KAPS Pharmacist Syllabus, Papers & Exam Guide

KAPS, APC, KAPS, Exam Syllabus, Australia, The Pharmapedia

by Admin June 25, 2022 Abroad Career

KAPS (Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences) PAPER

KAPS tests by APC is conducted to check your knowledge and understanding of pharmaceutical sciences. Passing it confirms that you know enough to practise safely and effectively in an Australian setting.

The KAPS exam consists of 2 papers:

Paper 1^st: Pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology and physiology
Paper 2^end: Pharmaceutics and therapeutics; 100 MCQ; 120 minutes times

Passing Marks:

To pass the exam, you need:
- a mark of at least 50% in all subsections/subjects of the exam
- an overall mark of at least 50%.
If you passed 1 paper of the KAPS, you will have 2 years to pass the unsuccessful paper. If you do not pass this paper within 2 years, you’ll need to register to sit both papers again & also need to pay fee again.

No of MCQ Question & Time

Total no of MCQ :100 MCQ in each paper
Time: 120 minutes times for each paper
There will be interval of 60 minutes between both paper 1^st and paper 2^end

KAPS SYllabus

Paper 1: Pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology and physiology

Pharmaceutical chemistry topic of Paper 1:

1. Organic chemistry

Nomenclature
Drug class recognition
Reaction types
Functional group reactivity
Drug stability
Acid-base reactions

2. Stereochemistry

Nomenclature
Optical activity
Geometric isomerism
Conformation

3. Physical and inorganic chemistry

Kinetics
Acid-base reactions
Phase equilibria

4. Analytical chemistry

Spectroscopy
Redox reactions
Assay techniques
Diagnostic agents

5. Biochemistry

Nomenclature
Structures
Biochemical classes
Thermodynamics
Biochemical pathways

6. Structure-activity relationships

Relationship between a chemical or 3D structure and its biological activity

7. Medicinal chemistry

Structure-activity relationships
Drug presentation and delivery
Drug formulation and stability
Drug metabolism
Mechanism of drug action
Modern drug development
Absorption, distribution and elimination of drugs

8. Drug metabolism

Breakdown and conversion of medicines through regularly occurring bodily process, leading to active ingredients and by-products of the original medicine

Pharmacology and physiology topics of Paper 1

1. Biochemical pharmacology

Principles of drug action
Drug interactions
Receptor pharmacology
Autonomic transmission
Endocrine pharmacology
Cardiovascular pharmacology
Anti-inflammatory agents and analgesics
Antibiotics
Diuretics
Local and general anaesthetics
Vitamins
Drugs affecting nutritional and metabolic function
Drugs affecting the central nervous system

2. Systemic pharmacology

The mechanism of drug action as it relates to specific organs and disease states

3. Chemotherapy

Antibacterial drugs
Antiviral drugs
Antifungal drugs
Antiprotozoal drugs
Anthelmintic drugs
Anticancer drugs

4. Toxicology

Common side effects
Signs of toxicity
Mechanism of toxicity

5. Pathophysiology

Alteration of physiological processes by drugs or disease states

6. General physiology

Normal bodily functions including but not limited to the central nervous, digestive, cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous, respiratory, urinary, endocrine and reproductive systems and their integration
Blood and other body fluids

Paper 2: Pharmaceutics and therapeutics

Pharmaceutics topic of Paper 2

1. Physical pharmacy

Solvents
Types of preparation
Solutions
Suspensions
Emulsions

2. Biopharmaceutics

Dissolution
Drug absorption
Bioavailability and bioequivalence
Drug interactions with a biopharmaceutical basis

3. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Biological half-life
Elimination rate constants
Apparent volume of distribution
Clearance
Steady state considerations
Drug protein binding
Drug metabolism
Drug interactions
Pharmacogenetics
Relevant calculations

4. Pharmaceutical microbiology

Preservation
Antimicrobial agents
Sterilisation technology

5. Formulation

Formulation of drugs for various routes of administration
Parenteral dose forms
Controlled release preparations
Evaluation of particular dose forms

6. Dose forms, including extemporaneous preparation

Drug products
Constituent drug substances
Combination compounded products for use via various routes of administration

Therapeutics topic of Paper 2

1. Calculations

Dilutions
Percentages
Densities
Sensitivity of balance
Proportions
Isotonicity
Milliequivalents and milliosmoles
Buffers
Dose calculations from body weight or surface area
Stability

2. Posology and dose determinations

Appropriate dosages of common medications
Dosage regimens of common medications

3. Medicine choice

Demonstrating an understanding of the clinical processes used for choosing the most appropriate drug for the presenting patient and their condition

4. Surgical dressings, applications and associated drug delivery systems

Drug choices for surgical dressings
The use of and choices for surgical dressings

5. Adverse reactions to drugs

Adverse reactions for drugs
Relevant patient counselling and advice

6. Drug interactions

Drug interactions
Relevant patient counselling and advice

6. Drug information

Using information sources to find drug and health information relevant to conditions and disease states