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RCSI sample medical preparations on the RCSI theory paper

The 33 preparations on the RCSI list from 6 September 2025: aspirin to Symbicort under the seven RCSI headings, how the five antihypertensives work, syringe driver drugs, falls high-risk medicines.

81 multiple-choice questions, each with an explanation and the document it was checked against. Three questions are free; the pass opens the other 78 and every other topic. Wrong answers come back first the next time you practise, and a question counts as mastered after two correct answers in a row.

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Question 1
How much alcohol does HSE say a person taking metformin may drink?
1. AUp to the weekly low-risk limit in one evening
2. BNone at all while on the drug
3. CNo more than 2 units a day
4. DOnly spirits, not beer or wine
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Answer: C. HSE: you can drink alcohol while taking metformin but do not drink more than 2 units of alcohol per day, because alcohol raises the risk of lactic acidosis and of low blood sugar. Long-term metformin can also lower vitamin B12, causing tiredness, a sore red tongue and pins and needles.
Source: HSE medicines A to Z: Metformin, about
Question 2
What should a patient know about the shelf life of GTN tablets?
1. AThey must be replaced every 48 hours because the nitrate evaporates quickly
2. BThey keep for years if stored in the fridge and taken out only when needed
3. CThey last until the printed expiry date regardless of when the bottle was first opened or how it is stored
4. DThey usually expire about 8 weeks after the bottle is opened; the spray lasts much longer
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Answer: D. HSE angina: GTN tablets usually expire about 8 weeks after the packet is opened and need replacing after that; GTN spray lasts much longer, so it may be more convenient. Keeping an out-of-date tablet means the attack medicine may not work when needed.
Source: HSE: Angina, treatment, medicines to treat attacks
Question 3
Olanzapine is on the falls high-risk list. Which of its common effects explains that?
1. AFeeling sleepy and dizzy
2. BFrequent urination at night
3. CBlurred distance vision
4. DTremor of the hands
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Answer: A. Olanzapine SmPC 4.8: the most frequently reported adverse reactions in trials were somnolence, weight gain, raised prolactin, cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides, increased appetite, dizziness and orthostatic hypotension; section 4.7 says that because olanzapine may cause somnolence and dizziness patients should be cautioned about operating machinery. Sedation plus dizziness and postural hypotension is the falls mechanism.
Source: HPRA Summary of Product Characteristics: Olanzapine 10 mg film-coated tablets (PA0126/210/004), sections 4.7 and 4.8

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RCSI sample medical preparations: RCSI aptitude test practice questions

RCSI sample medical preparations on the RCSI theory paper

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