Tips to Pass the Pharmacy Board Examination

Pharmacy Board Exam is an exam that must not to play with but to seriously take in, because of the difficulty and strangeness of questions that can be found and made everything under the sun. There are 6 subjects to be taken which has been also discussed in this blog. If possible you need to pass the six subjects to pass the entire exam. By following my simple advice, you will surely pass the board exam.

1. Review, review, review! After graduating you will automatically review all your notes and what you have learned before to refresh your mind and to at least cull more information that you have not learned before. This stage will be the longest phase of your examination process.
   
   
2. Self review is more efficient than group review. Self review is better than group review because being alone can give you more concentration in your review, follow your timetable, cost-efficient time, can scan more other review materials, and can minimize possible talking, chatting, break times and other vain things that occur during group review. The best thing that group review can offer is to help one another to address difficult questions and be discussed.
   
   
3. Enroll to a Reviewer or Review Center that has the ability to support and provide you with more knowledge, hints, cues and can assist you into your review by giving you information about exam, techniques on how to shade, to manage time while taking the exam, possible questions and so on so forth, that can consequently lead you to your aim. Be sure to attend final coaching!
   
   
4. Basic Knowledge is important! What are the basics are the most significant, likewise, if you have good inkling or knowledge on basic points of the pharmacy course can guarantee you to pass the exam.
   
   
5. Do not be bossy and smarty. Knowing that almost everything is already learned is not a good news to hear by being showy and bossy among your co-examinees. Being bossy and smarty infront of the them can assimilate in their mind that you are intelligent but boastful. Do not react this way. Becoming humble and discreet is better. You might not know that when exam results come you are not in the list.
   
   
6. Try to hear others experience. Learning about them can give you clues on what to do in the exam and the twist and turn that might appear in the actual exam. 
   
   
7. Review the PACOP reviewers including the latest. Almost all questions are gathered from here, so it is likely that the questions are inside these reviewers. Concentrate more over these reviewers and as much as possible repeat them up to 10x! No more book scanning and reading anymore.
   
   
8. Be skillful in apprehending the techniques in shading, time management, given set, sitting arrangement, things to be brought, uniforms and place of exam. Be sure to be their as early as it was suggested. Know them all and be careful always in your action and work. Many examinees are being failing because of technical problems.
   
   
9. Use you time to review. Do not cram. And take at least 1-3 days of rest before exam to help you balance, concentrate and repose your mind. These can help you to win the exam.
   
   
10. Pray and seek God's mercy towards your aim. Make sure that every moment in your review you will say a little pray to guide you in your review and help you to win the exam. Some people are bringing their materials to the Quaipo Church to be blessed or any church that have blessing after the mass. Make sure that you do novenas, church visit and regularly to attend Sunday mass to show your eagerness and enthusiasm that His grace will be sent to you to pass the Pharmacy Board Exam.

Principles of Drug-Receptor Interactions

1. Drug exerts quantitative but not qualitative effect at the receptor site and can create new function.
   
   
2. Receptors have specific molecular conformation corresponding to certain kinds of drugs.
   
   
3. Forces must be present to attract and hold a drug in contact to a receptor so that a drug may exert an effect.
   
   
4. Drugs fitting the receptors may either to activate or inhibit them.
   
   
5. Not all receptors on a particular cell are needed to be occupied by a drugs to produce effect or intrinsic activity.

Types of Drugs (according to reaction with receptor)

I. Agonist is a drug that binds to receptors and mimics the effects of endogenous compounds. It has ability to initiate a biological activity 

          Characteristics of Agonist

• Affinity which is the closeness or attraction to a receptor.
• Intrinsic activity or efficacy
  
  

Mechanism of Action of Agonist

• Agonist I: The drug binds to the same receptor site as to endogenous to produce a similar or greater response.

Also

 

 

 

• Agonist II: The drug binds to the different intracellular site and enhances the response when the endogenous substance binds to the receptor site.

Legend: D     -  Drug

               R     -  Receptor

               E.S. -  Endogenous Substance

3 Types of Agonist

A) Full Agonist or Strong Agonist (Potent)

• A drug has a high intrinsic activity and does not need to occupy all the receptors to produce a maximal response or produces 100% of the maximum possible biologic response.

B) Partial or Weak Agonist

• A drug ha a low intrinsic activity and needs to occupy all the available receptor to produce a maximal response or produces less than 100% of the maximum possible biologic response no matter how high their concentration.

C) Inverse Agonist

• A drug can cause an effect opposite to that of endogenous substance.

Characteristics of Receptors

1. They are protein in nature and found at the different sites in the cell.
   
   
2. Drug must interact with the receptor to be able to produce effect.
   
   
3. The drug receptor complex is similar to the relationship between a lock-and-key theory. Drug should be structurally compatible to the receptors or vice versa.
   
   
4. A single receptor can react with a number of drugs if the drug conforms to the receptor.
   
   
5. The intensity of the drug to mediate a response must be proportional to the number of receptors occupied by the drug.
   
   
6. Drugs attached to the receptors can be classified as an agonist or antagonist. 
   
   

Types of Receptors

1. Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptors
   They are found in excitable tissues such as nerves, muscles or heart. There function is mainly to regulate the entry of ions or electrolyte in the cell. The only way to open up the channel is through binding of the drug into the receptor.
   
   
2. G- Protein Receptors
   Function is to regulate the stimulation or suppression of normal processes in the body that when a drug is bound into the receptor such as increase of heart rate, inhibition of secretion of saliva and alike are produced.
   
   
3. Intracellular Receptors
   Receptor for hormonal functional. Examples are Estrogen and Thyroxine
   
   
4. Tyrosine Kinase Receptor
   Located in the plasma membrane. Main function is for cell growth.

Receptors

Receptors are active sites found in the cell. They are macromolecules that typically made up of proteins that interact with endogenous ligand or drug to mediate an effect or action. 

Drug + Receptor = Effect

Location of Receptors

1. Surface of the cell
2. Found beneath the cell-membrane
3. Inside the cell or intracellular receptors

Mechanism of Drug Action

1. Action on the Different Enzymes

• Alteration of the activity of enzymes by activation or inhibition. Activation such as anti-epileptic drug that stimulates the production of GABA to depress the CNS. Inhibition whether it is competitive (e.g. physostigmine) or non-competitive (e.g. malathion or parathion).

2. Suppression of Gene Formation

• Very useful in anti-neoplastic drugs because drug action is suppressing the production of RNA or DNA that helps to control cancer to proliferate. Example is methotrexate that inhibits purine bases formation.

3. Inhibition of Protein Synthesis

• Importantly to the action of antibiotics against microorganisms that able to destroy their protein cell wall that protects them from being harmed.

4. Inhibition of Enzymes Catalyzed Reactions

• Known to be antimetabolite action because it inhibit the enzymes to act into the receptor resulting to no reaction process. Best example is anti-tumors and antibiotics.

5. Formation of Chelation

• The ligand usually binds to metal to induce elimination of metals or substances that are not needed by the body. Example is EDTA to lead (Pb).

6. Action on Cell Membranes

A) Alters the permeability of the cell membrane leading to leakage of cellular contain and eventually burst. Example is Nystatin against fungi.
• B) Alters the entry or exit of ions that induces a state of hyperpolariztion or hypopolarization. Examples are Calcium Channel Blockers, Digoxin and Lidocaine.

7. Action on Neurohomones (Neurotransmitters)

• Alternation of the rate of synthesis, release or the neurotransmitters action itself. Examples are carbidopa, amphitamine and propranolol.

8. Physical or Chemical Interactions

• Acts physically or chemically to the body or substances to produce action. Such as antacids that neutralize hyperacidity and Mg salts to cause osmotic cathartic.

9. Non-Specific Action

• Examples are action of general anesthetic in the body.

Classification of Drugs

1. Functional Modifiers
   They alter the normal physiologic function or processes in the human body. They act through interaction with drug molecules and cellular components such as receptor that alter the functions of the latter. Examples are analgesics that relieve pain sensation and B-blockers.
   
   
2. Replenishers
   They act to supplement the existing endogenous substances that are deficient or lacking in concentration. Examples of these are Insulin hormone, vitamin B-complex combination and electrolytes.
   
   
3. Diagnostic Agents
   The are mainly used to determine the presence or absence of a condition or disease. Examples are BaSO4, Endrophonium test (TensilonTM).
   
   
4. Chemotherapeutic Agents
   Used to kill or inhibit the growth of cells (cancer cells) that are considered foreign to the body. Examples of them are anti-infective and anti-neoplastic agents.

Top 10 Hardest Subjects in Pharmacy

When I was still a pharmacy student I was always wondering why did I took pharmacy course? Maybe of no choice at all or it did challenge me so I took this course? The answer was it came as a challenge to me to take it. Not known to many, pharmacy is a degree, which is a combination of pure memorization, analysis, calculations, applied chemistry and mathematics. Subjects are always petrified and horrified students including me. I wanted to finished them then already to end up my burden. But reminiscing now from the past, I am wondering what subjects are the moderate to most difficult I had had. So I have ranked them according to my burden and struggle before. Here it is!

10. Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics

9.   Organic Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry

8.   Microbiology and Public Health
 
7.   Pharmacognosy and Plant Chemistry and Biochemistry

6.  Compounding and Dispensing Pharmacy with     
     Incompatibilities
 
5.   Pharmaceutical Calculations 

4.   Physical Pharmacy

3.   Dosage Form and Pharmaceutics

2.   Quality Control I and II

1.   Pharmacology I and II
 

I don't know if you would agree about my ranking of subjects according to their difficulty, but this arrangement signifies to me that the most challenging part of it is the heart of pharmacy.

Important Requirements to be Qualified to Take the Board Exam for Pharmacists in the Philippines

The most requirements to be qualified as an examinee for the Board Exam for Pharmacists in the Philippines are the following:

1. Internship and Training

• Consist of two parts: the minor internship and the major internship with a total of 960 number of hours. 
• Minor Internship - Should have undergone training and internship in three areas of pharmacy, which are community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy and manufacturing pharmacy. Each area is consisted of 200hrs of internship and on-the-job training. The daily time record (DTR) must be available with the certificates of internship to signify the validity of the internship.
• Major Internship - Choosing from the three areas of pharmacy, one must be chosen as the majority to intern. The total number of hours to finish is 360hrs. Also DTR and certificates should be present as to the minor internship to be qualified

2. Finished a Degree: Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy

• This is the most important requirement to must have! Graduating from this degree means that the minor internship had been undergone. Finishing this degree means that you have the knowledge and skills that must be possessed by an examinee to practice the profession before taking the board exam and sooner when  passed the exam you will be qualified to practice pharmacy profession in the Philippines.

Philippine Pharmacists Licensure Exam Modules

The following are modules of Philippine Licensure Examination for Pharmacists. The exam is compose of 6 parts that each is referring to the different categories which the practice of pharmacists in the Philippines are associated.


MODULE 1: PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY (20%)
Under this module most of questions are gathered from:

• Inorganic Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry
  
• Organic Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry
  

MODULE 2: PHAMACOGNOSY (15%)
Under this module most of questions are gathered from:

• Plant Chemistry
  
• Biochemistry
  

MODULE 3: PRACTICE OF PHARMACY (17.5%)

Under this module most questions are gathered from:

• Compounding and Dispensing Pharmacy
  
• Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy
  
• Pharmaceutical Calculations
  

MODULE 4: PHARMACOLOGY AND PHARMACOKINETICS (15%)
Under this module most questions are gather from:

• Toxicology
  
• Incompatibilities and Adverse Drug Reactions
  

MODULE 5: PHARMACEUTICS (17.5%)
Under this module most questions are gather from:

• Manufacturing Pharmacy
  
• Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms
  
• Physical Pharmacy
  
• Jurisprudence and Ethics
  

MODULE 6: QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL (15%)
Under this module most questions are gather from:

• Microbiology and Public Health
  
• Qualitative Pharmaceutical Chemistry
  
• Drug Testing with Instrumentation
  

Dabigartan a Better Blood Thinner

Likely to be available into market in 2 to 3 years from now, Dabigartan an oral blood thinner drug has big potential to outweigh warfarin as a drug of choice for stroke. It is seen that high dose of this drug can work better than that of warfarin at preventing stroke and CVA. It is known at lower dose seems to be a good and is less to cause side effects. 

Adsorbed Tetanus Toxoid Disappearance

Have you wondered the disappearance of Adsorbed Tetanus Toxoid 1500IU ampoule in the market? I think they are hoarding it, so that when nearing to New Year's Eve, the time to celebrate the coming of another Year by firing fireworks and firecrackers that this event, for sure, many will be injured and accident, that they are needing emergency medical attention, which ATS is given as primary med together with Tetanus Toxoid as soon as possible to avoid infection and complication. They are hoarding it until the time of this event comes and sky-rocketed its price. Remember that ATS is very important that hospitals and pharmacies nearby hospital have been overstocked it to anticipate the casualties, that even if the price goes higher they will still obtain it. Or maybe another reason is that the importer of this medicine is needing a large of amount of money. Yes a good source of mine told me that the importer of this ATS is needing a large sum of money. He wants to sell it in higher cost and should be in cash. He told me also that the importer had entered an agreement with one pharmaceutical company to distribute the product alone.

Table of Sodium Chloride Equivalents, Molecular Weights, Factors and Ions

Systemic Separation of Cations Into Groups