Philippine Pharmacist Licensure Exam flashcards

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

Henderson-Hasselbalch equation

pH = pKa + log([salt]/[acid]). Buffer pH is closest to pKa when the salt and acid concentrations are equal, giving maximum buffer capacity.

Beer-Lambert law

Absorbance A = epsilon x b x c, where epsilon is molar absorptivity, b is path length, and c is concentration. Absorbance is directly proportional to concentration for dilute solutions.

Tollens test

Ammoniacal silver nitrate reagent that oxidizes aldehydes to acids, depositing a silver mirror on the glass. Ketones and most alcohols do not give this reaction.

Iodoform reaction

Methyl ketones and ethanol react with iodine and alkali to form yellow iodoform crystals. Used to identify acetone, acetaldehyde, and ethanol.

Karl Fischer titration

A water-specific titration using iodine, sulfur dioxide, and a base in anhydrous solvent. It quantifies moisture content in pharmaceutical solids and solvents.

Retention factor Rf

In thin-layer chromatography, Rf = distance traveled by solute divided by distance traveled by solvent front. Each compound has a characteristic Rf under fixed conditions.

Alkaloid definition

Basic nitrogen-containing organic compounds found mainly in plants. Examples include morphine, quinine, atropine, caffeine, and nicotine; they form water-soluble salts with acids.

Cardiac glycosides

Plant compounds with a steroid aglycone and a lactone ring that inhibit Na+/K+-ATPase, increasing intracellular calcium. Digoxin and digitoxin are examples from Digitalis species.

Tannins

Polyphenolic plant constituents that bind and precipitate proteins. Hydrolysable tannins yield gallic acid and glucose; condensed tannins are proanthocyanidin polymers giving blue-black color with ferric chloride.

Volatile oils

Aromatic plant oils composed of terpenes and phenylpropanoids that evaporate at room temperature. Obtained by steam distillation or expression and used as flavorings and carminatives.

Fixed oils

Triglyceride esters of fatty acids that do not evaporate and leave a permanent grease spot on paper. Characterized by saponification value, iodine value, and acid value.

Borntrager test

A chemical test for anthraquinone glycosides: the plant extract is treated with alkali and a red or pink color appears in the ammoniacal layer.

Noyes-Whitney equation

dm/dt = D x A x (Cs - C) / h. Dissolution rate rises with larger surface area, higher solubility, and thinner diffusion layer, and falls with greater medium viscosity.

Stokes law

Sedimentation velocity v = 2 r^2 (rho_p - rho_l) g / 9 eta. Smaller particles and more viscous media settle more slowly, improving suspension stability.

HLB system

Hydrophilic-lipophilic balance scale from 0 to 20. Low HLB surfactants favor water-in-oil emulsions; high HLB surfactants favor oil-in-water emulsions.

Autoclave conditions

Moist heat sterilization at 121 degrees C and 15 psi for at least 15 minutes. Effective for aqueous solutions and heat-stable equipment; kills bacterial spores.

Membrane filtration

Sterilization by passing liquid through a 0.22 micron filter that removes bacteria. Used for heat-labile solutions such as vitamins and antibiotics.

Tablet capping

Partial or complete separation of the top or bottom of a tablet from the main body. Caused by entrapped air, excessive fines, or insufficient binder.

Half-life formula

For first-order elimination, t1/2 = 0.693 / k, where k is the elimination rate constant. About 4 to 5 half-lives are needed to reach steady state.

Bioavailability

The fraction of an administered dose reaching systemic circulation unchanged. Calculated as F = (AUC_oral x dose_IV) / (AUC_IV x dose_oral).

Competitive antagonist

A drug that binds reversibly at the same receptor site as the agonist. It shifts the dose-response curve right without reducing maximal response; higher agonist doses can overcome it.

Therapeutic index

TI = LD50 / ED50. A larger index indicates a wider margin between effective and toxic doses; drugs such as digoxin and warfarin have narrow indices.

Naloxone

An opioid receptor antagonist used to reverse opioid overdose, including respiratory depression. It has a short duration and may require repeat dosing or infusion.

Acetylcysteine antidote

Replenishes glutathione and detoxifies the reactive metabolite NAPQI in acetaminophen overdose. Most effective when given within 8 to 10 hours of ingestion.

Organophosphate poisoning

Irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase causes cholinergic excess: salivation, lacrimation, urination, diarrhea, bronchospasm, and miosis. Treated with atropine plus pralidoxime.

CYP450 inducers

Drugs such as rifampin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and St John's wort increase hepatic enzyme activity, lowering plasma levels of co-administered substrates and reducing their effect.

G6PD deficiency

An X-linked enzyme deficiency that predisposes red blood cells to oxidative hemolysis when exposed to primaquine, sulfonamides, dapsone, or nitrofurantoin.

RA 10918

The Philippine Pharmacy Act of 2016, which repealed RA 5921. It governs pharmacy education, licensure, and practice, and defines the scope of the pharmacist's role.

PRC licensure renewal

Pharmacist licenses are renewed every three years with the Professional Regulation Commission. Continuing professional development units are required for renewal under PRC rules.

Board of Pharmacy powers

The Board administers the licensure examination and may suspend or revoke a license for unprofessional conduct, gross negligence, fraud, or violation of the Pharmacy Act.

Economic order quantity

EOQ = sqrt(2 x annual demand x ordering cost / holding cost per unit). It balances ordering and holding costs to minimize total inventory cost.

Pharmacist confidentiality

Patient health information must be kept confidential and disclosed only with consent or as required by law. Unauthorized disclosure is an ethical and legal violation.