Registration Examination (for non-locally trained applicants)

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REGISTRATION EXAMINATIONS

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board conducts its examinations twice a year, normally in June and December. New entrance to the June examinations closes on 28 February, and for the December examinations, 31 August. For applications to re-sit the Board’s registration examinations, the deadlines are 31 March and 30 September for the June and December Examinations respectively. Applications received after the respective closing dates shall be considered for the next registration examinations to be conducted by the Board. Application forms are obtainable from the Secretariat, Pharmacy and Poisons Board at 1/F, Shun Feng International Centre, 182 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong.

(A)

Fees for Examinations

Applicants accepted for the registration examinations will be informed in writing on the details of the examination arrangements. The fee for the examination is HK$1,110 for each subject. Examination fees should be paid in cheque drawn in favour of “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”. Cheques drawn in foreign currencies will not be accepted. Payment made will normally not be refundable.

(B)

Validity of Examination Results

A candidate who passes in any one paper will be required to re-sit that paper if he/she fails to pass the other two papers within three years.

(C)

Scope of Examinations

Pharmacy Legislation in Hong Kong

Usually consists of five to six long questions to be answered in three hours. Topics include up-to-date versions of the following ordinances and their subsidiary legislations:

(a)	Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, Cap. 138 (including the main ordinance and the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations; Pharmacy and Poisons (Pharmacy and Poisons Appeal Tribunal) Regulations; and Pharmacists (Disciplinary Procedure) Regulations)
(b)	Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, Cap. 134 (including the main ordinance and the Dangerous Drugs Regulations)
(c)	Antibiotics Ordinance, Cap. 137 (including the main ordinance and the Antibiotics Regulations)
(d)	Undesirable Medical Advertisements Ordinance, Cap. 231
(e)	Import and Export (General) Regulations, Cap. 60A (except those parts related solely to textiles or rough diamonds)

Applicants may purchase the above publications by:

(a)	calling the Publication Sales Section of the Information Services Department at 2537 1910
(b)	visiting the online Government Bookstore at https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/government/ publication/publication/bookstore.htm
(c)	placing order with the Information Services Department by e-mail at https://www.isd.gov.hk/eng/bookorder.htm

Pharmacy Practice

Usually consists of essay questions, multiple-choice questions and some calculation problems, to be answered in three hours. The following areas shall be covered:

(a)	Pharmaceutical calculations (percentages, dilution, concentrations, aliquots, alligation and posology)
(b)	Pharmaceutical dosage forms (applications, methods of use and properties)
(c)	Preparation of pharmaceutical dosage forms (methods of preparation, basic formulation, labelling and packaging)
(d)	Sterilization practices (the official methods and their applications, conditions and equipment required)
(e)	Radiopharmacy (principles and application)
(f)	Handling of cytotoxic agents (potential hazards and precautions)
(g)	Medical gases (types and uses)
(h)	Aseptic dispensing (clean room design and operation, aseptic technique and its application)
(i)	Practical pharmacokinetics (concept, application and calculation)
(j)	General pharmacy practice (patient counselling, responding to symptoms, counter prescribing of over-the-counter medications, etc.)

Reference materials for the examination include any relevant textbooks in pharmacy practice together with the official pharmacopoeias.

Pharmacology

The examination will consist of mainly short questions to be answered in three hours based on a syllabus which includes but not limited to the following:

(a)	General principles of pharmacology
	Drug receptors and pharmacodynamics
	Pharmacokinetics: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion
	Basic and clinical evaluation of new drugs
	Individual variation and drug interaction
(b)	Autonomic nervous system
	Chemical transmission and the autonomic nervous system
	Cholinergic transmission and cholinoceptor-blocking and activating agents
	Adrenergic transmission and adrenoceptor-blocking and activating agents
(c)	Cardiovascular system
	Antihypertensive agents
	Vasodilators and the treatment of angina pectoris
	Drugs used in congestive heart failure
	Agents used in cardiac arrhythmias
	Treatment of dyslipidaemias
	Diuretics and drugs affecting renal excretion
(d)	Central nervous system
	Sedatives, hypnotics and anxiolytics
	Antiepileptic drugs
	General and local anaesthetics
	Skeletal muscle relaxants
	Pharmacologic management of Parkinsonism and other movement disorders
	Antipsychotic agents
	Antidepressant agents
	Drugs of abuse
(e)	Chemotherapeutic agents
	Antibacterial agents
	Antiviral agents
	Antifungal agents
	Antiprotozoal and authelmintic agents
	Disinfectants and antiseptics
	Cancer chemotherapy and immunosuppression
(f)	Agents used in the treatment of diseases of the blood
	Agents used in anaemias
	Drugs used in disorders of coagulation
(g)	Arthritis and anti-inflammatory agents
	Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, non-opioid analgesics, drugs used to treat gout
(h)	Endocrine drugs
	Hypothalamic and pituitary hormones, sex hormones, contraception
	Adrenal corticosteroids, antagonists, corticotrophin
	Diabetes mellitus, insulin, oral antidiabetic agents
	Thyroid and antithyroid drugs
	Agents that affect bone mineral homeostasis
(i)	Gastro-intestinal system
	Drugs for peptic ulcers
	Antiemetic and prokinetic drugs
	Drugs used in constipation, diarrhoea and abnormal gut motility
	Drug-induced liver injury and changes in drug handling in liver diseases, treatment of liver diseases
(j)	Respiratory tract
	Drugs used in the management of asthma
	Cough suppressants, antihistamines, mucolytics and expectorants
(k)	Skin
	Transdermal drug absorption and dermal adverse drug reactions
	Antipruritics, adrenocortical steroids
	Sunscreen and sunburn
	Treatment of specific skin disorders
(l)	Toxicology
	Management of the poisoned patient
	Chelators and heavy metal intoxication and other antidotes
(m)	Miscellaneous
	Nutrition
	Vaccine and immunoglobulins

Sample Examination Papers (For reference ONLY)

(D)

Request for Reviewing Examination Results

Candidates may request for reviewing their examination results. The deadline for submission of such requests is one month after the release of examination results. Upon receiving such requests, the Board will refer the requests to relevant Examiners who will review the examination results. Candidates will be informed in writing of the results of the review in about three weeks' time upon receipt of their requests for review. Candidates will not be permitted to have access to the answer scripts.

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