DOH Pharmacist Exam 2026: Abu Dhabi Format, Fee & Steps
Medical exams / DOH Abu Dhabi / DOH Pharmacist exam guide
DOH Pharmacist Exam Quick Summary
Pharmacists licensed in Abu Dhabi are assessed by the Department of Health (DOH), formerly HAAD. The exam is now delivered by Pearson VUE as a computer-based MCQ test, and DOH's licensing manual sets the fee at AED 550. You apply through TAMM, need DataFlow primary source verification, and have three attempts across all UAE authorities.
This guide covers who can sit the DOH pharmacist exam, who is exempt, how to apply through TAMM, the fees in DOH's licensing manual, the attempt rules and how to prepare, with five sample questions from our DOH Pharmacist QBank.
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Who can sit the DOH pharmacist exam
Abu Dhabi follows the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), which DOH adopted in its third version in 2025. For the Pharmacist title you need:
- A pharmacy degree (BPharm, MPharm or PharmD). A diploma leads to the Pharmacy Technician title, not Pharmacist.
- The experience the PQR sets for your degree and country of training.
- A valid licence and a certificate of good standing issued within the last six months.
- Primary source verification of your degree, licence and experience. DOH's manual lists the verification fee as AED 990.
- No gap in practice beyond the PQR limits, or the CPD and supervised practice it requires to cover the gap.
Who is exempt from the DOH pharmacist exam
DOH's licensing manual (Circular 151/2024) exempts these applicants from the assessment:
- UAE nationals and children of Emirati mothers.
- Pharmacists with a valid DHA or MOHAP licence for the same title, or one that expired within the last six months, in good standing.
- Pharmacists whose DOH licence was cancelled within the last five years.
- Pharmacists who passed the DOH assessment for the same title within the last five years.
An exemption replaces only the exam. You still go through verification and DOH's licensing review.
How to apply, step by step
Confirm your degree, title and experience against the current PQR before you pay anything.
Abu Dhabi's licensing applications are made through the TAMM platform. Your application reference starts with HPREG or HPACT.
Your degree, licence and experience are verified at the source by DOH's verification provider.
When DOH licensing approves you for the assessment, you pay the exam fee in TAMM. The approval lasts six months.
Use the Pearson VUE link under Actions in TAMM to book your seat, then sit the exam within the approval window.
Exam format and pass mark
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Pearson VUE (DOH moved from Prometric) |
| Type | Computer-based single best answer MCQs |
| Length | DOH's manual gives 50 to 100 MCQs in one to two hours, depending on the title |
| Result | Pass or fail; DOH does not publish a pass mark |
| Clinical Pharmacist title | A separate computer-based exam plus an oral assessment, AED 600 |
Because DOH does not publish the exact question count or pass mark for each title, check the details on your booking confirmation and aim to score well above 60% in practice tests.
What the exam covers
DOH does not publish a blueprint for pharmacists. Gulf pharmacist exams draw on the same core areas, and the weights below are our guide to where to spend your time:
An 8-week study plan
| Weeks | Focus | Daily target |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Clinical pharmacotherapy: cardiovascular, endocrine, infections, respiratory, CNS | 40 to 50 MCQs, then read every explanation |
| 4 to 5 | Pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics and calculations | 40 MCQs and 10 calculations |
| 6 | Law, ethics, management, medication safety and OTC counselling | 40 MCQs |
| 7 | Two full timed mocks | Review each mock the next day |
| 8 | Weak areas and a final mock | Book when you score well above the pass mark |
Recommended books
DOH does not publish a reading list. These are the standard references most Gulf pharmacist candidates use:
| Book | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy | Covers the whole syllabus in exam order; the most used single review. |
| Comprehensive Pharmacy Review (Shargel) | Good second explanation, with practice questions after each chapter. |
| Applied Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics (Shargel) | For kinetics questions and dosing calculations. |
| Pharmaceutical Calculations (Ansel) | Calculation practice, which candidates often underestimate. |
| Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach (DiPiro) | Reference for clinical management questions. |
Sample DOH Pharmacist MCQs
These five questions come from the free trial of our DOH Pharmacist QBank, covering clinical, pharmaceutical and practice topics. Tap a question to see the answer and explanation.
A 52-year-old man with hypertension resistant to four drugs is started on oral minoxidil 5 mg daily by a specialist clinic. The medicines information pharmacist is asked to summarise the essential co-prescribing requirement and the main adverse effect to warn the patient about. Which answer is correct?A. Give with allopurinol; warn about goutB. Give with a beta blocker and a loop diuretic; warn about increased facial and body hairC. Give with a potassium-sparing diuretic; warn about gynaecomastiaD. Give with a proton pump inhibitor; warn about peptic ulceration
Answer: B. Give with a beta blocker and a loop diuretic; warn about increased facial and body hair
Explanation: Minoxidil (as its active sulfate metabolite) opens ATP-sensitive potassium channels in arteriolar smooth muscle. Hyperpolarisation closes voltage-gated calcium channels, giving powerful arteriolar dilatation and a large fall in blood pressure. Two compensatory responses follow: baroreflex sympathetic activation with tachycardia and the risk of angina, and marked sodium and water retention with oedema, which can reach pericardial effusion and heart failure.
A 68-year-old woman takes alendronic acid 70 mg once weekly every Sunday morning for osteoporosis. On Tuesday afternoon she realises she forgot Sunday's tablet. She asks what to do. Which advice is correct?A. Take it now with a glass of milk, then take the next one on SundayB. Take one tablet tomorrow (Wednesday) morning as usual, then return to her normal Sunday doseC. Take two tablets next Sunday to catch upD. Skip it and wait 2 weeks before restarting
Answer: B. Take one tablet tomorrow (Wednesday) morning as usual, then return to her normal Sunday dose
Explanation: For weekly alendronic acid, the manufacturer's advice for a missed dose is to take one tablet on the morning after she remembers, then return to her usual weekly day. She must not take two tablets on the same day. Taking it this afternoon would break the administration rules: it must be taken on waking, on an empty stomach, with a full glass of plain water, at least 30 minutes before food, drink or other medicines, staying upright.
A 26-year-old woman with asthma who is 10 weeks pregnant stopped her budesonide-formoterol 200/6 maintenance and reliever inhaler as soon as she found out she was pregnant, fearing harm to the baby. She now wakes three nights a week with cough and wheeze. What is the most appropriate advice?A. Use salbutamol only when needed until deliveryB. Switch to montelukast 10 mg dailyC. Stop all inhalers until the second trimesterD. Restart budesonide-formoterol as previously prescribed
Answer: D. Restart budesonide-formoterol as previously prescribed
Explanation: Poorly controlled asthma in pregnancy increases the risk of pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, low birth weight and perinatal mortality, mainly through maternal hypoxia. Inhaled corticosteroids have reassuring safety data, and budesonide has the most human pregnancy data. Long-acting beta-2 agonists such as formoterol are also considered acceptable.
A 72-year-old woman on a medical ward has a fine-bore nasogastric tube inserted for feeding after a stroke. Before giving her first medicines through it, the nurse aspirates 2 mL of fluid, which gives a pH of 6.5 on CE-marked pH paper. The patient takes omeprazole. She asks the pharmacist whether she can go ahead. What is the most appropriate advice?A. Inject 20 mL of air and listen over the stomach for a whoosh to confirm positionB. Flush the tube with 30 mL of water, then give the medicinesC. Test the aspirate with blue litmus paper insteadD. Do not use the tube; retest after a short wait and, if pH is still above 5.5, confirm position by chest X-ray
Answer: D. Do not use the tube; retest after a short wait and, if pH is still above 5.5, confirm position by chest X-ray
Explanation: A misplaced nasogastric tube in the airway or lung can cause fatal aspiration of feed or medicines, so position must be confirmed before every use. Patient safety guidance accepts an aspirate pH of 1 to 5.5, tested with CE-marked pH indicator paper, as evidence of gastric placement. A pH of 6.5 does not confirm this; it may mean the tube is in the lung or oesophagus, or that acid suppression (omeprazole) has raised gastric pH.
A hospital medication safety committee is building a list of high-alert medications that will need extra safeguards such as restricted access, standard concentrations and warning labels. Using the ISMP list of high-alert medications in acute care, which of these medicines should be included?A. OmeprazoleB. AmlodipineC. RocuroniumD. Cefazolin
Answer: C. Rocuronium
Explanation: High-alert medications are drugs that carry a heightened risk of significant patient harm when used in error. Errors with them are not necessarily more common, but their consequences are more severe. Neuromuscular blocking agents such as rocuronium, vecuronium, atracurium and suxamethonium (succinylcholine) are on the ISMP list because a patient given one in error, without airway support, becomes paralysed but stays awake and stops breathing.
Want to try more DOH Pharmacist questions?
Start with 30 free questions from the same QBank, each with a full explanation, then unlock the full bank when you are ready.
Fees
| Item | Amount (DOH Circular 151/2024) |
|---|---|
| Assessment | AED 550 (booking AED 100 plus scheduling AED 450) |
| Primary source verification | AED 990 |
| New licence registration | AED 150 for one year |
DOH updates its fees from time to time, so check the amount shown in TAMM before you pay.
Results and attempts
Results are pass or fail and usually appear in your account within a day or two. A pass stays valid for five years, so you can complete licensing and find a job in that time.
Applicants who have failed the exam for the same title more than three times across all UAE health authorities cannot continue. All attempts must fall within your six-month approval window; cancelling or missing an exam does not count as an attempt, but you may need to restart credentialing.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DOH pharmacist exam still with Prometric?
No. DOH assessments are now delivered by Pearson VUE, and you book through the link in your TAMM application.
What is the fee for the DOH pharmacist exam?
AED 550 under DOH's licensing manual: AED 100 for booking and AED 450 for scheduling. Verification costs AED 990 more.
What is the passing score?
DOH does not publish a pass mark. Results are reported only as pass or fail.
Do I need the exam if I have a DHA or MOHAP licence?
No, if it is for the same title, valid or expired within six months, and you are in good standing.
How many attempts are allowed?
Three for the same title across all UAE authorities, all within your six-month approval window.
How long is a pass valid?
Five years from the exam date.
Ready to pass the DOH pharmacist exam?
Practise with exam-style pharmacist MCQs written for Abu Dhabi, with full explanations and timed tests.
The infectious disease and emergency sections were my favorites. The explanations covered the reasoning step by step. I often read the explanation even when I got a question right. More...