M3 - Comprehensive Exam - (Oct 2026)

B) Adverse drug reaction

A reaction to a drug that is noxious and unintended, which occurs in doses normally used in man for prophylaxis, diagnosis, and therapy.
A. Drug interaction
B. Adverse drug reaction
C. Adverse drug events
D. Hypersensitivity

A) Erroneous

What type of prescription is shown below?
A. Erroneous
B. Violative
C. Impossible
D. NOTA

B) Pharmacovigilance

It is the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other medicine/vaccine related problem
A. Pharmacogenetics
B. Pharmacovigilance
C. Pharmacoepidemiology
D. Pharmacoeconomics

D) Psyllium

What laxative should be recommended to pregnant patients?
A. Bisacodyl
B. Castor oil
C. Mineral oil
D. Psyllium

D) Decreases, excretion

Probenecid ______ the _____ of Penicillin
A. Increases, absorption
B. Decreases, absorption
C. Increases, excretion
D. Decreases, excretion

B) II, III

Which of the following are true about diazepam?
I. It is only available in parenteral dosage form
II. It is an anesthetic
III. It is an anxiolytic
A. I, II
B. II, III
C. I, III
D. I, II, III

B) Suspected

Drug interaction that may occur but needs more data:
A. Probable
B. Suspected
C. Possible
D. Unlikely

D) Instill two drops both ears three times a day.

ii gtt au tid
A. Take two drops after meals three times a day.
B. Put two drops right ear three times a day.
C. Instill two drops both eyes three times a day.
D. Instill two drops both ears three times a day.

A) Chronic alcoholism

Enzyme inducer:
A. Chronic alcoholism
B. Metronidazole
C. Grapefruit juice
D. Isoniazid

C) Cimetidine

Enzyme inhibitor:
A. Rifampicin
B. Phenytoin
C. Cimetidine
D. Griseofulvin

C) human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)

Pregnancy test kits are designed to detect which substance?
A. luteinizing hormone (LH)
B. progesterone
C. human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
D. estrogen
E. follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

A) Medication error

Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm
A. Medication error
B. ADR
C. Wrong drug
D. ADE

D) All of the above

Special patient population include:
A. Pregnant and lactating
B. Geriatrics
C. Pediatrics
D. All of the above

A) I, III, IV

Error hazards in prescription or medication order include:
I. Dangerous abbreviation
II. Lack of trailing zero
III. Other abbreviations
IV. Symbols
V. Presence of leading zero
A. I, III, IV
B. I, II, III, IV
C. I, II, IV
D. I, II, III, IV, V

B) Cushing syndrome

Continuous use of steroids leads to
A. Addison’s disease
B. Cushing syndrome
C. Graves’ disease
D. Reye’s syndrome

D) II, III

Which of the following is incorrectly paired?
I. Captopril- renal dysgenesis
II. Lithium- aplasia cutis
III. Methimazole- Ebstein anomaly
IV. Phenytoin- fetal hydantoin syndrome
A. I, II
B. I, III
C. I, IV
D. II, III

B) Explosion

The combination of glycerin + KMNO4 results in which of the following?
A. Turbidity
B. Explosion
C. Salting out
D. Salting in

A) Salting out

The combination of aromatic water + ammonium salt results in which of the following?
A. Salting out
B. Eutexia
C. Precipitation
D. Turbidity

C) Clarithromycin is an enzyme inhibitor. It will increase the concentration of simvastatin in the blood and increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis.

A patient was prescribed clarithromycin and simvastatin. What could be the problem with this?
A. Clarithromycin is an enzyme inducer. It will decrease the concentration of simvastatin in the blood and decrease the risk of rhabdomyolysis.
B. Clarithromycin is an enzyme inducer. It will increase the concentration of simvastatin in the blood and increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis.
C. Clarithromycin is an enzyme inhibitor. It will increase the concentration of simvastatin in the blood and increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis.
D. Clarithromycin is an enzyme inhibitor. It will decrease the concentration of simvastatin in the blood and decrease the risk of rhabdomyolysis.

C) Both A & B

Tetracycline plus calcium:
A. Decrease absorption
B. Results to chelation
C. Both A & B
D. NOTA

D) A & C

Antacid plus ketoconazole:
A. Decrease absorption
B. Results to chelation
C. Alter gastric pH
D. A & C

C) Artificially acquired passive immunity

What type of immunity is conferred by the administration of an immunoglobulin?
A. Artificially acquired active immunity
B. Naturally acquired active immunity
C. Artificially acquired passive immunity
D. Naturally acquired passive immunity

B) Heart

Torsades des pointes affects which organ?
A. Brain
B. Heart
C. Liver
D. Kidney

A) Anti-thymocyte globulin

It is an infusion of horse or rabbit-derived antibodies which is used in the prevention and treatment of acute rejection in organ transplantation and therapy of aplastic anemia.
A. Anti-thymocyte globulin
B. Rituximab
C. Adalimumab
D. Mycophenolate

B) False positive

If an RT-PCR test detected SARS-CoV-2 in a person who is not infected with COVID-19, this is called a/an _____ result.
A. False negative
B. False positive
C. Accurate
D. Inconclusive

C) SQ

What is the Route of Administration of Enoxaparin?
A. IV
B. IM
C. SQ
D. SL

A) Metabolic acidosis

Patient XYZ’s Arterial Blood Gas findings:
Patient XYZ could be in what condition?
A. Metabolic acidosis
B. Metabolic alkalosis
C. Respiratory acidosis
D. Respiratory alkalosis

B) Sodium

What is the primary extracellular cation?
A. Potassium
B. Sodium
C. Magnesium
D. Calcium

C) Phosphate

What is the primary intracellular anion?
A. Chloride
B. Sulfate
C. Phosphate
D. Bicarbonate

B) Sulfate

What is the second most abundant intracellular anion?
A. Chloride
B. Sulfate
C. Phosphate
D. Bicarbonate

B) Only the second statement is correct

Increase serum creatinine = Increase creatinine clearance
Decrease serum creatinine = Increase creatinine clearance
A. Only the first statement is correct
B. Only the second statement is correct
C. Both statements are correct
D. Both statements are incorrect

C) Regular insulin

Insulin that can be administered intravenously
A. Insulin glargine
B. insulin glulisine
C. Regular insulin
D. Insulin NPH

B) Dobutamine

A patient to be in an anaphylactic reaction is rushed to the ER. The following may be given to the patient, except:
A. Epinephrine
B. Dobutamine
C. Hydrocortisone
D. Diphenhydramine

C) Acetylcysteine

A patient accidentally overdosed with acetaminophen. To prevent further liver damage, he was given with:
A. Vitamin C
B. Vitamin K
C. Acetylcysteine
D. Protamine sulfate

C) Cardiac output

Vital signs include the following, except:
A. Heart rate
B. Respiratory rate
C. Cardiac output
D. Temperature

B) IV bolus

Potassium supplements are administered in all of the following manners except:
A. IV infusion
B. IV bolus
C. Elixir, PO
D. Slow-Release tablets, PO

C) Pyridoxine

What should be paired with isoniazid to help prevent peripheral neuropathy?
A. Pyrazinamide
B. Mesna
C. Pyridoxine
D. NOTA

D) Intramuscular

Which of the following parenteral routes of administration Is not considered suitable for heparin sodium injection?
A. IV infusion
B. Subcutaneous
C. IV bolus
D. Intramuscular

B) Narrowing or stricture of a duct or canal

Stenosis refers to
A. Hardening of tissues with a loss of elasticity
B. Narrowing or stricture of a duct or canal
C. Inflammation of vertebrae
D. Stoppage of blood flow to an area of the body

B) II and III

What happens when a patient who is a chronic smoker is taking a drug?
I. Increase t1/2 of the drug
II. Decrease in t1/2 of the drug
III. Induces the metabolism of the drug
A. I only
B. II and III
C. III
D. I and III

B) Decreased creatinine clearance, increased serum creatinine, increased BUN

Which of the following laboratory test results correctly signifies renal disease?
A. Increased creatinine clearance, decreased serum creatinine, increased BUN
B. Decreased creatinine clearance, increased serum creatinine, increased BUN
C. Increased creatinine clearance, increased serum creatinine, decreased BUN
D. Decreased creatinine clearance, decreased serum creatinine, decreased BUN

C) Schilling test

Which of the following tests is used to evaluate absorption of vitamin B12?
A. Van den Bergh test
B. Coomb’s test
C. Schilling test
D. Serum AST, ALT

D) Glyceryltrinitrate

This drug characteristically produces throbbing headache
A. Procainamide
B. Propranolol
C. Verapamil
D. Glyceryltrinitrate

B) Hypocalcemia

Which of the following electrolyte imbalance does not predispose a patient taking digoxin to toxicity?
A. Hypokalemia
B. Hypocalcemia
C. Hypomagnesemia
D. Hyponatremia

B) Calcium

The blood clotting mechanism require this metallic ion as a co-factor
A. Sodium
B. Calcium
C. Magnesium
D. Potassium

D) Desmopressin

The following are diuretics, except:
A. Mannitol
B. Acetazolamide
C. Spironolactone
D. Desmopressin

C) Niacin

The vitamin used for hyperlipidemia
A. Ascorbic acid
B. Thiamine
C. Niacin
D. Cyanocobalamin

C) SBP 130-139 or DBP 80-89 mmHg

The 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines on hypertension define Stage 1 hypertension as:
A.

B) Inflammation of the tongue

Glossitis:
A. Glossy appearance of the cornea
B. Inflammation of the tongue
C. Inflammation of the eye
D. Inflammation of the windpipe

A) Class I

NYHA classification for heart failure that shows no limitations and no symptoms in ordinary activity:
A. Class I
B. Class II
C. Class III
D. Class IV

D) Class IV

NYHA classification for heart failure that shows symptoms even while at rest:
A. Class I
B. Class II
C. Class III
D. Class IV

A) Clarihist ®

AMCV, a pilot, asks for a recommendation for sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, and a runny nose. She has no significant medical history. She is scheduled to charter a flight to Palawan and must remain alert. What would be the best recommendation for AMCV?
A. Clarihist ®
B. Benadryl ®
C. Iterax ®
D. Alnix ®

A) Hypoparathyroidism

Hypocalcemia with hyperphosphatemia:
A. Hypoparathyroidism
B. Hyperparathyroidism
C. Hypovitaminosis D
D. Hypervitaminosis D

D) All of the above

Which of the following act on potassium channels?
A. Digoxin
B. Glimepiride
C. Sotalol
D. All of the above

B) Fexofenadine

A 32-year old forklift operator with a history of cardiac arrythmias is suffering from seasonal rhinitis. Which of the following choices is the best recommendation for this patient?
A. Diphenhydramine
B. Fexofenadine
C. Meclizine
D. Famotidine

D) Discontinue nitroglycerin

An 80-year old woman with a history of congestive heart failure develops angina pectoris, her medications are adjusted to include furosemide, digoxin, nitroglycerin, propranolol, and potassium supplements. Shortly thereafter, she develops intermittent frontal throbbing headaches. What should be the adjustment to her medications?
A. Increase the dose of furosemide
B. Decrease the dose of digoxin
C. Discontinue potassium supplements
D. Discontinue nitroglycerin

B) LMWH

Drug of choice in the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism in pregnant women:
A. UFH
B. LMWH
C. Warfarin
D. Aspirin

A) I and III

An Ebola outbreak occurred. An interdisciplinary team was formed as a response to the threat. The following are the roles of a pharmacist:
I. Requisition of Ebola vaccines
II. Ensure availability of antibiotics for Ebola
III. Help in managing signs and symptoms of Ebola
A. I and II
B. II and III
C. I and III
D. I, II, and III

A) Actilyse

Which of the following is included in the emergency kit for stroke?
A. Actilyse
B. Pletal
C. Aspilets
D. Coumadin

D) NOTA

The following COVID-19 vaccines were granted EUA by the Philippine FDA, except?
A. Pfizer-BioNTech
B. Oxford AstraZeneca
C. Janssen
D. NOTA

A) Pfizer-BioNTech

Which of the following COVID-19 vaccines is approved for use in those 12 y/o and above?
A. Pfizer-BioNTech
B. Oxford AstraZeneca
C. Janssen
D. NOTA

C) Janssen

Which of the following COVID-19 vaccines is only given as one dose?
A. Pfizer-BioNTech
B. Oxford AstraZeneca
C. Janssen
D. NOTA

A) Pfizer-BioNTech

Which of the following COVID-19 vaccines cannot be stored in temperatures of 2 to 8 degrees C for long periods?
A. Pfizer-BioNTech
B. Oxford AstraZeneca
C. Janssen
D. NOTA

B) I, II only

Fat soluble vitamins:
I. Retinoid
II. Tocopherol
III. Thiamine
IV. Niacin
A. I only
B. I, II only
C. III, IV only
D. I, II, III, IV

B) Chief pharmacist

Serves as the secretary of the committee that prepares the hospital formulary
A. Physician
B. Chief pharmacist
C. Head nurse
D. Head surgeon

C) Complementary list

When drugs in the main list are known to be ineffective or inappropriate for a given individual, one must refer to this list in the PNF
A. Core list
B. Substitute list
C. Complementary list
D. Alternative list

D) Cardiovascular events

Vioxx was withdrawn from the market due to
A. TEN
B. Hemolytic anemia
C. SJS
D. Cardiovascular events

D) All of the above

Which of the following are indications for intravenous therapy?
A. Replacement of fluids and electrolytes
B. Administration of drugs requiring a rapid increase in blood concentration
C. Emergency situation like cardiac arrest
D. All of the above

D) Subcutaneous injection

Insulin preparations are usually administered by
A. Intramuscular injection
B. Intravenous injection
C. Intravenous bolus
D. Subcutaneous injection

D) Sufficient activity to be outside USP Monograph requirements

The expiration date on pharmaceutical container states “expires January 2020”. This statement means that by the expiration date, the product may have lost
A. Up to 5% of its activity
B. Up to 15% of its activity
C. Up to 20% of its activity
D. Sufficient activity to be outside USP Monograph requirements

A) Cost effectiveness analysis

Cost analysis method that compares clinical outcomes:
A. Cost effectiveness analysis
B. Cost utility analysis
C. Cost benefit analysis
D. Cost minimization analysis

D) Estolate

Which salt of erythromycin has been linked to the occurrence of reversible cholestatic jaundice?
A. Gluceptate
B. Stearate
C. Ethylsuccinate
D. Estolate

C) Switch to another class of drugs

A patient developed angioedema while taking captopril for her hypertension. What should be done?
A. Lower the dose
B. Stop for a week then start again but with a lower dose
C. Switch to another class of drugs
D. Nothing since it will resolve on its own

A) Unit dose drug distribution system

Safest drug distribution system:
A. Unit dose drug distribution system
B. Individual prescription order system
C. Floor stock system
D. The systems are the same in terms of safety

D) Aplastic anemia

Most serious blood disorder:
A. Hemolytic anemia
B. Leukopenia
C. Thrombocytopenia
D. Aplastic anemia

C) III only

Which of the following are correct counseling points to a patient taking alendronate?
I. Lie down for 30 mins after taking a dose.
II. Take each dose with food to decrease abdominal pain.
III. Take each dose in the morning.
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. III only
D. II and III only

B) ASO

This ensures that drug orders are not inappropriately continued:
A. DNR
B. ASO
C. HPI
D. SH

C) In a vertical LAF hood

Where should an order from the cancer ward for an antineoplastic drug infusion bottle be prepared?
A. Outside the hospital premises
B. In a horizontal LAF hood
C. In a vertical LAF hood
D. On a countertop to avoid contamination of the LAF hoods

A) French

Unit used for the internal diameter of catheters:
A. French
B. Gauge
C. Radius
D. Stokes

B) 559

DLIX
A. 409
B. 559
C. 659
D. 569

C) 20 pack years

Mr. B smokes 10 sticks per day for 40 years. Calculate the pack year history.
A. 80 pack years
B. 40 pack years
C. 20 pack years
D. 60 pack years

B) 20 tablets

The doctor prescribed 2.46gr of aspirin to be taken once a day for 10 days. The available aspirin in the pharmacy is 80 mg per tablet. How many tablets should be dispensed?
A. 15 tablets
B. 20 tablets
C. 25 tablets
D. 30 tablets

B) Overdose

A patient weighing 220lbs was given 3g of drug that was dosed at 25mg/kg. What can you say about the dose given?
A. Underdose
B. Overdose
C. Data incomplete
D. NOTA

C) 2500mg

What is the correct dose to be given in the previous question?
A. 2000mg
B. 2250mg
C. 2500mg
D. 3000mg

C) 11 bottles

A prescription calls for 2 tbsp. of cough syrup to be taken by the patient after meals for 7 days. The only available preparation in the market is a 60ml bottle. How many bottles should be dispensed?
A. 4 bottles
B. 8 bottles
C. 11 bottles
D. 12 bottles

B) 625 mg/62.5 mg

An in-patient in a hospital was given a medication order to take levodopa/carbidopa 250mg/25mg. The dosing schedule was ½ tablet at 7 am, ¼ + 1/8 tablet at 11 am, ¼ + ½ tablet at 3 pm, ½ tablet at 7pm, and ¼ + 1/8 at 11 pm. What is the total dose of levodopa/carbidopa to be administered to the patient per day?
A. 593.75 mg/59.375 mg
B. 625 mg/62.5 mg
C. 587.5 mg/50 mg
D. 656.26 mg/68.75 mg

A) 3

How many tablets per day will be used to compound the order in the previous question?
A. 3
B. 5
C. 2
D. 4

A) 54.5

Below is a table containing the top antibiotic choices for surgical prophylaxis:
What is the percentage of cephalosporins in the list?
A. 54.5
B. 62.6
C. 49.7
D. 60.7

C) 11

What is the percentage of penicillins in the list from the previous question?
A. 14.6
B. 16.2
C. 11
D. 8.1

D) 1,200 mg

Using Young’s Rule, compute for the child dose of acetaminophen in a day.
Adult dose: 500 mg q4h
Child’s weight: 45 lb.
Child’s age: 8 years old
A. 200 mg
B. 900 mg
C. 1,125 mg
D. 1,200 mg

B) 900 mg

Using Clark’s Rule, what is the child’s daily dose from the previous question?
A. 200 mg
B. 900 mg
C. 1,125 mg
D. 1,200 mg

C) 1,125 mg

Using Cowling’s Rule, what is the child’s daily dose from the previous question?
A. 200 mg
B. 900 mg
C. 1,125 mg
D. 1,200 mg

C) 950 mg

How many grams of sodium chloride are required to make 250mL of 1% boric acid (E = 0.52) solution isotonic?
A. 250 mg
B. 325 mg
C. 950 mg
D. 1221 mg

C) 30mg

How much Lidocaine is required to prepare 1:1000, 30 mL of solution of Lidocaine?
A. 10mg
B. 0.03mg
C. 30mg
D. 300mg

B) 27 mL/min

An 85-year old female weighing 100 lb. has a serum creatinine of 1.1 mg/dL. Compute for the creatinine clearance of this patient.
A. 22 mL/min
B. 27 mL/min
C. 35 mL/min
D. 45 mL/min

B) 296 mg

Five mL of Lithium carbonate syrup contains the equivalent of 8 mEq of Li+. Calculate the equivalent, in mg of Lithium carbonate (MW=74) in each 5 mL dose of the syrup.
A. 592 mg
B. 296 mg
C. 118.4 mg
D. 108 mg

C) 473 mL

How much mL are there in 16 fl oz?
A. 444 mL
B. 450 mL
C. 473 mL
D. 495 mL

D) 536 mL

How much volume of water must be added to 1.5 L of 95% alcohol to make it 70%?
A. 400 mL
B. 436 mL
C. 500 mL
D. 536 mL

B) 2036 mL

What will be the total volume of the 70% alcohol made in #88?
A. 2000 mL
B. 2036 mL
C. 1900 mL
D. 1936 mL

B) 23 drops/min

Calculate the infusion rate needed given 750 mg of a drug intended to be given for 4 hours via infusion. The IV infusion has a concentration of 1 g/500 mL and the infusion set to be used gives 15 drops/mL.
A. 13 drops/min
B. 23 drops/min
C. 33 drops/min
D. 43 drops/min