A pharmacist prepares powders with a substance hard to comminute. What substance should be comminuted with a volatile liquid?
A pharmacist has prepared powders including extract of belladonna in the amount of 0,015 per dose. For ten doses he had to take the following amount of dry extract:
A pharmacy has prepared a solution of macromolecular substance with limited swelling capacity. What solution was labelled ”warm up before use”?
A dispensing chemist can recommend a drug made from seeds of Aesculus hippocastanum to be taken as a veintonic and antithrombotic agent to treat venous congestion and veins dilatation of lower extremities. This drug is:
A pharmacy prepares drugs by individual prescriptions. How often should the floors be mopped down in the prescription department?
Schedule of sanitation actions in pharmacies is regulated by the relevant regulatory acts. Cleaning day at a pharmacy must be scheduled for at least 1 time:
A pharmaceutical company focuses on selling a diverse range of products covering different customer groups and regions. What kind of organizational structure is typical for such company?
A pharmaceutical company produces cordiamin solution. During the quality control its quantitative content was determined by means of refractometry. For this purpose an analytical chemist measured:
Specify which of the alkaloids given below will react positively to xanthines (murexide test):
Which of the following drugs is used for thrombolytic therapy in case of myocardial infarction?
A patient, who had a case of cardiac infarction, is recommended to take acetylsalicylic acid to:
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves are mostly used as a hemostatic in tinctures and liquid extracts to treat lung, intestinal, and uterine hemorrhages. What bioactive substance provides hemostatic effect?
What herbal bioactive substances yield a positive reaction with ferric ammonium alum solution?
Cumulating drugs - Digitoxin and Соrdіgіtum - are used to treat chronic cardiac insufficiency. What plant is used as the raw material in production of these drugs?
To prepare a syrup the following ingredients are taken: 82 parts of sugar syrup, 1 part of KJ (KBr), 12 parts of liquid thyme extract and 5 parts of 96% ethanol. Name this drug:
A pharmaceutical enterprise that has achieved high sales rates and customers' recognition will reach the highest profit at the following stage of the product life cycle:
A marketing specialist of a retail pharmacy analyzes price lists of wholesale firms and manufacturers. The key factor in the choice of a supplier is:
Suspension workshop introduces production of new drugs. Specify the optimal approach to suspension production:
Aerosol workshop of a pharmaceutical plant uses propellants of different groups.What propellants belong to the group of compressed gases?
An analytical chemist confirms the presence of calcium ions in calcium lactate molecule by means of reaction with ammonium oxalate. The reaction occurs in the medium of:
A pharmacist has used condensation method to prepare a suspension. Select the substances that make up the precipitate:
A pharmacy received a formula for an extemporaneously compoundedmedication. Specify the document that is used to set the price for such medication:
A pharmacist has made polyethylene oxide-based suppositories with Streptocid. Specify the approach to introducing the active ingredient into the vehicle:
Preparations from Althaea officinalis roots are used for treatment of upper airways conditions. During harvesting this herbal raw material the following can become an admixture:
A Ukrainian pharmaceutical company established a subsidiary company abroad. What organisational form of international business is it?
What product strategy is characterized by introducing to the market a product designed for the largest market segments and maximal amount of customers?
Which of the following antihypertensive drugs has potassiumsparing action?
An essential oil is a component of such compound drugs as: Inhalypt, Corvalol, Pinosol, Corvaldin, tooth drops. What herbal raw material is the source of this essential oil?
A pharmacist has been on a business trip. What is the deadline for submitting a travel expense report?
A pharmacy prepares atropine sulfate trituration. What adjuvant should be used to prepare this trituration?
To prepare a suspension a medicinal substance should be triturated with a small amount of liquid. Specify the optimal amount of liquid for trituration of 10 g of zinc oxide according to the Deryagin's rule:
A pharmaceutical factory produces tablets of sodium chloride. What is the method of their production?
Various types of dryers can be used for granule dehumidification. Specify the type of ”СП-30” dryer:
Ampoule workshop of a factory produces injection solution. Name the stabilizer to be added to 1% morphine hydrochloride injection solution:
An analyst of a chemical laboratory obtained a glucose substance for analysis. To check its quality he used a polarimeter. The analyst measured:
Rhamnus cathartica herbal raw material can be used as a laxative. What plant parts are harvested for drug producton?
Crude drugs CANNOT be tasted if they contain:
During microscopy of Althaea root it is necessary to determine the presence of starch granules within the plant cells. What reagent enables such analysis?
Collective labour agreement is concluded by a trade union committee with the enterprise owner on behalf of the workforce.Any collective agreement is worked out in written form.Which article of the Labor Code regulates the duration of the collective agreement?
For the purpose of sales stimulation a pharmaceutical wholesale company grants its customers a discount according to the social contract and on condition of their loyalty. Specify the type of discount:
Before goods are accepted by a pharmacy, they should be checked for quantity and quality. If there is no discrepancy, the pharmacy issues a warrant for receipt of goods. This warrant is valid for:
Companies producing injectable dosage forms apply different methods of ampoule sealing. Sealing against a jet of inert gases (nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide) is suitable for the following injection solutions:
An analytical chemist of a central industrial laboratory performs quantitative determination of penicillin sum in benzylpenicillin sodium salt by means of iodometric method. What indicator is used?
A pharmacist prepares cocoa butter-based round vaginal suppositories with less than 5%of citric acid. Specify themost rational approach to introduction of the active ingredient into the vehicle:
Suppositories are prepared by various methods such as rolling, pouring, pressing. What base is used in the pouring method?
Apharmacist has made an injection solution with 0,1 M of sodium hydroxide solution as a stabilizer. What substance requires such stabilizer?
Anesthesin is a substance with local anesthetic activity and a derivative of the following acid:
Paracetamol substance has been received for analysis. Reaction with the solution of iron (III) chloride resulted in blue-purple color. This indicates the presence of:
Production of tablets requires stage-to-stage quality control. What devices are used to determine the particle size distribution (fraction) of granules?
Various dryer types are used in production of herbal and animalderived drugs. What dryer would be optimal for dehumidification of thermolabile compounds?
An analytical laboratory has received a procaine hydrochloride substance for analysis. According to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine limit content of heavy metals should be determined with the following reagent:
Select a reagent that should be applied by an analytical chemist to detect alkaloids in the herbal raw material:
A warehouse received a batch of herbal raw material consisting of peppermint leaves. Specify the storage conditions for this herbal material:
For a month a pharmacy has been receiving multiple deliveries from various suppliers. What accrual document is used to record the goods received by the pharmacy?
Aset of values, traditions, behavioral norms and views inherent to an organisation characterize its following feature:
Products differentiation (advantages) pursued by a pharmaceutical company with the aim to surpass its competitors in satisfying customers's demands is called:
Sterilization methods used for the preparation of drugs under aseptic conditions can be differentiated into physical, mechanical, and chemical ones. Specify the chemical method of sterilization:
One of the first stages of business activity is to register an enterprise with public authorities. What documents NEED NOT be submitted to the local authorities for state registration of an enterprise?
For better coverage of various markets the Lubnyfarm company sells a portion of its production through its chain of pharmacies, another portion is being sold through distributors, and the third - through pharmacies of another owners.What marketing system of distribution is used by this company?
One of the most important market characteristics is a goods economic trend. What economic trend can be characterized by relative stability of high prices and the highest activity of manufacturers and customers?
A patient has been administered powders containing menthol.What is the best way to achieve the required extent of menthol comminution?
An analytical laboratory received a sample of alpha-aminobutyric acid for analysis. What reagent should be used by the analytical chemist to identify this substance?
A retail pharmacy has been purchasing goods within an accounting period. What changes to the balance will result from this business transactions?
Which of the following nonsteroid anti-inflammatory agents has the least harmful effect on the mucosa of gastrointestinal tract?
When preparing an ointment with castor oil and vaseline a pharmacist failed to obtain a homogeneous system.What is the most likely cause of incompatibility between these components?
Tablet quality is assessed through various indicators. Name the apparatuses used to measure tablet dissolution:
When doing calculations to determine the limit of the cash balance, an accountant must specify the actual amount of cash receipts. What time period should be taken into account?
A certain plant is used for production of tinctures and extracts that are a part of complex drugs, such as Bellataminal, Becarbon, Besalol, etc. Specify the grass that is used for this purpose:
Apharmacist has prepared a drug by the following prescription: Rp.: Streptocidi Dermatoli ana 1,0 Lanolini Vaselini ana 5,0 M.D.S.: Apply to the affected area of skin. Specify the type of the disperse system:
Which of the following antibiotics can be identified by means of maltol test?
What concept can be described as determining the goods specifications, special features that distinguish these goods from their competitormanufactured analogues?
Aerosols contain active ingredients, solvents, propellants. What substances can be used as propellants?
White precipitate produced by the reaction of morphine hydrochloride with ammonia solution dissolves in sodium hydroxide solution due to the presence of the following group in the structure of morphine hydrochloride:
A pharmacy plans to purchase and retail goods of different stock record units. Which group of goods does VAT reduction apply to?
During processing, drying and refinement of herbal raw materials containing saponins the dust particles can cause mucosa irritation. Therefore, precautionary measures should be observed when working with:
An analytical chemist identifies the substance of potassium acetate. What reagent confirms the presence of potassium cation in the substance?
A pharmacy has received a batch of drugs from a pharmacy depot. Specify the drug subject to the controlled substance inventory in pharmacies:
A pharmaceutical company conducted an age-specific segment analysis of the regional antihistamine market. It revealed the lack of antihistamines for children. The company will consider this segment as:
The manufacturing pharmaceutical company ”Elema” has set up its own corporate pharmacy. In this case, it uses the following distribution channel:
What type of market can be characterized by the following conditions: there are many sellers and buyers, who have no influence over current prices; similar and interchangeable competing goods are available; no price limits?
An analytical laboratory received the task to confirm the presence of ethylenediamine in aminophylline. Which of the following reagents allows to detect ethylenediamine?
Specify the indicator that measures the total contribution of various solutes to the osmotic pressure of the solution:
Quality of viscous extracts is assessed based on a variety of indices. Specify the maximum allowed moisture content of viscous extracts according to the regulations of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine:
Injection solutions in ampoules are assessed through various indicators. What percentage of ampoules should be checked for mechanical impurities?
A pharmacy prepares suspensions. What substance can be used for preparing a suspension without adding a stabilizer?
During planned inventory of cash money in a pharmacy cash register there is an unaccounted surplus discovered. What should a committee do with this surplus?
To confirm the presence of sulfat ions in the medicinal preparation of magnesium sulfate an analytical chemist of a pharmacy uses the following solutions:
Streptocide, sulfacyl sodium, norsulfazole or sulfadimezinum can be identified by means of the reaction that forms:
Pharmaceutical market is in such a situation when there is only one company selling a certain product. Specify the competitive structure of the market:
A pharmaceutical company has made a decision to expand its activities. The process of the company's activity expansion by penetration into new fields of the branch is called:
An analytical chemist determines the quantity of a drug by the method of indirect bromatometry. Which of the following titrated solutions is to be used?
A pharmacist working at an analytical laboratory is performing sulfite-ion identification of a drug in compliance with the requirements of State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine. What reagent becomes colorless in this investigation?
An analytic laboratory received ”Aether anaestheticus” for analysis. Which reagent should be used for detection of acetone and aldehyde admixtures according to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine?
Natural persons registered as small business entities with simplified taxation scheme (2 group) are subject to the limit of the annual amount of sales proceeds. Specify the proceeds limit:
Fatty oil containing unsaturated fatty acids is used for the prevention of atherosclerosis. Specify the herbal raw material used in oil production:
Quality of dried extracts is assessed according to several criteria. Specify the highest acceptable amount of moisture in dried extracts according to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine:
When preparing dermatological ointments the following substance should be introduced by suspending:
Benzathine benzylpenicillin is the drug of choice for treatment of the following disease:
The main active substances of senna leaves and fruits are sennosides A, B, C, D. They belong to the following class of biologically active substances:
Codeine is used as a coughdepressant. What herbal raw material contains this alkaloid?
What herbal drug produced form alkaloid-containing raw materials can be recommended for neurasthenia, insomnia, menopausal disorders?
A pharmacist prepares 3000 ml of valerian root infusion for a hospital department. The given amount of extract should be infused in a water bath for:
A pharmacist has prepared a solution of menthol oil. Specify the dissolution temperature of the active substance:
The risk can arise from some forms of activity connected with production of goods and services, their selling, commodity-money and financial operations, commerce, implementation of socioeconomic and scientific-and-technical projects. This is the definition of the following concept:
Althaea roots are used as a mucolytic agent. Underground parts of this plant are harvested:
Substance of calcium pangamate is to be studied in an analytical laboratory. Calcium cations form white precipitate with the following reagent:
In cases of inorganic mercury compounds poisoning the following drug should be used for antidotal therapy:
As a pharmacist was serving a customer, who ordered a nonprecription drug, he realized that the patient did not apprehend the verbal information. Name the communicative barriers that arise when words or symbols may have different meanings for the information sender and the receiver:
Tyndallization is used at a pharmaceutical factory as one of sterilization methods for thermolabile substances. What is the essence of this method?
What final document is used for the preparation of the report on the discrepancies revealed in the course of the inventory at a pharmacy?
According to the basic regulations for supply of medical products, pharmacies should be supplied with medicaments that have a remaining shelf life of no less than . . .%, and bacterial preparations of no less than . . .%:
A pharmaceutical enterprise produces ointments. What base is used for production of sulfur ointment simple?
Powders that quickly enter into a reaction in presence of water and emit carbon dioxide belong to the following group:
While filling hard gelatin capsules such glidants as 0,1% - 0,3% aerosil or magnesium stearate along with 0,5% - 1% talcum are often added to the filling agent in order to improve the following properties:
A patient suffering from bronchial asthma has been diagnosed with essential hypertension. What antihypertensive drug is contraindicated in this case?
A female patient in the first trimester of her pregnancy has been diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis. What is the antibiotic drug of choice for treatment of this patient?
Which group of adjuvants includes polyvinyl alcohol allowed for use under the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine regulations?
A patient with moderately severe pneumonia has been administered ceftriaxone 1 time per day. The drug should be taken once a day due to its following property:
A pharmacist is preparing an ointment under aseptic conditions on the sterile ointment base - composition of vaseline and lanoline at a ratio 6:4. The drug substance is incorporated by suspending. Such technology of ointment preparation is typical for the following substance:
Mixers are used to obtain a homogeneous mixture of freeflowing materials. What mixers have no rotating details?
In the course of isoniazid identification a pharmacy analyst has thoroughly boiled the substance with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene. The substance colored yellow, after adding alkaline solution it colored first violet and then brownish-red. As the result of this reaction the following aldehyde derivative is produced:
A routine inventory revealed a cash shortage. Who has to reimburse the sum of the revealed shortage?
A 43-year-old patient with a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis has been administered a certain drug for background therapy. Specify this drug:
A process dealing with drawing the documents, their processing, circulation and storage is called records management. If all documents circulate through one organisation center, - office desk, - then such system of records management is called:
A pharmacy received a formula for an alcohol solution of methylene blue with unspecified alcohol concentration. In this case, a pharmacist should use ethyl alcohol of the following concentration:
A pharmacist needs to prepare
10,0 g of eye ointment vehicle. What amounts of lanolin and vaseline should be taken?
Rifampicin is a cytochrome P450 inducer; therefore, its interaction with other chemically active drugs:
Bronchodilatory effect of a short-acting β₂-adrenoceptor agonist, - salbutamol, - develops after:
Representatives of the family Solanaceae are widely used in medical practice as alkaloid-containing plants. Which representative is the source for production of semisynthetic steroid hormones?
Grass of Equisetum arvense is recommend as a diuretic. What herbal raw material can be used as a substitute?
Under the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine (appendix 2) leaves of ginkgo are standardized by the content of:
During employment a pharmacy manager provides a dispensing chemist with job description. Such communication is called:
Some of the local buisnesses has entered into a temporary statutory association to buy medical goods from foreign manufactures. Name such association:
A pharmaceutical manufacturer sets the price for a drug basing on its prime cost with premium. What model of pricing is it?
A dosage form for internal use, which consists of round or irregularshaped uncoated grains containing mixture of active ingredients and adjuvants, is called:
What method is recommended by the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine for quantitative determination of potassium chloride substance that is used in treatment of hypokalemia?
A 35-year-old patient with tachycardia has been administered propranolol. Which of the following reactions may be caused by the use of beta-blockers?
Diazotization reaction with the following azo compound is common for the substances with primary amino groups. What drug DOES NOT yield this reaction?
Cash receipts and payments at a pharmacy are recorded in a cashbook. Which of the following cash transactions IS NOT REGARDED as a receipt transaction?
Phytochemical workshop of a factory manufactures pancreatin. What is the source material for obtaining pancreatin?
The following substance is used as an extractant in production of liquid extracts:
A patient with signs of morphine intoxication has been delivered into an admission room. Name the necessary antidote:
A patient, who had been taking acetylsalicylic acid, has developed hemorrhages of mucous membranes. This phenomenon is associated with:
A dispensing chemist with calculated length of service of 7 years has fallen ill. What percent of the sum stated in her sick list would she receive?
Quantitative determination of sodium tetraborate according to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine regulations is performed by means of alkalimetry method in the presence of:
Quantitative content of a certain medicinal substance can be determined by means of nitritometry only if hydrolisis had been performed prior to it. Name this substance:
Specialists of a pharmaceutical enterprice confirm the identity of Cassia acutifolia herbal raw material. During reaction with alkali it developed cherry-red coloring. What substances were identified?
Menthol has anesthetic and antiseptic effect. What herbal raw material is the source of menthol?
The main method of quantitative determination of corticosteroids is:
Thyme grass is used for the production of herbal drugs for the treatment of respiratory tract infections. Under the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine the herbal raw material is subject to chromatographic identification by means of thin layer chromatography. What substances are detected on the chromatographic plate after its treatment with due reagent?
Eucalyptus leaves contains essential oil and are used in production of bactericidal herbal drugs. According to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine this herbal raw material can be identified with thin-layer chromatography. After the chromatographic plate is processed with reagent, the following should be identified:
Yarrow grass is a component of herbal gastrointestinal remedies and is used to make herbal drugs. According to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine the quality of this herbal raw material is assessed by the content of:
To analyze market activity and determine its place within the market a pharmaceutical company should evaluate its potential: strengths and weaknesses within the company itself (internal factors), as well as opportunities and threats received from the market environment (external factors). It can be done with:
Mercazolil (Thiamazole) is widely applied in medicine as an antithyroid agent.What heterocycle is its structure based on?
A 48-year-old woman addressed a dispensing chemist with complaints of constipations developing after she had started treatment of her chronic cardiovascular disease. What drug can slow down intestinal peristalsis?
To identify medicinal substances containing calcium an analytical chemist uses solution of:
Calcium gluconate is tested for presence of saccharose and reducing sugars admixtures with coppertartrate reagent. If these admixtures are present the substance colors:
A drug has just entered the market and requires considerable investments, while does not return substantial profits, and is currently at the introduction stage. What group of products (strategic economic units) does this drug belong to according to the Boston Consulting Group?
A 5-year-old boy suffering from pneumonia has problems with mucus expectoration. A doctor prescribed him a mucolytic drug that stimulates surfactant synthesis. Name this drug:
A patient with peptic ulcer disease has developed blackcolored feces during combined pharmacotherapy. Name the drug that can be the cause of this development:
A 43-year-old patient was delivered to an admission room with renal colic attack. What group of drugs would be the most efficient during the attack?
A bus driver addressed a pharmacy due to his suffering from allergic rhinitis. What antihistamine with minimal sedative action can you recommend?
What antibiotic has beta-lactam cycle in its structure?
A 36-year-old patient complains of general weakness, somnolence, increased brittleness of nails, loss of hair. The patient was diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. What drug should be prescribed for treatment?
What hypotensive drug is an agent of choice for the patients suffering from arterial hypertension with concomitant type I diabetes mellitus?
To identify ouabain (a cardiac glycoside) an analytical chemist performs a reaction with dinitrobenzene solution in alkaline medium. What molecule fragment can be determined by this reaction?
A pharmacy employee has to work during night time. What document must be used as a basis for pay rise calculation by an employer in this case?
A pharmacy received a batch of drugs from a supplier. What type of drug quality control should be performed in the pharmacy by an authorized person?
A patient with essential hypertension complains of infrequent occurrences of dry cough. Clinical and X-ray examination of the respiratory organs revealed no pathologies. What drug from those taken by the patient can cause cough as a side effect?
A business entity working in drug retail trade should keep the documents confirming the fact of a sale, where there are name, date, amount and series of a received drug stated, along with supplier information and license details. These documents are retained for:
A private pharmacy received a supply of a drug with 2,3-dihydro-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone-2- sulfonate sodium as an active ingredient. Name this drug:
A 53-year-old woman suffers fromischemic heart disease and angina pectoris.What drug can be used to stop angina pectoris attacks?
A patient is 20 years old. After she was stung by a bee the patient developed Quincke's disease; rash in the form of blisters and papulae appeared on her torso. First aid in this case should start with administering the following drug:
A patient with osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis) and peptic gastric ulcer in anamnesis should be prescribed a NSAID (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug). What NSAID would be the safest for this patient?
In the course of clinical instrumental examination a 45-yearold patient has been diagnosed with chronic helicobacter-associated type B gastritis. What group of drugs should be prescribed first of all?
When servicing customers it is necessary to maintain cash desk discipline. A cashier should make records in the cash book:
Name the way of injectabulettae application:
What factors affect tablet disintegration?
Cytitonum agitates respiratory center during asphyxiation, state of shock, intoxication and respiratory arrest. Seeds of a medicinal herb are the source of this drug. Name this herb:
During qualitative chemical analysis of nicotinic acid substance the reaction was conducted, which resulted in blue coloring. What reagent was used?
Pharmaceutical market subjects that purchase drugs and medical products for further resale to make a profit are called:
A pharmaceutical firm is unable to satisfy the demand for a drug. Specify the type of marketing tasked with decrease of excessive demand for a product by raising prices and stopping advertising and promotion:
Cephalosporin structure is based on the condensed system containing two cycles - β-lactam and:
To prepare eyedrops with antibiotic a dispensing chemist has been using flowing steam sterilization under 100°C for 30 minutes. What antibiotic allows for such sterilization?
A 48-year-old patient has undergone incomplete amputation of the thyroid gland. Choose the drug for replacement therapy in case of hypothyroidism:
Specify the medicinal substance with pronounced hydrophobic properties:
A 34-year-old patient suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus takes methylprednisolone. On examination the patient's blood calcium is revealed to be low. A doctor suspects osteoporosis development. It is necessary to prescribe the patient calcium preparations and:
A pharmacist has made an oil emulsion with vitamin E oil solution intended for internal use.What is the best approach to vitamin introduction into the emulsion?
Name the professional, who is authorized to check financial and economic activity of an enterprise at the request issued by an enterprise or public authority:
A 52-year-old patient has been diagnosed with gouty arthritis, phase2. What drug should be basic in treatment of this patient?
Speed of blend powder dampening can be significantly affected by package material. What capsules protect powders from damp air the best?
Anthracene derivatives have two main directions of pharmacological activity: purgative and litholytic. What leads to the difference in pharmacological activity of different anthracene derivatives?
A pharmacy manager has calculated a certain indicator of efficiency of pharmacy's economic activity as percentage ratio of profits to turnover in retail prices. What indicator is it?
A pharmacy sells standard drugs to population. What is a prime cost of sold goods, if the retail price is 300 000 UAH, and the total markup is120 000 UAH?
Pharmacy employees should meet universal qualification requirements. Who has the right to hold a position of a prescription drugs department manager?
During the period when a cash register is inoperable and undergoes repairs it is possible to perform payment operations using:
An analytical chemist performs identification of lidocaine hydrochloride. According to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine the presence of chloride ions can be confirmed by means of reaction with silver nitrate solution resulting in:
A pharmacist has dissolved a medicinal substance in sterile purified water to make an eye ointment. Specify this medicinal substance:
What tax is registered as a local one in a pharmacy budget?
An important indicator of business activity is profitability of a business. Specify the indices that can be used to measure the profitability: