منهج امتحان OPRA: دليل شامل لمكونات الاختبار

The OPRA exam syllabus targets international pharmacists who wish to practice in Australia. This exam has undergone significant changes recently, including changing its name from “Knowledge Assessment in Pharmaceutical Sciences” (KAPS) to “International Pharmacists Readiness Assessment” (OPRA), in addition to modifications to the number of papers, exam duration, content, exam methodology, and approved curricula, to ensure its alignment with developments in the pharmacy profession. Therefore, we have been keen to provide a comprehensive professional course on the OPRA exam syllabus that qualifies pharmacists for this exam at Dr. Ahmed Yassin Center with a team of the best specialists.

Major Changes to the OPRA Exam Syllabus

Although the content of the OPRA exam syllabus remains close to that of the Knowledge Assessment in Pharmaceutical Sciences (KAPS), there is a greater emphasis on therapeutic applications and practical use of knowledge. This change reflects the evolving role of pharmacists in Australia, as they become increasingly important in the delivery of healthcare and the effective management of medicines. The new syllabus aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of knowledge and skills, ensuring pharmacists are prepared for their internship and future careers in healthcare.

What is the new OPRA exam syllabus 2025?

The OPRA examination syllabus aims to assess the readiness of international pharmacists to work in the Australian healthcare environment, by measuring their knowledge and abilities in the necessary pharmaceutical areas. The examination includes five main areas, in which questions are distributed in precise proportions that focus on the importance of each area in the practice of pharmacy. This is a detailed explanation of each area and its importance:

Biomedical Sciences (20%)

Biomedical Sciences is a core part of the OPRA exam curriculum, focusing on the study of normal and abnormal body functions, from cellular processes to how diseases and disorders affect these functions. This section aims to assess pharmacists’ knowledge of factors affecting overall health, and their understanding of diagnosing and managing disease symptoms. Core areas of biomedical sciences:

Physiological processes and normal body functions of all body systems: This part of the OPRA exam syllabus covers an understanding of the basic physiological processes and functions of the various systems in the body, such as the central nervous system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, lymphatic system, respiratory system, urinary system, hormonal system, and reproductive system, as well as blood and other body fluids and how these systems work together to maintain a healthy balance in the body.
Pathophysiology: This subject deals with changes in normal physiological processes that lead to the development of disease states. It studies the influence of genetic, environmental, chemical (e.g., drugs), physical injury, and infectious agents on the development of diseases. Knowledge of pathophysiology helps pharmacists understand how disease begins and progresses, which contributes to determining appropriate treatments.
Medical Microbiology: This field deals with pathogens including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other parasites, and aims to understand how infections develop and affect the body, which helps pharmacists provide effective antimicrobial treatments and reduce the risk of infection.
Immunology: Immunology covers the body's response mechanisms to pathogens, looking at how the body defends itself against pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. It also includes the study of vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases, enhancing the role of pharmacists in advising on immunization and protecting public health.
Disorders affecting body fluids: This section includes the study of fluid and electrolyte disorders, acid-base balance disorders, and blood disorders. This knowledge provides an important basis for pharmacists in diagnosing and treating conditions that require adjustment of fluid and electrolyte levels in the body, which improves the body's balance and vital functions.
Symptoms and physiological values of pathological conditions and disorders: This section of the OPRA exam syllabus covers the signs and symptoms associated with diseases and disorders, as well as the diagnostic tests and laboratory tests that help determine a patient's health status. Understanding these symptoms and values helps pharmacists provide an accurate initial diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment guidelines.

Medicinal Chemistry and Biopharmaceuticals (10%)

Medicinal Chemistry and Biopharmaceuticals is an important pillar of the OPRA exam curriculum, as it deals with the principles of drug design and development, including factors influencing the selection of materials and methods of drug preparation to ensure their effectiveness and safety. This section helps assess the pharmacist's knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of drugs, how they are formulated and distributed in the body. The main contents of the OPRA exam curriculum Medicinal Chemistry and Biopharmaceuticals:

Physical and chemical properties of drugs (ADME): This section deals with the physical and chemical properties that affect the absorption and distribution of a drug, as well as its metabolism and excretion from the body, and requires the pharmacist to understand how these properties interact with the human body to ensure that the appropriate dose is delivered in the best possible way.
Drug delivery formulations: This topic covers a variety of dosage forms used to deliver drugs, such as solids, liquids, aqueous and non-aqueous solutions, and emulsions. Each formulation aims to improve the absorption and efficacy of the drug in the body, and the pharmacist needs to understand how physical properties affect the effectiveness of the drug.
Stability of drugs and chemicals: This section focuses on the mechanisms that may lead to drug degradation, such as hydrolysis and oxidation, as well as the effects of temperature and pH. Drug stability is essential to maintain their effectiveness and avoid any unwanted side effects, requiring pharmacists to ensure proper storage conditions.
solubility: This section is concerned with studying the factors that affect the dissolution of drugs and their transfer between different media, including the dynamics of dissolution and temperature. Understanding solubility is essential for improving drug formulation and methods of administration, which ensures achieving optimal drug efficacy.
Drug formulation and delivery methodsThis topic covers the materials used and methods of preparing drug delivery systems for different routes of administration, such as oral, respiratory, cutaneous, intramuscular, ophthalmic, nasal, rectal, and vaginal. These formulations allow the drug to be delivered effectively to the desired location in the body, contributing to a rapid and safe therapeutic effect.
Microbiology Pharmacist: This section covers the preservation methods used to ensure that medicines are free from microbial contamination, as well as antimicrobial agents and sterilization methods. Pharmaceutical microbiology plays a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of medicines and reducing the possibility of contamination, thus maintaining the quality of the pharmaceutical product.

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (10%)

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are vital topics in the OPRA exam syllabus, covering how drugs affect the body and how the body affects drugs. This area is essential for understanding how drugs work and how various factors, including pathological changes, affect the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs. Key topics in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics:

Drug metabolism: This topic covers the chemical and biochemical basis of drug action, as well as the different metabolic pathways. This includes studying how a drug is absorbed, distributed in the body, and converted into a form that can be excreted, as well as considering receptor theory, signal transduction mechanisms, and molecular pharmacology.
Principles of pharmacokinetics: This section covers basic concepts such as bioavailability, bioequivalence, biological half-life, elimination, distribution, and protein binding, and also addresses steady-state considerations of interest to pharmacists in therapeutic management.
Factors affecting the effect of drugs: This topic focuses on the determinants that influence the onset and duration of a drug's effect, as well as the influence of factors such as diseases, health conditions, and diet on absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. This knowledge helps pharmacists evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments.
Pharmacokinetic data evaluation: This part of the OPRA exam syllabus includes the study of drug interaction dynamics and the analysis of drug concentration-time curves. It also covers how to interpret pharmacokinetic data for drugs with a low therapeutic index.
Use of pharmacokinetic data in the treatment of patients: Highlights how pharmacokinetics can be used to calculate, evaluate and tailor drug therapies, including monitoring and adjusting doses in renal and hepatic impairment, use of loading doses and time to steady state.

Pharmacology and Toxicology (15%)

Pharmacology and Toxicology is a core part of the OPRA exam curriculum. This area covers how drugs affect the body, the mechanism of action of common chemicals and toxins, as well as identifying toxic effects and managing adverse effects. Key topics in Pharmacology and Toxicology:

Effect of drugs on the body: This section focuses on the study of the effect of drugs on different organs and systems in the body. Topics covered include dose-response relationships, types of agonists (full agonists, partial agonists, antagonists), and factors that influence clinical response such as genotype and interaction with enzymes.
Receptor theory: This part of the OPRA exam syllabus covers drug-receptor interactions, how drugs affect these receptors, including the study of dose-response curves, and mechanisms of sensitization (adaptation) and hypersensitivity.
Mechanisms of action of drugs: This topic reviews the mechanisms of action of different classes of drugs and how they relate to organs and disease states, including central nervous system pharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, cancer pharmacology, blood pressure lowering drugs, and lipid disorders drugs.
Adverse drug interactions: This section covers the side effects of drugs and how to manage them, as well as the mechanisms that lead to drug interactions, including identifying adverse effects and how to evaluate them.
Drug interactions: Drug interactions are comprehensively covered, including drug interactions with each other and with receptors, enzyme-substrate relationships, as well as hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions.
Drug toxicity and its treatment: This section focuses on drug and chemical overdoses, their antidotes, symptoms and signs associated with toxicity, their mechanisms and how to manage them.
Factors affecting changes in potency and toxicity: This part of the OPRA exam syllabus addresses factors that may influence the efficacy and toxicity of drugs, including pharmacokinetic factors (such as absorption, biotransformation, and renal excretion), physiologic factors (such as age, sex, genetics, and pregnancy), and pathologic factors (such as liver disease and renal failure).

Treatments and patient care (45%)

The Treatment and Patient Care domain is a vital part of the OPRA exam curriculum. This domain focuses on the clinical application of health-related content from the previous four domains. This domain includes principles of health promotion, disease prevention, good use of medications, selection of medications for special populations, and provision of information about medications. Key themes in Treatment and Patient Care:

Examination and evaluation: This section covers the calculation of basic patient assessment criteria, such as body mass index (BMI) and creatinine clearance measurements, which are an important part of assessing the overall health status of patients.
Dosage calculation: This topic covers how to calculate appropriate dosages, including amount of drug, number of doses, basing dosages on weight/body surface area/age or other pharmacokinetic parameters, and also covers the concepts of ratio and proportion, percentages, stocks, dilution, concentrations, miscibility, electrolyte solutions (mmol/mmol), reconstitution, infusion flow rates, and osmotic balance.
Primary health care: This part of the OPRA exam curriculum focuses on choosing appropriate options for disease management and maintaining health, as well as identifying situations in which non-pharmacological treatment is most appropriate.
Safe and effective use of medicines in special populations: This section requires consideration of the use of medicines, precautions and contraindications in special groups such as the elderly, children under 12 years of age, and pregnant or lactating women.
Safe and effective use of medications: This topic includes monitoring and reviewing management options, including the use of medications and promoting adherence to treatment by patients.
Minimize harm: This section discusses strategies to reduce medication misuse and abuse at the patient and community levels.
Health promotion and disease prevention: This section requires knowledge of general approaches to health promotion and disease prevention, including measures to promote general health and the correct use of non-pharmacological treatment options.
confidentiality: This topic in the OPRA exam syllabus includes an understanding of the general principles of maintaining confidentiality and professionalism when providing medication information and handling patient records.

Why choose Dr. Ahmed Yassin Center?

Dr. Ahmed Yassin Center is considered one of the leading centers in providing training courses and accredited certificates in the English language, especially in the field of certificate equivalency and the OPRA exam curriculum for people seeking to obtain equivalency for their certificates in nursing, pharmacy and other specialties. Here are some of the prominent advantages of this center:

Specialized educational programsThe center offers specialized educational programs designed to meet the needs of students wishing to improve their language skills or obtain accredited certificates. These programs include courses in basic language skills, in addition to advanced courses.
Qualified trainers: The center includes a team of qualified and certified trainers who have extensive experience in the field of education and training. These trainers are distinguished by their ability to deliver information in effective and simplified ways.
Comfortable learning environment: The center is characterized by a comfortable and stimulating educational environment, as the classrooms are equipped with the latest educational tools, which facilitates the learning process for students.
Ongoing support for students: The center is keen to provide continuous support to students, whether through academic consultations or assistance in choosing appropriate programs. Support is also available during the training period to ensure that students understand the content.
Program diversity: The center offers a variety of training programs that include language skills and preparation for certificate equivalency tests, which meet the needs of different categories of students.
Reasonable price: The center has reasonable pricing for its courses compared to the quality of education and services provided, making it an attractive option for students.
Excellent reputation: Dr. Ahmed Yassin Center enjoys an excellent reputation among students and graduates, which reflects the quality of education and services it provides.