Taiwan Pharmacist Licensing Examination cheat sheet

Bioavailability F = (AUC_oral × D_iv) / (AUC_iv × D_oral); absolute F compares to IV, relative F compares to a reference product.

Noyes–Whitney: dissolution rate ∝ (D·A/h)·(Cs − C); reducing particle size raises surface area A and dissolution rate.

First-order drug elimination: t½ = 0.693/k; after ~4–5 half-lives about 94–97% of steady state is reached.

Loading dose = (Vd × target concentration)/F; maintenance dose rate = (CL × target concentration)/F.

Higuchi release from matrix: amount released ∝ √time; zero-order release gives constant amount per unit time.

Stokes' law: sedimentation velocity ∝ d²(ρp − ρl)/η; smaller particles and higher viscosity slow settling in suspensions.

HLB 8–18 favors oil-in-water emulsifiers; HLB 3–6 favors water-in-oil emulsifiers.

Sterile filtration uses 0.22 µm pore membranes to remove bacteria; 0.45 µm is not sterilizing grade.

Ester prodrugs are hydrolyzed by esterases to release the active carboxylic acid or alcohol; amide prodrugs hydrolyze more slowly.

A chiral center requires four different substituents on one carbon; enantiomers differ in configuration, not constitution.

pKa and pH govern ionization: for a weak acid, fraction ionized rises as pH exceeds pKa (Henderson–Hasselbalch).

Bioisosteric replacement (e.g., –OH for –NH2, or –S– for –O–) preserves steric/electronic function while modifying properties.

β-Lactam antibiotics act by acylating penicillin-binding proteins; the strained β-lactam ring provides reactivity.

Michael acceptor (α,β-unsaturated carbonyl) warheads form covalent bonds with cysteine thiols in target enzymes.

Log P quantifies lipophilicity; adding a methylene group typically increases log P by about 0.5.

Aromatic hydroxylation via cytochrome P450 is a common phase I oxidation producing phenolic metabolites.

Atropine and scopolamine are tropane alkaloids from Solanaceae (Atropa belladonna, Datura); they act as muscarinic antagonists.

Morphine, codeine, and thebaine are benzylisoquinoline (opium poppy, Papaver somniferum) alkaloids.

Digoxin and digitoxin are cardiac glycosides from Digitalis species; they inhibit Na+/K+-ATPase.

Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone from Artemisia annua, contains an endoperoxide bridge essential for antimalarial activity.

Ginkgo biloba leaf extracts contain terpene lactones (ginkgolides) and flavonoid glycosides; ginkgolic acids are restricted allergens.

Ginsenosides are triterpene saponins from Panax ginseng; saponins form persistent foams in aqueous solution.

Alkaloid bases are extracted into organic solvent from alkaline aqueous phase; salts partition into acidic aqueous phase.

Taxol (paclitaxel) is a diterpenoid from Taxus species that stabilizes microtubules and blocks mitotic spindle disassembly.

Competitive antagonists shift the agonist dose–response curve rightward without lowering maximal response; noncompetitive antagonists reduce Emax.

EC50 is the agonist concentration producing half-maximal effect; lower EC50 indicates higher potency.

Therapeutic index = TD50/ED50; a narrow index (e.g., digoxin, warfarin, lithium) demands monitoring.

G protein–coupled receptors signal via Gs (↑cAMP), Gi (↓cAMP), or Gq (↑IP3/DAG, ↑Ca2+).

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (neostigmine, donepezil) raise synaptic acetylcholine; organophosphates cause cholinergic crisis.

Opioids act at µ-receptors; naloxone is a competitive antagonist used for opioid overdose.

Loop diuretics inhibit NKCC2 in the thick ascending limb, producing the greatest natriuresis among diuretics.

First-pass hepatic metabolism reduces oral bioavailability of drugs such as nitroglycerin and lidocaine.

Beer–Lambert law: A = εbc; absorbance is linear with concentration only within the validated linear range.

In HPLC, retention factor k = (tR − t0)/t0; resolution Rs = 2(tR2 − tR1)/(w1 + w2), with Rs ≥ 2 desired.

Reverse-phase HPLC uses a nonpolar stationary phase (C18) with polar mobile phases; more polar analytes elute earlier.

Method validation per ICH Q2(R1) includes accuracy, precision, specificity, linearity, range, and detection/quantitation limits.

LOD ≈ 3.3σ/S and LOQ ≈ 10σ/S, where σ is the standard deviation of response and S the calibration slope.

Karl Fischer titration measures water content; it is specific for moisture, unlike loss-on-drying.

Potentiometric titration endpoints are located from the maximum slope of the ΔE/ΔV versus V plot.

System suitability acceptance commonly requires tailing factor ≤ 2.0 and %RSD of replicate injections ≤ 2.0%.

Therapeutic drug monitoring is indicated for drugs with narrow therapeutic index and good concentration–effect correlation (vancomycin, digoxin, lithium, phenytoin).

Trough levels are drawn just before the next dose; peak levels are timed per drug (e.g., vancomycin peak 1–2 h after infusion end).

Cockcroft–Gault: CrCl (mL/min) = [(140 − age) × weight]/(72 × SCr), ×0.85 for females.

Renal dose adjustment follows measured or estimated CrCl; hepatic adjustment relies on Child–Pugh classification.

CYP3A4 inhibitors (ketoconazole, clarithromycin, grapefruit) raise levels of CYP3A4 substrates such as simvastatin and tacrolimus.

Warfarin effect is monitored by INR; target is typically 2.0–3.0 for most indications and 2.5–3.5 for mechanical mitral valves.

Medication reconciliation at transitions of care reduces discrepancies; the best possible medication history precedes prescribing.

Adverse drug reaction reporting uses the Naranjo scale to estimate probability (definite, probable, possible, doubtful).

Prescription-only medicines require a lawful prescriber order; pharmacist verification precedes dispensing.

Controlled substances are scheduled by abuse potential and medical use; higher schedule numbers indicate lower abuse potential in the US system.

Pharmacists have a duty to counsel patients on new prescriptions and to exercise corresponding responsibility when verifying orders.

Narcotic prescriptions require accurate quantity, date, and prescriber identifiers; alterations must be verified with the prescriber.

Good Manufacturing Practice requires validated processes, batch records, and stability data supporting labeled expiry dating.

Pharmacovigilance systems collect spontaneous reports; serious unexpected reactions are reported to regulators within defined timelines.

Patient records must be kept confidential; disclosure generally requires patient consent or a legal mandate.

Expired or recalled products are quarantined and segregated from dispensable stock until disposition.

Community-acquired pneumonia: assess severity (CURB-65) to decide outpatient versus inpatient antibiotic therapy.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction improves with ARNI/ACEi, β-blocker, MRA, and SGLT2 inhibitor therapy.

Type 2 diabetes first-line therapy is metformin unless contraindicated; SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 agonists are preferred with cardiovascular or renal disease.

Asthma step therapy escalates from as-needed SABA plus low-dose ICS; ICS-formoterol is preferred reliever in some guidelines.

Warfarin is reversed with vitamin K and prothrombin complex concentrate for major bleeding; heparin with protamine.

Dispensing checks: right patient, drug, dose, route, time, and documentation; verify allergies and interactions before release.

Antibiotic de-escalation uses culture and susceptibility results to narrow spectrum and reduce resistance.

Hypertension first-line agents include thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors/ARBs, and calcium channel blockers; ACEi plus ARB combination is avoided.