OMSB Exam for Pharmacists (OEP)

Exam at a glance

Questions

100

Duration

150 minutes

Pass mark

60 %

Sections

1

Exam type

Written

Language

English

Authority

OMSB

Curriculum

Built from the question bank and updated automatically when new questions are added. 16 modules · 2,258 questions · Last updated: 29 October 2026

1. 01Biomedical sciences100 questions · 4.4 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • Renal, cardiac and autonomic physiology for pharmacists
   • Endocrine axes, gut physiology and the biochemistry behind drug action
   • Microbiology and immunology that guide drug choice
   • Foundations: anatomy of the respiratory tract
   • Foundations: alveoli and gas exchange
   • Foundations: mechanics and control of breathing
   • Foundations: dosage forms and inhaler technique
   • Foundations: the concentration–time curve and receptor types

   Sample question

   Sample question1 / 1 · 0 correct

   A 58-year-old man starts empagliflozin for type 2 diabetes and heart failure. He asks where in the kidney the drug works. Which site and transporter does it mainly inhibit?

   ASGLT2 in the early proximal tubuleBSGLT1 in the late proximal straight tubuleCGLUT2 in the cortical collecting ductDNKCC2 in the medullary thick ascending limb

   Keys: 1–5 or A–E to choose, Enter to check and continue, F to mark.

   MarkCheck answer
2. 02Medicinal chemistry100 questions · 4.4 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • Functional groups, stability and acid-base behaviour
   • Stereochemistry and prodrugs in practice
   • Structure-activity relationships, metabolism and drug design

   Sample question

   Sample question1 / 1 · 0 correct

   A mother asks why the amoxicillin suspension made up for her son expires about 2 weeks after reconstitution, although the dry powder lasts for years. What is the chemical reason?

   AAmoxicillin oxidises at its amino group in the presence of airBThe suspending agent ferments once water is addedCThe strained beta-lactam ring is hydrolysed in waterDAmoxicillin crystals convert to an insoluble polymorph

   Keys: 1–5 or A–E to choose, Enter to check and continue, F to mark.

   MarkCheck answer
3. 03Pharmacokinetics135 questions · 6 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • Core pharmacokinetic parameters: Vd, clearance, half-life and bioavailability
   • Dosing calculations: loading dose, maintenance dose, steady state and decay
   • Therapeutic drug monitoring: aminoglycosides, vancomycin, digoxin, lithium, phenytoin, theophylline
   • Special populations: renal and hepatic impairment, obesity, older people and bioequivalence
   • Foundations: pharmacokinetics – what the body does to the drug
   • Foundations: pharmacodynamics – what the drug does to the body
   • Foundations: dosage forms and inhaler technique
   • Foundations: the concentration–time curve and receptor types

   Sample question

   Sample question1 / 1 · 0 correct

   A drug has a half-life of 6 hours and is given regularly. After approximately how long will steady state be reached?

   A24–30 hoursB6 hoursC12 hoursD3 daysE1 week

   Keys: 1–5 or A–E to choose, Enter to check and continue, F to mark.

   MarkCheck answer
4. 04Pharmaceutics & compounding178 questions · 7.9 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • Dosage forms, bioavailability and what not to crush
   • Suspensions, emulsions and tablet excipients
   • Stability, storage and packaging
   • Sterile and hazardous compounding (USP 797 and 800)
   • Non-sterile compounding and suppositories
   • Foundations: dosage forms and inhaler technique
   • Foundations: the concentration–time curve and receptor types

   Sample question

   Sample question1 / 1 · 0 correct

   During development, a new oral drug shows high aqueous solubility across pH 1.2–6.8 but low intestinal permeability. In which class of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System does it belong?

   AClass IBClass IICClass IIIDClass IV

   Keys: 1–5 or A–E to choose, Enter to check and continue, F to mark.

   MarkCheck answer
5. 05Pharmaceutical calculations228 questions · 10.1 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • Units, percentages, ratios and dilutions
   • Moles, milliequivalents, osmolarity and isotonicity
   • Infusion rates and reconstitution
   • Dosing by body size, kidney function and age
   • Nutrition, supply quantities and safety checks

   Sample question

   Sample question1 / 1 · 0 correct

   A 45-year-old man needs a digital nerve block. The doctor draws up 5 mL of plain lidocaine 2% w/v. How many milligrams of lidocaine are in the syringe?

   A10 mgB50 mgC100 mgD1000 mg

   Keys: 1–5 or A–E to choose, Enter to check and continue, F to mark.

   MarkCheck answer
6. 06Drug interactions & adverse effects102 questions · 4.5 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • How drug interactions happen: CYP enzymes, transporters and absorption
   • High-risk interaction pairs every pharmacist must know
   • Pharmacodynamic interactions: QT prolongation, serotonin syndrome and hypertensive crisis
   • Adverse drug reactions: classification, causality assessment and reporting
7. 07Anti-infectives129 questions · 5.7 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • Antibacterial basics: mechanisms, spectrum and beta-lactam allergy
   • Common infections: urinary tract, pneumonia, MRSA and C. difficile
   • Antifungals, tuberculosis and antimalarials
   • Antivirals: influenza, herpes viruses, HIV and hepatitis B and C
   • Foundations: bacteria, the Gram stain and antibiotic targets
   • Foundations: infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship
8. 08Cardiovascular pharmacotherapy128 questions · 5.7 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • Hypertension and lipid-lowering therapy
   • Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
   • Atrial fibrillation, antiarrhythmics and digoxin
   • Anticoagulants, reversal, HIT and acute coronary syndromes
   • Foundations: anatomy of the heart
   • Foundations: conduction system and cardiac cycle
   • Foundations: circulation and blood vessels
9. 09CNS & pain pharmacotherapy108 questions · 4.8 % of the bank

   Chapters

   • Depression and antidepressants
   • Antipsychotics, lithium and bipolar disorder
   • Epilepsy, status epilepticus and Parkinson's disease
   • Pain, opioids, migraine, ADHD and smoking cessation
10. 10Endocrine & respiratory pharmacotherapy128 questions · 5.7 % of the bank

    Chapters

    • Type 2 diabetes: non-insulin drugs and organ protection
    • Insulin, Ramadan fasting and the perioperative period
    • Thyroid disease: levothyroxine and antithyroid drugs
    • Corticosteroids, bone health and women's hormones
    • Asthma, COPD and inhaler technique
    • Foundations: endocrine glands and feedback control
    • Foundations: the thyroid in the neck and endocrine emergencies
11. 11Therapeutics & special populations200 questions · 8.9 % of the bank

    Chapters

    • Respiratory and gastrointestinal therapeutics
    • Kidney, joints, pain, cancer support and drug monitoring
    • Special populations
12. 12Clinical pharmacy & OTC counselling228 questions · 10.1 % of the bank

    Chapters

    • The OTC consultation and respiratory symptoms
    • Diarrhoea, constipation and dyspepsia
    • Pain, headache, red eye and scabies
    • Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
    • Smoking cessation, interactions and drug information
13. 13Toxicology & antidotes80 questions · 3.5 % of the bank

    Chapters

    • Risk assessment, toxidromes and decontamination
    • Antidotes, enhanced elimination and envenomation
14. 14Pharmacognosy & supplements70 questions · 3.1 % of the bank

    Chapters

    • Plant-derived medicines and herbal interactions
    • Supplements, product quality and counselling
15. 15Pharmacy practice, law & ethics224 questions · 9.9 % of the bank

    Chapters

    • Prescriptions, forgery and controlled drugs
    • Medication errors: response, classification and just culture
    • Preventing errors: high-alert medicines and safe systems
    • Pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reactions
    • Ethics, confidentiality, counselling and substitution
16. 16Biostatistics, pharmacoeconomics & practice management120 questions · 5.3 % of the bank

    Chapters

    • Study designs, bias and choosing a statistical test
    • Effect measures, significance and critical appraisal
    • Pharmacoeconomics, pharmacovigilance and practice management

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From registration to licence

The usual steps with OMSB. Details can change; check the current rules with OMSB before you register.

1. Check eligibility and collect your documents (degree, experience, good standing).
2. Create an account with OMSB and submit the application.
3. Receive the exam eligibility and book a date with the test centre.
4. Sit the exam. Results usually come within days.
5. After passing: complete licensing (for example primary source verification) and receive your licence.

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