Pharmacy Vocabulary

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Date:

Instructions: Fill your prescription for knowledge with this quiz on pharmacy and pharmaceutical terminology.

1.
What does the abbreviation 'Rx' stand for in pharmacy?
A
Required examination
B
Refill extra
C
A symbol derived from the Latin word 'recipe,' meaning 'take'
D
Registered pharmaceutical
2.
What does 'compounding' mean in pharmacy?
A
Doubling a drug's dosage
B
Adding interest to a pharmacy bill
C
Custom-preparing medications by mixing individual ingredients to meet a patient's specific needs
D
Combining two prescriptions
3.
What does 'BID' mean on a prescription?
A
Before intake of dinner
B
Before initial dose
C
Twice a day
D
Best if dissolved
4.
What is a 'formulary'?
A
A type of pharmacy license
B
A pharmacy's recipe book
C
A mathematical formula for drug dosages
D
A list of prescription drugs covered by a particular insurance plan
5.
What does 'contraindication' mean?
A
A condition or factor that makes a particular treatment inadvisable
B
A positive effect of a drug
C
A secondary use for a medication
D
A drug that requires a prescription
6.
What is a 'generic drug'?
A
A medication with the same active ingredients as a brand-name drug but typically sold at a lower price
B
A drug available without prescription
C
A drug that treats general symptoms
D
A low-quality medication
7.
What does 'PRN' mean on a prescription label?
A
Please request new
B
Prior to next refill
C
As needed
D
Pharmacy registered number
8.
What is 'pharmacokinetics'?
A
The study of pharmacy economics
B
The speed at which a pharmacy fills prescriptions
C
Exercise recommendations on a prescription
D
The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs
9.
What does 'dispense' mean in pharmacy?
A
To prepare and provide medication to a patient according to a prescription
B
To throw away expired drugs
C
To prescribe a medication
D
To return unused medication
10.
What is an 'excipient'?
A
An inactive substance used as a carrier for the active ingredient in a medication
B
A rare drug side effect
C
A pharmacist's assistant
D
An expired ingredient
11.
What does 'QD' mean on a prescription?
A
Quickly dissolve
B
Quarter dose
C
Once a day
D
Quite dangerous
12.
What is 'bioavailability'?
A
A drug's organic certification
B
The shelf life of a medication
C
Whether a drug is available at the pharmacy
D
The proportion of a drug that enters the bloodstream and has an active effect
13.
What does 'titration' mean in pharmacy?
A
Labeling a prescription bottle
B
Mixing two liquid medications
C
Gradually adjusting the dose of a medication to find the optimal amount
D
Testing a drug for purity
14.
What is a 'drug interaction'?
A
A meeting between pharmacists
B
A situation where one drug affects the activity of another when both are taken together
C
A drug's expiration date
D
A side effect from a single medication
15.
What does 'over-the-counter' (OTC) mean?
A
A medication available for purchase without a prescription
B
An expired drug returned to the counter
C
A drug passed over the pharmacy counter by a pharmacist
D
A drug sold only at a doctor's office

Answer Key

Question 1

C. A symbol derived from the Latin word 'recipe,' meaning 'take'

Question 2

C. Custom-preparing medications by mixing individual ingredients to meet a patient's specific needs

Question 3

C. Twice a day

Question 4

D. A list of prescription drugs covered by a particular insurance plan

Question 5

A. A condition or factor that makes a particular treatment inadvisable

Question 6

A. A medication with the same active ingredients as a brand-name drug but typically sold at a lower price

Question 7

C. As needed

Question 8

D. The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs

Question 9

A. To prepare and provide medication to a patient according to a prescription

Question 10

A. An inactive substance used as a carrier for the active ingredient in a medication

Question 11

C. Once a day

Question 12

D. The proportion of a drug that enters the bloodstream and has an active effect

Question 13

C. Gradually adjusting the dose of a medication to find the optimal amount

Question 14

B. A situation where one drug affects the activity of another when both are taken together

Question 15

A. A medication available for purchase without a prescription

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