Pharmacovigilance
Detecting, assessing and reporting adverse drug reactions.
Short notes and cheat sheetSubject guide
Public Health MCQs for Pharmacy Exams
Pharmacovigilance, epidemiology, national health programmes and rational drug use.
Public health looks at the health of populations rather than individual patients. For pharmacists in Pakistan it includes pharmacovigilance, rational drug use, epidemiology and national programmes such as the Expanded Programme on Immunization. It appears in PPSC, FPSC and provincial recruitment tests.
These public health MCQs cover the concepts and programmes a government pharmacist is expected to understand and support.
Topics covered
What Public Health questions on PharmaPrep cover.
Epidemiology and Disease Control
Incidence, prevalence, outbreaks and prevention levels.
Short notes and cheat sheetNational Health Programmes of Pakistan
EPI, TB control, hepatitis and maternal and child health programmes.
Short notes and cheat sheetRational Drug Use
Essential medicines, prescribing indicators and antimicrobial stewardship.
Short notes and cheat sheetHigh-yield Public Health topics
- Incidence versus prevalence
- Levels of prevention
- WHO definition of rational use of medicines
- Essential medicines list concept
- Purpose of pharmacovigilance reporting
Exams that test Public Health
Sample Public Health MCQs
Original practice questions with answers and explanations.
1Routine childhood immunisation in Pakistan is delivered through the:
- AExpanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)
- BLady Health Worker Programme alone
- CNational Tuberculosis Control Programme
- DDrug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)
EPI is the national programme for routine childhood vaccination. Lady Health Workers support outreach, but the immunisation schedule and vaccine supply are run through EPI.
2Incidence of a disease refers to:
- AThe number of new cases in a population over a specified period
- BThe total number of existing cases at a point in time
- CThe number of deaths from the disease
- DThe proportion of cases that recover
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The number of new cases in a population over a specified period
Incidence counts new cases arising during a period. Prevalence counts all existing cases, new and old, at a given time.
3According to the WHO, rational use of medicines means patients receive medicines:
- AAppropriate to their clinical needs, in the right dose, for an adequate period, at the lowest cost
- BOnly from branded manufacturers
- CWhenever they request them
- DIn the highest tolerated dose
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Appropriate to their clinical needs, in the right dose, for an adequate period, at the lowest cost
The WHO definition covers appropriateness, correct dose, adequate duration and lowest cost to the patient and community. Brand, patient demand and maximum doses are not criteria.
Public Health FAQs
Why is public health tested in pharmacist recruitment?
Government pharmacists support national programmes, rational drug use and pharmacovigilance, so recruitment tests check that understanding.
Which national programmes should I know?
The Expanded Programme on Immunization, tuberculosis control, hepatitis control, and maternal and child health programmes including the Lady Health Worker Programme.
Is pharmacovigilance part of public health?
Yes. Detecting and reporting adverse drug reactions protects the population as a whole, so it is covered here.