Pharmacy is a field of study that involves the preparation and dispensing of medications. In the first year of D Pharmacy, students are introduced to various subjects that form the foundation of their pharmaceutical knowledge.
D Pharmaceutics 2018 – Questions and Answers
Question: What is the primary objective of dosage form design?
Answer: The primary objective of dosage form design is to ensure the proper delivery of drugs to the site of action in a safe and effective manner.
Question: Define bioavailability.
Answer: Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a drug that enters the systemic circulation and is available at the site of action.
Question: Explain the term ‘pharmacokinetics’.
Answer: Pharmacokinetics is the study of how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body.
Question: What are the types of tablets used in pharmaceuticals?
Answer: Common types of tablets include compressed tablets, sugar-coated tablets, film-coated tablets, and enteric-coated tablets.
Question: Describe the process of granulation.
Answer: Granulation is the process of forming granules by combining powders with binding agents to enhance flowability and compressibility in tablet production.
Question: What is the difference between ointment and cream?
Answer: Ointments are oil-based, thicker, and greasier, while creams are water-based and have a lighter texture.
Question: Name different routes of drug administration.
Answer: Common routes of drug administration include oral, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, and topical.
Question: What are excipients, and why are they used?
Answer: Excipients are inactive substances used in drug formulations to aid in the manufacturing process and improve drug stability, efficacy, and delivery.
Question: Define first-pass metabolism.
Answer: First-pass metabolism refers to the metabolism of a drug before it reaches the systemic circulation, usually occurring in the liver.
Question: What is the importance of pH in drug formulation?
Answer: pH is important in drug formulation because it affects the solubility and stability of the drug, influencing its absorption and efficacy.
Question: Explain the difference between a solution and a suspension.
Answer: A solution is a homogeneous mixture where the solute is completely dissolved, while a suspension contains undissolved particles dispersed in a liquid.
Question: What is a suppository, and when is it used?
Answer: A suppository is a solid dosage form intended for insertion into the rectum, vagina, or urethra, where it dissolves or melts to exert its effects.
Question: Define the term ‘half-life’ in pharmacokinetics.
Answer: Half-life is the time taken for the concentration of a drug in the bloodstream to reduce by half.
Question: What are sustained-release formulations?
Answer: Sustained-release formulations are designed to release the active ingredient slowly over time, providing prolonged therapeutic effects.
Question: Name a common preservative used in liquid formulations.
Answer: Benzalkonium chloride is a common preservative used in liquid pharmaceutical formulations.
Question: What is the role of a buffer in drug formulations?
Answer: Buffers help to maintain the pH of a drug formulation, ensuring stability and effectiveness.
Question: Describe the term ‘dose-response relationship’.
Answer: The dose-response relationship is the correlation between the dose of a drug and the magnitude of its therapeutic effect.
Question: Explain the importance of isotonicity in injections.
Answer: Isotonicity ensures that injections do not cause irritation or damage to tissues by matching the osmotic pressure of body fluids.
Question: What is the difference between an emulsion and a suspension?
Answer: An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible liquids, while a suspension is a liquid containing solid particles dispersed within it.
Pharmaceutical Chemistry – Questions and Answers
Question: What is the role of analytical chemistry in pharmacy?
Answer: Analytical chemistry is used to identify, quantify, and purify pharmaceutical compounds, ensuring their safety and efficacy.
Question: Define acid and base according to the Bronsted-Lowry theory.
Answer: According to the Bronsted-Lowry theory, an acid is a proton donor, and a base is a proton acceptor.
Question: What is a buffer solution?
Answer: A buffer solution resists changes in pH when small amounts of an acid or a base are added.
Question: Explain the principle of UV-Visible spectroscopy.
Answer: UV-Visible spectroscopy is based on the absorption of ultraviolet or visible light by molecules, which causes electronic transitions within the molecules.
Question: What is chromatography, and why is it used?
Answer: Chromatography is a technique used to separate and analyze mixtures of compounds based on their interactions with a stationary phase and a mobile phase.
Question: Define ‘enthalpy’.
Answer: Enthalpy is the total heat content of a system, reflecting the energy required to form or break chemical bonds during a reaction.
Question: What is the purpose of a titration in pharmaceutical analysis?
Answer: Titration is used to determine the concentration of a solution by reacting it with a known quantity of a reagent.
Question: Describe the difference between qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Answer: Qualitative analysis identifies the components of a substance, while quantitative analysis measures the amount of each component.
Question: What is a reagent?
Answer: A reagent is a substance used in a chemical reaction to detect, measure, or synthesize other substances.
Question: Explain the term ‘molecular weight’.
Answer: Molecular weight is the sum of the atomic weights of all atoms in a molecule.
Question: What is the principle of IR spectroscopy?
Answer: IR spectroscopy measures the absorption of infrared radiation by molecules, which causes vibrations in chemical bonds, helping to identify functional groups.
Question: What are organic compounds?
Answer: Organic compounds are chemical compounds that contain carbon, typically bonded to hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, or other elements.
Question: Define oxidation and reduction reactions.
Answer: Oxidation is the loss of electrons, while reduction is the gain of electrons during a chemical reaction.
Question: What is a functional group in organic chemistry?
Answer: A functional group is a specific group of atoms within a molecule that determines its chemical behavior.
Question: Name a common solvent used in pharmaceutical synthesis.
Answer: Ethanol is a common solvent used in pharmaceutical synthesis.
Question: What is a catalyst, and how does it work?
Answer: A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed by lowering the activation energy.
Question: Explain the importance of pH in pharmaceutical chemistry.
Answer: pH affects the solubility, stability, and reactivity of drugs, making it critical in drug formulation and analysis.
Question: What are enantiomers?
Answer: Enantiomers are a pair of molecules that are mirror images of each other and have different effects in biological systems.
Question: Define ‘stereochemistry’.
Answer: Stereochemistry is the study of the spatial arrangement of atoms within molecules and how this affects their chemical behavior.
Question: What is an electrolyte?
Answer: An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved in water or melted, due to the presence of ions.
Pharmacology – Questions and Answers
Question: What is pharmacology?
Answer: Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on living organisms.
Question: Define the term ‘agonist’.
Answer: An agonist is a substance that binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a biological response.
Question: What is a receptor?
Answer: A receptor is a protein on the surface of or inside a cell that binds to specific molecules, triggering a biological effect.
Question: Explain the difference between a competitive and non-competitive inhibitor.
Answer: A competitive inhibitor binds to the active site of a receptor, blocking the agonist, while a non-competitive inhibitor binds to a different site, altering the receptor’s function.
Question: What is the therapeutic index of a drug?
Answer: The therapeutic index is the ratio of a drug’s toxic dose to its effective dose, indicating its safety margin.
Question: Define adverse drug reaction (ADR).
Answer: An adverse drug reaction is an unwanted or harmful effect experienced after the administration of a drug under normal conditions.
Question: What are antipyretic drugs?
Answer: Antipyretic drugs are medications used to reduce fever.
Question: What is drug tolerance?
Answer: Drug tolerance occurs when a person requires a higher dose of a drug to achieve the same therapeutic effect due to repeated use.
Question: Explain the term ‘pharmacodynamics’.
Answer: Pharmacodynamics is the study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.
Question: What is an antagonist?
Answer: An antagonist is a substance that binds to a receptor but does not activate it, thus blocking the action of an agonist.
Question: Define bioequivalence.
Answer: Bioequivalence refers to the comparison between two pharmaceutical products, showing they have similar bioavailability and therapeutic effects.
Question: What is pharmacovigilance?
Answer: Pharmacovigilance is the process of monitoring and assessing the safety of drugs after they have been released on the market.
Question: Explain the term ‘first-pass effect’.
Answer: The first-pass effect is the process by which a drug is metabolized in the liver before it reaches systemic circulation, reducing its bioavailability.
Question: What are anticholinergic drugs?
Answer: Anticholinergic drugs are substances that block the action of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in the transmission of nerve impulses.
Question: Define therapeutic window.
Answer: The therapeutic window is the range of drug concentrations in the blood between the minimum effective concentration and the toxic concentration.
Question: What is drug metabolism?
Answer: Drug metabolism is the chemical alteration of a drug in the body, usually carried out by enzymes in the liver.
Question: Explain the difference between systemic and local drug action.
Answer: Systemic drug action occurs throughout the body after the drug enters the bloodstream, whereas local drug action is restricted to the site of application.
Question: What are prodrugs?
Answer: Prodrugs are inactive compounds that are metabolized in the body to become active drugs.
Question: Define ‘half-life’ in pharmacology.
Answer: In pharmacology, half-life is the time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the bloodstream to decrease by half.
Question: What is drug clearance?
Answer: Drug clearance is the rate at which a drug is removed from the body, typically measured in volume per unit time.
Question: Explain the difference between bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics.
Answer: Bactericidal antibiotics kill bacteria, while bacteriostatic antibiotics inhibit bacterial growth.
Question: What are NSAIDs, and what are they used for?
Answer: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medications used to reduce pain, inflammation, and fever.
Question: What is drug desensitization?
Answer: Drug desensitization refers to a reduced response to a drug after repeated use.
Question: Define the term ‘idiosyncratic reaction’.
Answer: An idiosyncratic reaction is an unusual or abnormal response to a drug that is not related to the dose.
Question: What is the role of cytochrome P450 enzymes in drug metabolism?
Answer: Cytochrome P450 enzymes are responsible for the oxidation of drugs, making them more water-soluble for excretion.
Question: Explain the concept of synergism in pharmacology.
Answer: Synergism occurs when the combined effect of two drugs is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
Question: What are the side effects of opioid drugs?
Answer: Common side effects of opioid drugs include drowsiness, constipation, nausea, and respiratory depression.
Question: What is the difference between acute and chronic toxicity?
Answer: Acute toxicity occurs after a single exposure to a toxic substance, while chronic toxicity results from repeated exposures over a long period.
Pharmaceutical Chemistry – Questions and Answers
Question: What is a pharmaceutical excipient?
Answer: A pharmaceutical excipient is an inactive substance used in drug formulation to provide stability, bulk, or other characteristics to the dosage form.
Question: Explain the principle of HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography).
Answer: HPLC separates compounds in a mixture by passing them through a column under high pressure, allowing for the identification and quantification of individual components.
Question: What is a solvent in chemistry?
Answer: A solvent is a liquid in which solutes are dissolved to form a solution.
Question: Define ‘molarity’.
Answer: Molarity is the concentration of a solution, expressed as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.
Question: What is the significance of the pH scale in pharmaceuticals?
Answer: The pH scale is important in pharmaceuticals because it affects drug stability, solubility, and absorption in the body.
Question: What is a chelating agent?
Answer: A chelating agent is a compound that forms complexes with metal ions, preventing them from participating in chemical reactions.
Question: Describe the process of crystallization.
Answer: Crystallization is the process of forming solid crystals from a solution or melt, often used to purify substances in pharmaceutical production.
Question: Explain the difference between a covalent bond and an ionic bond.
Answer: A covalent bond involves the sharing of electrons between atoms, while an ionic bond involves the transfer of electrons from one atom to another.
Question: What is the role of catalysts in chemical reactions?
Answer: Catalysts speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy without being consumed in the process.
Question: Define ‘isomerism’.
Answer: Isomerism occurs when two or more compounds have the same molecular formula but different structures, resulting in different chemical properties.
Question: What is the significance of stereochemistry in pharmaceuticals?
Answer: Stereochemistry is important in pharmaceuticals because the 3D arrangement of atoms in a drug molecule can affect its biological activity and interaction with receptors.
Question: Explain the difference between a primary and secondary amine.
Answer: A primary amine has one alkyl or aryl group attached to the nitrogen atom, while a secondary amine has two such groups.
Question: What is the purpose of a titration in pharmaceutical analysis?
Answer: Titration is used to determine the concentration of a solution by adding a reagent of known concentration until a reaction is complete.
Question: Define the term ‘electrophile’.
Answer: An electrophile is a species that accepts an electron pair during a chemical reaction, often reacting with nucleophiles.
Question: What is the importance of molecular weight in drug formulation?
Answer: Molecular weight affects the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug, influencing its absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
Question: Describe the difference between polar and non-polar molecules.
Answer: Polar molecules have an uneven distribution of electron density, leading to partial charges, while non-polar molecules have an even distribution of electrons.
Question: What is an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction?
Answer: A redox reaction is a chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred between molecules, involving oxidation (loss of electrons) and reduction (gain of electrons).
Question: Explain the concept of the ‘activation energy’ in a chemical reaction.
Answer: Activation energy is the minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur, allowing reactants to reach the transition state.
Question: What is a free radical in chemistry?
Answer: A free radical is a highly reactive molecule with an unpaired electron, often involved in oxidation reactions.
Question: Define the term ‘nucleophile’.
Answer: A nucleophile is a species that donates an electron pair to form a chemical bond, typically reacting with electrophiles.
Pharmaceutics – Questions and Answers
Question: What is the role of preservatives in pharmaceutical formulations?
Answer: Preservatives prevent microbial growth and contamination in pharmaceutical formulations, ensuring the safety and stability of the product.
Question: Define the term ‘bioavailability’.
Answer: Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation and is available at the site of action.
Question: What is a sustained-release dosage form?
Answer: A sustained-release dosage form releases the active ingredient slowly over time, providing prolonged therapeutic effects.
Question: Describe the process of emulsification.
Answer: Emulsification is the process of mixing two immiscible liquids (e.g., oil and water) to form a stable emulsion, often used in creams and lotions.
Question: What is the importance of isotonicity in injections?
Answer: Isotonicity ensures that injections do not cause irritation or damage to tissues by matching the osmotic pressure of body fluids.
Question: What is the difference between ointments and creams?
Answer: Ointments are thicker and greasier, used for occlusive effects, while creams are lighter and water-based, suitable for non-greasy applications.
Question: Define ‘granulation’ in tablet production.
Answer: Granulation is the process of forming granules by combining powders with a binding agent, improving flowability and compressibility for tablet production.
Question: What is a transdermal patch?
Answer: A transdermal patch is a medicated adhesive patch applied to the skin, allowing drugs to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
Question: Explain the difference between enteric-coated and film-coated tablets.
Answer: Enteric-coated tablets have a coating that prevents dissolution in the stomach, while film-coated tablets have a thin protective layer to improve stability and appearance.
Question: What is the significance of drug solubility in formulation?
Answer: Drug solubility affects the rate and extent of drug absorption, influencing its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy.
Question: Define the term ‘suppository’.
Answer: A suppository is a solid dosage form designed for insertion into the rectum, vagina, or urethra, where it dissolves or melts to exert its effects.
Question: What is the purpose of coating tablets?
Answer: Tablet coating improves the appearance, taste, and stability of the tablet, and can also control the release of the drug.
Question: What is meant by the term ‘sterilization’?
Answer: Sterilization is the process of eliminating all forms of microbial life from pharmaceutical products to ensure their safety and effectiveness.
Question: Explain the importance of dissolution testing.
Answer: Dissolution testing measures the rate at which a drug is released from its dosage form, ensuring consistent bioavailability and therapeutic effects.
Question: What is the difference between a solution and a suspension?
Answer: A solution is a homogeneous mixture where the solute is completely dissolved, while a suspension contains undissolved solid particles dispersed in a liquid.
Question: Define ‘osmotic pressure’.
Answer: Osmotic pressure is the pressure exerted by a solution when water moves across a semi-permeable membrane, important in maintaining isotonicity in pharmaceutical formulations.
Question: What is the function of a binder in tablet formulation?
Answer: A binder helps to hold the ingredients of a tablet together, improving its mechanical strength and cohesiveness.
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Pharmacy is a complex and essential field that plays a vital role in healthcare. By mastering the fundamental concepts in D Pharmacy 1st year, students can build a strong foundation for their future studies and careers. These questions and answers aim to provide clear and concise information to help students prepare effectively for their exams.
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