WHO Drug Dictionary (WHO-DD) MCQs With Answer

WHO Drug Dictionary (WHO-DD) MCQs With Answer

The WHO Drug Dictionary (WHO-DD) is a standardized medicinal product dictionary used for coding drugs in clinical trials, pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology. It links trade names, International Nonproprietary Names (INN), pharmaceutical form, route, strength and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification to unique dictionary records. Maintained by the Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC), WHO-DD enables consistent adverse-event and concomitant medication reporting, synonym mapping and combination product coding. B. Pharm students should learn WHO-DD structure, coding rules, ATC mapping and practical use in regulatory submissions and safety databases. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. What is the primary purpose of the WHO Drug Dictionary (WHO-DD)?

• To classify microbes by susceptibility
• To standardize coding of medicinal products for safety and clinical data
• To provide dosing guidelines for pharmacists
• To replace the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) system

Correct Answer: To standardize coding of medicinal products for safety and clinical data

Q2. Which organization maintains the WHO Drug Dictionary?

• World Health Organization Central Pharmacy
• Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC)
• International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
• European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Correct Answer: Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC)

Q3. Which classification system is commonly linked to WHO-DD entries for therapeutic classification?

• Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)
• Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification
• International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
• British National Formulary (BNF)

Correct Answer: Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification

Q4. Which field in WHO-DD stores the standardized generic name?

• Trade name
• Manufacturer name
• International Nonproprietary Name (INN)
• Pharmacopoeial monograph

Correct Answer: International Nonproprietary Name (INN)

Q5. How are proprietary or brand names represented in WHO-DD?

• They are not included at all
• As trade name/synonym entries linking to a standard record
• Only by manufacturer registry number
• Stored as ATC codes

Correct Answer: As trade name/synonym entries linking to a standard record

Q6. How does WHO-DD handle combination products (multiple active ingredients)?

• It deletes combination entries to avoid complexity
• Combines them into a single record linking all active moieties
• Requires each ingredient to be coded separately and never together
• Maps only the first listed active ingredient

Correct Answer: Combines them into a single record linking all active moieties

Q7. Which major discipline most frequently uses WHO-DD for adverse event reporting?

• Microbiology
• Pharmacovigilance
• Industrial pharmacy manufacturing
• Analytical chemistry

Correct Answer: Pharmacovigilance

Q8. If a drug name is not found in the WHO-DD, what is the recommended action?

• Invent a new code locally and continue
• Submit a query to the dictionary maintainers or map using coding rules
• Always classify it as unknown with no follow-up
• Assign a random ATC code

Correct Answer: Submit a query to the dictionary maintainers or map using coding rules

Q9. What term describes the pharmacologically active component recorded by WHO-DD?

• Excipent
• Active moiety
• Product lot number
• Packaging code

Correct Answer: Active moiety

Q10. Which element is NOT typically a data field in WHO-DD records?

• Pharmaceutical form
• Route of administration
• Adverse event Preferred Term (MedDRA)
• Strength and unit

Correct Answer: Adverse event Preferred Term (MedDRA)

Q11. How are synonyms and alternate spellings treated in WHO-DD?

• They are ignored to avoid duplication
• They are mapped as synonyms to a single preferred dictionary record
• Each spelling gets a separate independent record
• They are stored only in free-text notes

Correct Answer: They are mapped as synonyms to a single preferred dictionary record

Q12. What is the relationship between WHO-DD and MedDRA in safety reporting?

• WHO-DD replaces MedDRA for adverse events
• WHO-DD codes drugs while MedDRA codes medical events; they are complementary
• MedDRA codes drugs and WHO-DD codes diseases
• They are identical systems with different names

Correct Answer: WHO-DD codes drugs while MedDRA codes medical events; they are complementary

Q13. Which WHO-DD field helps identify the drug’s physical presentation (tablet, injection)?

• Pharmaceutical form
• Manufacturer site
• Regulatory status
• Batch expiry

Correct Answer: Pharmaceutical form

Q14. For correct coding, what level of specificity should be chosen when multiple matches exist?

• Select the most general active ingredient only
• Select the most specific product record available
• Always choose the cheapest product
• Pick the first alphabetic match

Correct Answer: Select the most specific product record available

Q15. Which code or identifier uniquely links a WHO-DD record internally?

• ATC chapter letter only
• WHO-DD unique dictionary code/identifier
• Manufacturer VAT number
• Pharmacopoeia reference

Correct Answer: WHO-DD unique dictionary code/identifier

Q16. How does WHO-DD treat different salt forms (e.g., amoxicillin trihydrate vs amoxicillin)?

• Salt forms are merged into active moiety/base mapping
• Salt forms are deleted
• Salt forms are always coded as entirely separate drugs without relation
• Salt forms are ignored and only manufacturer recorded

Correct Answer: Salt forms are merged into active moiety/base mapping

Q17. In what way is WHO-DD useful for regulatory submissions?

• It provides standardised drug coding facilitating consistent reporting
• It replaces the need for clinical study reports
• It is used to approve marketing authorizations directly
• It lists approved prices for medicines

Correct Answer: It provides standardised drug coding facilitating consistent reporting

Q18. Which of the following best describes how strengths are represented in WHO-DD?

• Only in text, no units allowed
• As numeric quantity with unit linked to the product record
• By image of label only
• Strength information is never included

Correct Answer: As numeric quantity with unit linked to the product record

Q19. Who is responsible for assigning ATC codes used in WHO-DD mapping?

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (WHOCC)
• European Pharmacopoeia Commission
• International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)

Correct Answer: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (WHOCC)

Q20. When coding a herbal product in WHO-DD, what is essential for accurate mapping?

• Only the local trade name is sufficient
• Scientific/botanical name and standardized ingredient information
• Price and country of sale
• Color of packaging

Correct Answer: Scientific/botanical name and standardized ingredient information

Q21. What is a practical benefit for B. Pharm students learning WHO-DD?

• They can perform surgical procedures
• They gain skills in drug coding, safety reporting and data standardization
• They will no longer need to study pharmacology
• They can replace national drug registries

Correct Answer: They gain skills in drug coding, safety reporting and data standardization

Q22. How are manufacturer-specific formulations identified in WHO-DD?

• Only by country flag
• By linking trade name, manufacturer and product record
• Manufacturer details are not recorded
• Only by pricing codes

Correct Answer: By linking trade name, manufacturer and product record

Q23. Which of the following is a common use of WHO-DD in clinical trials?

• Encoding concomitant medications and investigational product details
• Designing the trial protocol objectives
• Randomising subjects by drug codes automatically
• Measuring drug plasma concentrations

Correct Answer: Encoding concomitant medications and investigational product details

Q24. How does WHO-DD improve data quality in adverse event databases?

• By providing a standardised dictionary to reduce variation in drug names
• By removing all free-text entries permanently
• By automatically fixing clinical data errors
• By anonymizing patient identifiers

Correct Answer: By providing a standardised dictionary to reduce variation in drug names

Q25. Which option best describes the ATC first-level code?

• Manufacturer identifier
• Main anatomical or pharmacological group
• Batch number
• Strength unit

Correct Answer: Main anatomical or pharmacological group

Q26. When mapping a medication, if multiple possible WHO-DD matches exist, what additional information is most helpful?

• Color of the pill
• Strength, pharmaceutical form and manufacturer
• Retail price
• Size of the pharmacy

Correct Answer: Strength, pharmaceutical form and manufacturer

Q27. Which statement about WHO-DD updates is correct?

• The dictionary is static and never updated
• The dictionary is updated periodically to include new products and corrections
• Users must manually delete old entries each year
• Updates only occur when a drug is withdrawn globally

Correct Answer: The dictionary is updated periodically to include new products and corrections

Q28. For ambiguous trade names, which practice ensures correct WHO-DD coding?

• Assume the most common product worldwide
• Verify additional details like strength, formulation and manufacturer
• Omit the entry from analysis
• Use the earliest alphabetic match

Correct Answer: Verify additional details like strength, formulation and manufacturer

Q29. How are over-the-counter (OTC) products treated in WHO-DD?

• OTC products are excluded entirely
• OTC products are included and coded like other medicinal products
• They are only listed regionally without codes
• OTC products are merged under a single OTC code

Correct Answer: OTC products are included and coded like other medicinal products

Q30. Which coding habit is recommended when entering medications into safety databases using WHO-DD?

• Prefer shorthand local names over standardized entries
• Use the most specific dictionary record and record supporting details
• Enter only the INN and ignore strength or form
• Wait for regulatory approval before coding any concomitant medication

Correct Answer: Use the most specific dictionary record and record supporting details

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