Pharmacy Technician exam questions
3 exam-length papers built to the published Pharmacy Technician blueprint.
DHA PHT5451Pass 55%3 papers · 460 Qs
What is riding on this exam
~AED 880
Exam fee, per attempt
Published by DHA. Paid again on every re-sit.
3
Attempts - in total
The cap is three across all UAE authorities, not three each.
55%
Pass mark
Pass or fail only. Your score is never released.
One failed attempt costs you the fee again, plus months of delay on your licence, your visa and your start date. This bank costs about a 4th of one exam fee.
Try two questions from this bank
Real questions from the bank - pick an answer to see the rationale and reference.
Q1Patient Safety, Professionalism, Ethics, Infection Control and Scope of Practice
A prescription reads 'Furosemide 40 mg PO once daily in the morning'. The technician's label draft states 'Take one tablet by mouth every night at bedtime'. Which of the medication rights has been compromised by the label?
Choose an answer to see the rationale.
Q2Inventory Management, Procurement, Storage and Supply Chain
A private hospital pharmacy in the UAE needs to obtain a narcotic analgesic. Which statement correctly reflects the regulatory route?
Choose an answer to see the rationale.
Not sure where you stand? Sit 25 of these questions free, timed at real exam pace, and see which domains you are weakest in.
Take the free mock exam →Liked those? The full bank has 460 questions at this standard - every one with a rationale and a reference.
Get the full bank - AED 249What's inside
- ✓3 full-length papers (~150 Q each)
- ✓460 questions, no overlap between papers
- ✓Four options, one unambiguous best answer
- ✓A full rationale on every question
- ✓A real guideline or textbook reference
- ✓Every sub-topic in the published blueprint
Exam route by authority
| Authority | Delivered by | Specialist title |
|---|---|---|
| DHA - Dubai | Prometric | Computer-based MCQ |
| DOH - Abu Dhabi | Pearson VUE | Computer-based MCQ |
| MOHAP - Northern Emirates | Prometric | Computer-based MCQ |
| SCFHS - Saudi Arabia | Prometric / Pearson | Computer-based MCQ |
| QCHP - Qatar | Prometric | Computer-based MCQ |
| NHRA - Bahrain | Prometric | Computer-based MCQ |
| OMSB - Oman | Prometric | MCQ then oral viva |
Assessment mode depends on your licence title as well as your profession. Confirm your own route on your Sheryan / TAMM eligibility notice.
What the Pharmacy Technician exam covers
The published blueprint for this exam breaks into 13 domains and 230 testable sub-topics. Our bank covers every one of them - here is the full map, so you can see exactly what you are expected to know.
Pharmacology and Drug Classifications for Technicians~10% (est.)18 topics
- Basic pharmacodynamics: agonist vs antagonist, receptor binding, efficacy, potency, dose-response, therapeutic index
- Basic pharmacokinetics: absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion; first-pass effect; half-life; steady state; bioavailability
- Routes of administration and onset of action: oral, sublingual, buccal, rectal, topical, transdermal, inhalational, ophthalmic, otic, nasal, IM, SC, IV, intrathecal
- Cardiovascular agents: antihypertensives (ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, thiazide and loop diuretics), nitrates, statins, digoxin
- Anticoagulants, antiplatelets and thrombolytics: warfarin, heparin/LMWH, DOACs, aspirin, clopidogrel; INR monitoring concepts and reversal agents
- Antidiabetic agents: insulin types and onset/peak/duration, metformin, sulfonylureas, DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors; hypoglycaemia recognition
- +12 more in the bank
Top Medications, Brand-Generic Recognition and Therapeutic Equivalence~8% (est.)17 topics
- Top 200-300 dispensed medications: generic name, brand name, primary indication and usual strength
- Brand-to-generic and generic-to-brand matching for GCC-marketed products and common regional trade names
- Recognising drug name stems and suffixes: -pril, -sartan, -olol, -statin, -azole, -cillin, -mycin, -prazole, -tidine, -pam, -triptan, -vir, -mab, -nib
- Look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) drug pairs and Tall Man lettering conventions
- Therapeutic equivalence, bioequivalence and generic substitution rules; narrow therapeutic index drugs excluded from substitution
- Biosimilars vs generics: interchangeability, naming and substitution restrictions
- +11 more in the bank
Pharmaceutical Calculations and Dosage Computation~11% (est.)18 topics
- Roman numerals, metric system, apothecary and household measure conversions
- Weight, volume and temperature conversions including Celsius-Fahrenheit and kg-lb conversion
- Ratio, proportion and dimensional analysis method for dose calculation
- Calculating quantity to dispense and days' supply from a prescription sig
- Paediatric dosing by body weight (mg/kg) and by body surface area (BSA); Clark's and Young's rules
- Percentage strength calculations: w/w, w/v, v/v; converting percentage to mg/mL
- +12 more in the bank
Prescription Processing, Order Entry, Interpretation and Dispensing~11% (est.)18 topics
- Mandatory elements of a legally valid prescription in the GCC: patient identifiers, prescriber name and licence number, date, drug, strength, quantity, directions, signature
- Reading and translating prescription abbreviations and Latin sig codes: bid, tid, qid, qhs, prn, po, ac, pc, gtt, ou/od/os, au/ad/as, npo, stat
- The ISMP 'do not use' abbreviation list: U, IU, QD, QOD, trailing zero, naked decimal point, MS/MSO4/MgSO4, µg
- Prescription intake and triage: verifying patient identity, allergies, weight, insurance and duplicate therapy
- Data entry into the pharmacy information system: drug selection, directions coding, prescriber and patient record accuracy
- Third-party billing and reimbursement: insurance eligibility, DAMAN/Thiqa/other GCC payer basics, prior authorisation, formulary and tier restrictions, rejection codes
- +12 more in the bank
Non-Sterile Compounding and Extemporaneous Preparation~6% (est.)17 topics
- USP <795> principles for non-sterile compounding; simple, moderate and complex compounding categories
- Compounding area design, cleaning, segregation from dispensing, and required documentation
- Equipment: class A/electronic balance, weights, mortar and pestle (glass, Wedgwood, porcelain), graduates, spatulas, ointment slab, ointment mill
- Correct weighing and measuring technique: minimum weighable quantity, meniscus reading, selection of the correct graduate size
- Trituration, levigation, geometric dilution, spatulation, pulverisation by intervention and fusion
- Preparation of ointments, creams, gels, pastes and suppositories; oleaginous, absorption, water-removable and water-soluble bases
- +11 more in the bank
Sterile Compounding, Aseptic Technique and IV Admixture~8% (est.)18 topics
- USP <797> principles; risk levels (low, medium, high) and immediate-use compounding criteria
- Cleanroom design: ISO class 5/7/8 areas, anteroom vs buffer room, pressure differentials, air changes per hour
- Primary engineering controls: laminar airflow workbench (horizontal/vertical), biological safety cabinet, compounding aseptic isolator, first air principle
- Garbing and hand hygiene sequence for the sterile compounding area, and the order of doffing
- Aseptic technique: critical site protection, no hand-blocking of first air, 70% isopropyl alcohol disinfection of vials, ampoules and ports
- Working with vials: coring prevention, venting, positive/negative pressure technique, reconstitution
- +12 more in the bank
Dosage Forms, Formulation Science and Drug Delivery Devices~4% (est.)17 topics
- Solid oral dosage forms: tablets, caplets, capsules, chewables, lozenges, sublingual and buccal tablets
- Modified-release technologies: enteric coating, matrix, osmotic pump, and why these must not be crushed or split
- Liquid dosage forms: solutions, syrups, elixirs, tinctures, suspensions, emulsions; shake-well requirements
- Semi-solid dosage forms: ointments, creams, gels, lotions, pastes; occlusive vs non-occlusive bases
- Transdermal patches: application, rotation, removal of old patch, disposal, heat exposure warning
- Ophthalmic, otic and nasal preparations: sterility requirements, instillation technique, in-use expiry after opening
- +11 more in the bank
Inventory Management, Procurement, Storage and Supply Chain~7% (est.)18 topics
- Formulary systems: open, closed and managed formulary; therapeutic interchange protocols
- Purchasing models: direct from manufacturer, wholesaler, prime vendor, group purchasing; just-in-time ordering
- Par levels, reorder points, economic order quantity, minimum/maximum stock and safety stock
- Receiving goods: verifying invoice against purchase order, checking quantity, batch number, expiry, damage and cold-chain indicators
- Stock rotation principles: FEFO (first expired first out) and FIFO; shelf-life monitoring
- Expiry date management: short-dated stock reports, quarantine of expired products, credit and return-to-supplier process
- +12 more in the bank
Pharmacy Law, Regulation and Controlled Substances (GCC and International)~8% (est.)18 topics
- Licensing and registration of pharmacy technicians in the GCC: DHA, DOH Abu Dhabi, MOHAP, SCFHS, QCHP, NHRA, OMSB requirements and eligibility
- Scope of practice boundaries: tasks a technician may perform vs tasks reserved to the licensed pharmacist (final verification, clinical counselling, therapeutic decisions)
- UAE Federal Law on pharmaceutical practice and pharmaceutical establishments; MOHAP drug registration and pricing rules
- Saudi legislation: Law of Practising Healthcare Professions, SFDA drug registration and the SCFHS professional classification framework
- Drug scheduling in the UAE and GCC: controlled (narcotic), semi-controlled (psychotropic), prescription-only, pharmacy-only and general sale medicines
- Controlled and narcotic prescription requirements: special prescription forms, prescriber authorisation, validity period, maximum quantity, no refills, patient ID
- +12 more in the bank
Patient Safety, Professionalism, Ethics, Infection Control and Scope of Practice~10% (est.)19 topics
- The rights of medication administration (right patient, drug, dose, route, time, documentation, reason, response) applied to dispensing
- Medication error taxonomy: prescribing, transcribing, dispensing and administration errors; near miss vs actual error vs sentinel event
- High-alert medications and required safeguards: independent double checks, standard concentrations, removal of concentrated electrolytes from ward stock
- Look-alike/sound-alike error prevention: Tall Man lettering, physical separation, shelf labelling, barcode scanning
- Error reporting culture: incident reporting systems, non-punitive/just culture, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions
- Failure mode and effects analysis and other proactive risk assessment tools used in pharmacy quality assurance
- +13 more in the bank
Over-the-Counter Products, Self-Care and Patient Interaction~6% (est.)18 topics
- Scope and limits of technician involvement in OTC sales; mandatory referral triggers to the pharmacist
- Red-flag symptoms requiring referral to a pharmacist or physician (chest pain, severe or persistent symptoms, symptoms in infants, pregnancy, unexplained weight loss, blood in stool or vomit)
- Analgesics and antipyretics: paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin; maximum daily doses, paediatric dosing, hepatotoxicity and GI risk
- Cough, cold and allergy products: antihistamines (sedating vs non-sedating), decongestants, expectorants, antitussives; hypertension and paediatric age restrictions
- Gastrointestinal self-care: antacids, alginates, H2 antagonists, OTC PPIs, laxatives, antidiarrhoeals, oral rehydration salts, antiemetics
- Dermatological products: emollients, topical corticosteroid potency, antifungals, antiseptics, acne treatments, scabies and lice treatment
- +12 more in the bank
Hospital and Institutional Pharmacy Practice, Automation and Informatics~6% (est.)17 topics
- Hospital pharmacy organisation: inpatient dispensary, satellite pharmacies, IV admixture unit, oncology unit, outpatient/discharge pharmacy
- Medication distribution systems: unit-dose, ward stock/floor stock, imprest, patient-specific cassette exchange, robotic dispensing
- Automated dispensing cabinets: profiled vs non-profiled use, override management, restocking accuracy checks, discrepancy resolution
- Barcode medication administration and barcode-assisted dispensing verification at the point of preparation
- Pharmacy information systems and electronic health records: order entry, allergy fields, interaction alerting and alert fatigue
- Computerised prescriber order entry and clinical decision support; the technician's role in resolving flagged orders
- +11 more in the bank
Drug Information, Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Event Reporting~5% (est.)17 topics
- Primary, secondary and tertiary drug information resources and when each is appropriate
- Key tertiary references: British National Formulary, Martindale, Micromedex, Lexicomp, AHFS, USP-NF, Trissel's Handbook on Injectable Drugs
- Regional and authority resources: SFDA drug list, UAE MOHAP drug registration and price list, GCC unified drug lists
- Formulating and triaging a drug information request; what a technician may answer and what must be referred to the pharmacist
- Using package inserts and summaries of product characteristics to find storage, reconstitution and stability data
- Interpreting drug interaction and compatibility charts, including IV compatibility tables
- +11 more in the bank
Before you book your exam
Pharmacy Technician licensing in the GCC
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