin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, St John's wort) reduce drug levels; inhibitors (ketoconazole, erythromycin, cimetidine, grapefruit juice) raise drug levels.

Toxicology principles: dose makes the poison; acute versus chronic exposure; target organ toxicity; first-order kinetics at low doses and zero-order (saturation) kinetics at high doses for some drugs such as ethanol and phenytoin.

Pharmacogenomics: G6PD deficiency increases risk of hemolysis with primaquine, sulfonamides, and dapsone; slow acetylators are more prone to isoniazid neuropathy; CYP2C9 and VKORC1 variants affect warfarin dosing.

Philippine pharmacy law is governed by Republic Act No. 10918 (Philippine Pharmacy Act of 2016), which repealed RA 5921; it defines the practice of pharmacy and the scope of the pharmacist's role.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Professional Regulatory Board of Pharmacy administer licensure; the pharmacist licensure examination covers the five domains listed in this sheet.

A pharmacist license must be renewed every three years; continuing professional development (CPD) units are required for renewal under PRC rules.

The Board of Pharmacy may suspend or revoke a license for causes including unprofessional conduct, gross negligence, fraud in obtaining the license, and violation of the Pharmacy Act.

Prescription requirements: a valid prescription contains the patient's name, drug name, strength, dosage form, quantity, directions, prescriber's name and signature, and date; controlled or regulated drugs require additional safeguards.

Ethical duties of the pharmacist include confidentiality of patient information, avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining professional competence, and reporting adverse drug reactions to the FDA Philippines.

Pharmacy administration: inventory control methods include economic order quantity (EOQ) and ABC analysis; EOQ = sqrt((2 x annual demand x ordering cost) / holding cost per unit).

Pharmacy practice settings include community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, industrial pharmacy, and regulatory affairs; hospital pharmacists participate in the pharmacy and therapeutics committee.