I found that it is not about studying a lot, but studying the right topics in effective ways. I completely changed the way I studied for this exam compared to my previous methods and passed on the first try. I used to read and read and write all my notes over and over to memorize. Didn't do it this time.
I work full time and studied on my off hours. I am an out of state pharmacist.
I studied the ebay pharmacy charts almost exclusively..with some RXprep. I basically made flash cards from the information I got from the charts.
I used Anki or Quizlet to make flashcards. Studied the flashcards everywhere and in every free moment.
I read through weissman once and did the practice questions. I made flash cards from the information from the book.
I did the CPJE practice questions twice and memorized the answers.
I made final cram notes for the final days.
I got plenty of rest, and went all in, committed to passing the exam.
I studied IV compatibility, IV to PO, stability, top 200, brand vs generic, special brand vs generics with regard to dosage forms, differences between brand names with the same generic, combination drugs, general adverse effects and black box warnings, pregnancy categories, vaccines, shake/no shake, eat with food/no food, refrigerate/no refrigerate etc. I studied exceptions. If there was something special about the drug, I made sure I knew it. I used a few acronyms and immediately wrote them down on my notes before starting the exam.
I finished the exam in 4o minutes. I passed with a 87. I was VERY worried about my results after I left the exam....but turned out it was time wasted worrying. Don't give up. I have failed many times in my life, and I know it made me stronger. You only will improve from here.
