Taiwan Pharmacist Licensing Examination flashcards

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

Bioavailability definition

The fraction of an administered dose reaching systemic circulation unchanged; absolute bioavailability compares oral to intravenous AUC, adjusted for dose.

Zero-order release kinetics

Drug is released at a constant rate independent of concentration, giving a linear cumulative-release-versus-time plot; common in osmotic and reservoir systems.

HLB scale meaning

A numerical scale from 0 to 20 describing surfactant balance; low values (3–6) favor water-in-oil emulsions and high values (8–18) favor oil-in-water.

Loading dose formula

Loading dose equals volume of distribution times target plasma concentration divided by bioavailability; it rapidly achieves therapeutic concentrations before maintenance dosing begins.

Enantiomers versus diastereomers

Enantiomers are non-superimposable mirror images with identical physical properties in achiral media; diastereomers are stereoisomers that are not mirror images and differ physically.

Prodrug rationale

A pharmacologically inactive derivative converted in vivo to active drug, used to improve absorption, stability, or targeting; ester prodrugs are hydrolyzed by esterases.

Log P definition

The logarithm of the octanol-water partition coefficient, measuring lipophilicity; higher log P indicates greater membrane permeability but can reduce aqueous solubility.

Bioisostere definition

A group with similar size and electronic properties replacing another in a molecule to retain activity while modifying metabolism, solubility, or toxicity.

Tropane alkaloid source

Atropine and scopolamine occur in Solanaceae such as Atropa belladonna and Datura species; they are muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists used for antispasmodic effects.

Artemisinin structural feature

A sesquiterpene lactone from Artemisia annua whose endoperoxide bridge is required for antimalarial activity, likely via radical generation in the parasite.

Cardiac glycoside mechanism

Digoxin and digitoxin from Digitalis inhibit sodium-potassium ATPase, raising intracellular sodium and calcium, increasing cardiac contractility while slowing conduction.

Alkaloid salt extraction

Alkaloid bases partition into organic solvents from alkaline aqueous media; converting to salts with acid shifts them into the aqueous phase for separation.

Competitive antagonism effect

A reversible antagonist competes with agonist for the same site, shifting the dose-response curve right without reducing maximal response at sufficiently high agonist concentrations.

Therapeutic index

The ratio of median toxic dose to median effective dose; a small index indicates narrow safety margin and warrants therapeutic drug monitoring.

Gq receptor signaling

Gq-coupled receptors activate phospholipase C, generating inositol trisphosphate and diacylglycerol, which raise intracellular calcium and activate protein kinase C.

Naloxone mechanism

A competitive opioid receptor antagonist with high affinity for mu receptors, used to reverse respiratory depression in opioid overdose, often requiring repeat dosing.

Beer-Lambert law

Absorbance equals molar absorptivity times path length times concentration; the relationship is linear only within a validated concentration range and at appropriate wavelength.

HPLC resolution formula

Resolution equals twice the difference in retention times of two peaks divided by the sum of their baseline widths; values of 2 or more indicate adequate separation.

ICH method validation parameters

Required validation characteristics include accuracy, precision, specificity, linearity, range, detection limit, quantitation limit, robustness, and system suitability as applicable.

Karl Fischer titration

A water-specific titrimetric method based on iodine-sulfur dioxide reaction in anhydrous solvent, used to quantify moisture content in pharmaceuticals.

Cockcroft-Gault equation

Estimates creatinine clearance as (140 minus age) times weight divided by 72 times serum creatinine, multiplied by 0.85 for female patients.

Therapeutic drug monitoring indication

Measurement of plasma drug concentrations for drugs with narrow therapeutic index, established concentration-effect relationships, and unpredictable pharmacokinetics such as vancomycin or lithium.

CYP3A4 inhibition consequence

Inhibitors such as ketoconazole or clarithromycin reduce metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates, raising their concentrations and increasing toxicity risk for drugs like simvastatin.

Naranjo scale purpose

A standardized questionnaire scoring temporal relationship, dechallenge, rechallenge, and alternatives to categorize the probability that a drug caused an adverse reaction.

Corresponding responsibility

The pharmacist's legal duty to verify that a controlled substance prescription serves a legitimate medical purpose before dispensing it.

GMP batch record function

Contemporaneous documentation of manufacturing steps, materials, and testing that enables traceability and confirms each batch meets specification before release.

Pharmacovigilance definition

The science of detecting, assessing, and preventing adverse effects of medicines, relying on spontaneous reports and periodic safety updates to regulators.

Expired stock handling

Expired or recalled medicines are quarantined and clearly segregated from active stock until return, destruction, or regulatory disposition is documented.

CURB-65 score use

A pneumonia severity score based on confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age 65 or older, guiding outpatient versus inpatient treatment decisions.

Heart failure quadruple therapy

For reduced ejection fraction, ARNI or ACE inhibitor, evidence-based beta-blocker, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, and SGLT2 inhibitor improve mortality and hospitalizations.

Warfarin reversal agents

Vitamin K plus prothrombin complex concentrate reverses major warfarin bleeding by restoring functional clotting factors; fresh frozen plasma is an alternative.

Six rights of dispensing

Verification of right patient, drug, dose, route, time, and documentation, plus allergy and interaction checks, before releasing a dispensed medicine.