Calculations
The bioavailability of levothyroxine is roughly 50%. A physician requests you for a dose recommendation to convert his home dose of 75 mcg po daily to intravenous. since the patient will be NPO for a while. What would be the appropriate intravenous dose?
Since the bioavailability of levothyroxine is roughly 50% (given in the question).To convert the home dose to intravenous, it would be 50% of the oral dose. So 50% of oral 75 mcg would be 37.5 mcg intravenously.
What does NYSCHP stand for?
What is the New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists?
Define the null hypothesis
Null means no! A null hypothesis states that there is no statistically significant difference between two groups. What the researcher does not want to be true.
Are all registered pharmacists authorized to administer immunizations? Why or why not?
No. Pharmacists must be currently registered and certified by SED to immunize in New York State. Pharmacists certified to administer immunizations would carry the designation of an “I” on their registration certificates.
What symptom is not commonly seen from oral agents used for allergic rhinitis, but those intranasal steroids can make it look like you took a boxing glove to the face?
Epistaxis (or nose bleed)
If a patient receives Dextrose 5% half Normal Saline with 20 meq of Potassium as IV fluid at 125mls/hour. How much dextrose in grams is he getting in 24hrs?
150g
0.05 (1000 mL) = 50 g
1000 mL x (1 hour/125 mL) = 8 hours
50x 3 = 150 g
In what month is National Pharmacy Week celebrated in the US?
October
National Pharmacy Week acknowledges the invaluable contributions pharmacists and technicians make to patient care in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare settings. Celebrated in the third full week of October. 2026 dates are Oct 17-23. Sponsored by ASHP.
How do you explain that the p-value is <0.05 in terms of probability/confidence interval?
There's a 95% probability the conclusion is correct and 5% chance that it's not.
In New York State pharmacy legislation, what does CDTM stand for?
Collaborative Drug Therapy Management
A patient arrives at the emergency department suffering from an intracranial hemorrhage associated with anticoagulant use. The patient takes warfarin at home. Labs are drawn, and the INR returns supratherapeutic. What two antidotes can be administered in this situation?
In the case of major bleeding, reversal of warfarin can be achieved using intravenous Vitamin K (phytonadione) as well as four-factor prothrombin concentrate (4-FPCC, or KCentra).
A 15-month-old child weighs 22 lbs. A medication is ordered for 10 mg/Kg/d. What is the correct dose for this child?
Answer: 100 mg daily
Rationale:
1 Kg=2.2 lbs
2.2 lbs/1 Kg = 22 lbs/x Kg
child weighs 10 Kg
Dose 10 mg/Kg/d x 10 Kg = 100 mg
Name one of the three commercially available sodas in the US that were invented by pharmacists.
Answer: Coca Cola |Dr. Pepper | Pepsi
Rationale: Coca Cola was invented by Dr John Stith Pemberton, a local pharmacist at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta, GA in 1886. Pepsi was invented by pharmacist Caleb Bradham at his drugstore, Bradham’s, in New Bern, NC in 1893.Dr Pepper was created by pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, TX in 1885.
A drug was compared to placebo. Primary outcome was all cause mortality in 60 days. 420 people enrolled. Drug group: n=200 (40 deaths) Placebo group: n=220 (111 deaths). What are the odds of mortality in the drug group? Report out to 2 digits past the decimal point (hundredths).
A: Odds is 0.25 in the drug group
Rationale:
Odds = risk outcome/risk of not outcome
= 40/200 divided by 160/200
= 0.25
If I complete more hours than required during the registration period, can I carry them over to the hours required in my next registration period?
No. Credits can be carried over from one registration period to the next. Continuing education hours required in a registration period must be completed between the beginning and ending dates of that registration period. You can take additional courses beyond those required; however, the additional hours cannot be stored, carried forward, or applied to a future registration period.
A 65-year-old male with a history of atrial fibrillation and hypertension presents to the anticoagulation (Coumadin) clinic for his initial visit following the placement of a mechanical mitral valve. What is the recommended INR goal for this patient?
2.5-3.5- Patients with mechanical mitral valves are at higher risk for thromboembolism compared to those with aortic valves. As a result, their INR goal is higher to ensure adequate anticoagulation and reduce the risk of valve thrombosis or stroke.
You receive an order for an adult patient. You collect the following information:
The IV order is: Dopamine 5 mcg/Kg/min. Your pharmacy carries dopamine premixed 400 mg/250 mL. The adult patient weighs 80 Kg. Pump delivers dopamine in mL/hr. What is the pump setting in mL/hr for this IV order for this patient?
Answer: 15 mL/hr
Rationale:
The patient weighs 80 Kg. Order 5 mcg/Kg/min x 80 Kg = 400 mcg/min
400 mcg/ 1 min x 1 mg/1000 mcg = 0.4 mg/min
0.4 mg/x mL = 400 mg/250 mL
x = 0.25 mL/min
0.25 mL/min x 60 min/1 hr = 15 mL/hr
What was the first pharmacy school in the US?
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy
In 1821, PCP was the first pharmacy school founded in the US. Now, PCP is part of St. Joseph’s University.
A study is comparing a hypothetical drug called “SD” with placebo in 162 patients. Population: Adult patients with (fake) “ABC disease”I: “SD” 100 mg po daily (n=80). Control: placebo po daily (n=82). Outcomes: hospitalization in 30 days. “SD” 4 patients hospitalized. Placebo 19 patients hospitalized. What is the relative risk (RR) of hospitalization? Give your answer to two places after the decimal point (hundredths place).
Answer:
RR = 0.22
Rationale:
SD risk hospitalization: 4/80 = 0.05
Placebo risk hospitalization: 19/82=0.23
0.05/0.23 = 0.21739 = 0.22
Patients taking the drug are only about 22% as likely to be hospitalized compared to patients in the placebo group.
As of March 2024, pharmacists in NY are now to authorized to dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives without a prescription. Which contraceptives are allowed to be dispensed by pharmacists without a prescription NY?
Oral pills, Contraceptives, Vaginal Rings, Patches
Types of self-administered hormonal contraceptives include oral hormonal contraceptives (“the pill”), hormonal contraceptive vaginal rings and hormonal contraceptive patches. Pharmacists are required to have completed training in the dispensing of self-administered hormonal contraceptives that is satisfactory to the NYS Commissioner of Health. Pharmacists must notify the patient’s primary health care practitioner within 72 of dispensing of a self-administered hormonal contraception.
A 72-year-old man presents with fever, headache, neck stiffness, and altered mental status. Lumbar puncture is performed, and bacterial meningitis is suspected. He has a history of hypertension but no known drug allergies and normal renal function. What empiric antibiotic regimen would you initiate for this patient, and what is the rationale for your choice?
Vancomycin + Ceftriaxone + Ampicillin
In adults over 50, the most likely pathogens include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Listeria monocytogenes. Ceftriaxone covers S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis, vancomycin is added to cover potentially resistant S. pneumoniae, and ampicillin is included to cover Listeria. Early empiric therapy is critical because bacterial meningitis can progress rapidly, and CNS-penetrating antibiotics should be used while awaiting culture results.
L.N. is 84 year old man who is in hospital for a back surgery. The patient is getting hydromorphone PCA at 0.2mg/hour of basal rate, demand dose 0.1mg. lock-out every 6min, one hour limit 2.2mg/hour. L.N. used 5 on-demand bolus doses from the hydromorphone PCA, how much hydromorphone did L.N. get in 24 hours?
0.2 mg/hour basal rate = 0.2mg/hour (24 hours) = 4.8 mg
Demand dose of 0.1 mg x 5 = 0.5 mg
4.8 mg + 0.5 mg = 5.3 mg
How are internship credits calculated?
For calculation purposes, a week is considered a 7-day period and one month is equal to 173 hours. Credit cannot be given for any hours that exceed 40 hours per week.
In a study where rivaroxaban was compared to enoxaparin to find total venous thromboembolism(VTE) following hip replacement surgery, there were 17 total VTE out of 1513 patients in the rivaraoaban group and 57 total VTE out of 1473 patient in the enoxaparin group. What is the relative risk reduction of using rivaroxaban over enoxaparin?
Relative risk reduction: 0.71 = 71%
Relative risk: (Event rate in rivaroxaban group)/(Event rate in enoxaparin group) = (17/1513)/(57/1473) = 0.2903
Relative risk reduction: 1 – (relative risk) = 1 – 0.2903 = 0.7097 = 0.71
What is the ratio of unlicensed assistants to pharmacists?
YES. Pursuant to Article 137-A of Education Law, effective April 25, 2021, pharmacists can have the assistance of up to four unlicensed assistants at one time. However, the responsibility of dispensing rests with the pharmacist. The pharmacist must check all prescriptions filled by an unlicensed assistant before they are dispensed.
SR is a 72-year-old female admitted to the ICU with PNA, A Fib, and CHF with preserved left ventricular function. She weighs 76 kg. She has a history of lung cancer for which she is being treated with CyberKnife and chemotherapy as an outpatient, a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypothyroidism, and COPD. On admission, her WBC is 1.0 K/uL, with bands at 32% and segs at 42%. SR was started on Vancomycin, Levofloxacin, and Aztreonam for HAP. She is also on the electrolyte replacement protocol. She is allergic to PCN/cephalosporin (rash). For her A. Fib she was given Amiodarone 400mg orally BID and Diltiazem 10mg/hr. She also received a few doses of furosemide for her CHF.2. The physician would like to treat SR’s low ANC. Which of the following would be the treatment of choice with dose for her low ANC?
Filgrastim 380 mcg subcutaneously daily
Question 1 Explanation:
Considering this patient had received chemotherapy (unable to determine when exactly), this dosage is consistent with the indication of primary prophylaxis in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies (5 mcg/kg/day subcutaneously). Erythropoietin is indicated for the treatment of Anemia due to various causes. FFP is given in certain bleeding disorders to replace factors.