What is the DHA pharmacist exam?
The DHA Pharmacist exam (code PHO5481) is the computer-based, multiple-choice test Dubai Health Authority uses to assess pharmacists applying for a Dubai licence under the unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR). Prometric delivers it, and DHA reports the result in your Sheryan account as Pass or Fail only.
The exam format
| Exam code | PHO5481 (Pharmacist) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 150 multiple-choice questions |
| Time | 3 hours. DHA says this includes registration and the introduction, not only the questions. |
| Pass score | 60%, as published in the DHA CBT guideline (updated Sep 2026). DHA states it can change the format or pass score without updating the guideline. |
| Fee | USD 240, paid to Prometric by card when you book |
| Result | Pass or Fail in Sheryan, usually within 2 working days. Your score is not shared. |
| Attempts | Up to three under the unified PQR. Failing the third attempt blocks a new DHA application for two years, with limited exceptions. |
To book, you open a Sheryan account, copy your DHA unique ID, generate an eligibility ID and schedule with Prometric. Rescheduling or cancelling must be done at least five calendar days before the exam. Pharmacy technicians sit a separate exam (PHT5451) with a different pass score.
What the exam covers
DHA lists these coverage areas for the Pharmacist exam:
- Clinical pharmacology and therapeutic decision making
- Pharmaceutical care and disease state management
- Pharmacokinetics and clinical pharmacogenomics
- Pharmacy calculation and compounding, including sterile and non-sterile compounding
- Pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics
- Medicinal chemistry and toxicology
- Over-the-counter medication, pharmacognosy and dietary supplements
- Medication safety and infection control
- Pharmacy law and ethics
Our 111 questions follow these 9 areas, using generic drug names only. Every calculation question shows the full working in its explanation.
Pharmacists applying to DOH in Abu Dhabi or to MOHAP are licensed under the same unified PQR, but those regulators run their own exams and the DHA guideline does not cover their format.
Free official resources, and what we add
DHA publishes the CBT guideline (format, coverage and reference books such as the APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy, Comprehensive Pharmacy Review, Goodman and Gilman, Shargel's biopharmaceutics and Ansel's Pharmaceutical Calculations) and the Manual for Professional Assessment. It does not publish practice questions. We add original exam-style questions, an explanation for every answer that names its source, and timed mock exams. Our mock is 50 questions in 60 minutes, the same pace as the real exam (150 questions in 3 hours).
How to prepare
- Read the PHO5481 entry in the DHA CBT guideline and note the coverage areas and reference books.
- Take the 5 free questions to find your weak topics.
- Practise calculations daily: alligation, dilutions, mEq, infusion rates and isotonicity.
- Learn the core pharmacokinetic equations for half-life, loading dose, maintenance dose and creatinine clearance.
- Revise major interactions, antidotes and high-alert medicines.
- Sit timed mocks at the real pace of just over a minute per question.
- Book through Sheryan and Prometric once you are scoring well above 60% across every topic.
Practice questions with answers
Tap a question to see the correct answer and explanation.
What is the mechanism of action of statins such as atorvastatin?
- Inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase in cholesterol synthesis
- Inhibition of cholesterol absorption at the brush border
- Activation of PPAR-alpha to lower triglycerides
- Binding of bile acids in the gut
Answer: A, Inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase in cholesterol synthesis. Statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in hepatic cholesterol synthesis, increasing LDL receptor expression. Ezetimibe blocks absorption, fibrates activate PPAR-alpha and resins bind bile acids. Source: Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (DHA PHO5481 reference list), Drug therapy for hypercholesterolaemia.
Which is the widely used definition of pharmaceutical care (Hepler and Strand, 1990)?
- The responsible provision of drug therapy to achieve definite outcomes that improve quality of life
- Dispensing every prescription accurately and on time
- Supplying medicines at the lowest cost to the health system
- Advising doctors on which drug brand to prescribe
Answer: A, The responsible provision of drug therapy to achieve definite outcomes that improve quality of life. Hepler and Strand defined pharmaceutical care as the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patient's quality of life. It focuses on patient outcomes rather than supply. Source: Hepler CD, Strand LM, Am J Hosp Pharm 1990; APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy (DHA PHO5481 reference list).
A drug has a volume of distribution of 50 L and a clearance of 5 L/h. What is its elimination half-life?
- About 10 hours
- About 3.5 hours
- About 6.9 hours
- About 0.1 hours
Answer: C, About 6.9 hours. t1/2 = 0.693 x Vd / CL = 0.693 x 50 / 5 = 6.93 hours. 10 hours is Vd/CL without the 0.693 factor; 0.1 is the elimination rate constant (CL/Vd, per hour). Source: Shargel, Applied Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics (DHA PHO5481 reference list), One-compartment model.