HAAD — now more commonly referenced under the Department of Health (DOH) Abu Dhabi — governs pharmacist licensing for Abu Dhabi specifically, separate from Dubai’s DHA and the rest of the UAE under MOHAP. If Abu Dhabi is your target, this is the exam and licensing pathway that applies to you.
Exam Format
The HAAD/DOH pharmacist exam is a computer-based, multiple-choice Prometric exam covering clinical pharmacy knowledge and UAE-specific regulatory content. As with the other GCC licensing exams, exact question counts and timing should be confirmed on the official DOH portal at registration time, since these details are periodically revised.
Core Content Areas
- Pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics across major disease states
- Pharmaceutical calculations and dosage form knowledge
- Clinical pharmacy scenarios and patient counseling
- Abu Dhabi/UAE pharmacy law, licensing regulations, and controlled substances
- Pharmacy practice standards and professional ethics
DataFlow Verification Comes First
Before you can book the HAAD/DOH exam, your credentials need to go through DataFlow Primary Source Verification — your degree, license, and experience certificates get independently confirmed with the issuing institutions. This process typically takes several weeks, so it’s worth starting well before your target exam date rather than after you’ve finished studying.
Suggested Study Timeline
- Weeks 1-3: Pharmacotherapeutics by organ system, prioritizing high-yield areas like cardiovascular, infectious disease, and endocrine conditions
- Week 4: Pharmacy calculations and pharmaceutics
- Week 5: Abu Dhabi/UAE-specific pharmacy law and regulatory content
- Week 6: Full-length timed practice exams and focused review
A Note on Terminology
You’ll see this exam referred to as both “HAAD” and “DOH Abu Dhabi” in different study materials and forums — HAAD was the original health authority name, later restructured under the Department of Health. Both terms point to the same licensing body and exam pathway, so don’t assume you need to prepare for two separate exams if you see both names used.
