Are you a pharmacy student getting ready for certification as a Pharmacist? Have you recently moved to the United States, and you need to get certified for practice here? That’s where you might want to know about the best NAPLEX review books.
The NAPLEX, while not the only test facing an aspiring pharmacist, is perhaps one of the most daunting and most challenging. You’ll need smarts and stamina for the grueling 8-hour exam, so picking the best prep book for your studying is vital. You’ll need review chapters, practice questions, and test-taking advice to pass the NAPLEX, but we’ve got you covered.
Read on for a selection of the best NAPLEX review books, the most comprehensive NAPLEX review books, the most affordable NAPLEX review books, and even some online NAPLEX resources. By the end, you’ll only need a better understanding of the NAPLEX score breakdown and more.
If you want to just get back to studying, get our top pick for NAPLEX review books here
Last update: 2024-05-02
Our Favorites for Best NAPLEX Review Books
When it comes to choosing the best possible books for your NAPLEX studying, you want to look at these options. These are the books that we believe are the best because they offer more comprehensive content and also provide it in the best possible way. If you’re looking to get the best and you don’t mind potentially spending a little more for those books you really want. You can get prepared with these top books, so take a look.
2020 Course Book for Pharmacist Licensure Exam Preparation by RxPrep
RxPrep is a great book filled with easy-to-read reviews of the essential concepts. It’s incredibly comprehensive and written by a large group of expert clinical pharmacists. All of that means you’re getting a book filled with useful information to help you prepare for your exam. RxPrep has also included tear-out cards that include all of the essential math formulas so you can study more efficiently.
You will also have the option to subscribe to the online system with the 2020 Course Book, which will give you access to a great deal of additional information. RxPrep has a test bank of over 3300 practice questions, which will help you review for the grueling, 6-hour exam. You’ll also get sample study calendars online to help track your studying.
What makes this book unique:
- Online question bank available to supplement
- Online prep course and video lectures available to supplement
Why should you choose this NAPLEX review book:
- Includes photos and chemical structures to make learning the content even easier
- Provides additional information about drugs and concepts as well as side effects for drugs to focus learning on most essential concepts
- BONUS** Tear-out card with the math formulas, all together
- NEW** PASSING the NAPLEX with RxPrep - follow the steps to a triple-digit score
- NEW** COMPOUNDING – simplified & complete, with lots of pictures
Last update: 2024-05-02
The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy by Peter Chyka
Published by the American Pharmaceutical Association, The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy offers an overview of NAPLEX prep content in a more digestible format. You’ll get summaries and abbreviated content that’s designed for those who need to read in short bursts. On top of that, The APhA Complete Review has informative tables with medicine and drug information, as well as over 900 review questions to consult for practice.
You’ll get information that’s in-depth so you can really understand what you need for your test. On top of that, you’ll get a study guide checklist that ensures you’ve gone over all of the essential concepts that could show up on test day. For those who do best reading only the content they need, Chyka has created a book that allows you to skip around to only the information that you really need.
What makes this book unique:
- Published by the American Pharmaceutical Association, which provides a strong foundation for pharmacy professionals
- 900 review questions give an overview of the content and question format
Why should you choose this NAPLEX review book:
- Written in abbreviated form to make it easier to read when you have limited time
- Includes medication tables to identify the top 100 drugs you need to know for the test
- Peter A. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 950 Pages - 10/06/2017 (Publication Date) - American Pharmacists Association (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-02
Comprehensive Pharmacy Review for NAPLEX by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
The Comprehensive Pharmacy Review book by Lippencott, Williams & Wilkins provides a holistic and detailed review of NAPLEX concepts. Williams dives deep into the concepts while staying away from anything too dense and challenging. You’ll get a guide that’s updated to conform to the most recent version of the test, and its writing is easy to understand.
You’ll get coverage of patient/practice areas, which are difficult to find with other texts. Comprehensive Pharmacy Review offers information on pain management, and it also includes a general guide to taking the NAPLEX. There’s also an e-text that gives you access to even more content. Over, there are 65 different chapters with over 1,000 pages.
What makes this book unique:
- Deep dive into more intense concepts that are not focused on in other books
- Over 200 practice calculations to offer a chance to explore the math required in the actual test
Why you should choose this NAPLEX book:
- Two full-length tests provide a chance to understand the format of the test
- E-text offers even more content to provide additional background and support
- Includes federal pharmacy law to get a start on additional foundational information.
- Used Book in Good Condition
- English (Publication Language)
- 1073 Pages - 01/01/2012 (Publication Date) - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-02
Runner Ups for Best NAPLEX Review Books
Kaplan Medical NAPLEX: The Complete Guide to Licensing Exam Certification for Pharmacists 2nd Edition by Steven Boyd, Amie Brooks, Karen Nagel-Edwards & Cynthia Sanoski
The Kaplan book is written as a step-by-step guide with both concept review and test-taking strategies. It has 27 chapters, and at the end of each chapter, it has a brief practice problem set. More than 35 of those questions are calculation problems to practice.
You will get two full-length practice tests, one of which is on physical paper in the book, the other of which is online. The Kaplan NAPLEX review gives you access to a great deal of information both through the course of the book and online service. You will get detailed answers for each problem to help you better understand the correct and incorrect answers. You’ll also get an in-depth overview of study tips and strategies.
What makes this book unique:
- Written by a company that specializes in study materials for exams with high-quality output
- Includes practice questions alongside each chapter to increase comprehension of the information
Why should you choose this NAPLEX book:
- Two full-length practice tests to simulate the authentic test-taking experience
- Includes detailed answers related to each question to provide background on right and wrong answers
- Brooks, Amie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 612 Pages - 11/02/2010 (Publication Date) - Kaplan Publishing (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-02
2019 – 2020 NAPLEX Practice Questions by RxPharmacist LLC
With RxPharmacist, you’ll get a guide that is designed to give extensive information and background. NAPLEX Practice Questions includes over 500 questions that are actually reminiscent of the questions that you’ll see on the real exam. These questions help you to focus on the style of questions you’ll be asked as well as the formatting and the actual content.
With RxPharmacist, you’ll get online access that can be used to supplement the text even further. NAPLEX Practice Questions was created by working with pharmacy students and graduates who actually know the content of the exam. That way, you get the most comprehensive resource possible and more content that can be used to prepare you for what’s to come in your exam.
What makes this book unique:
- Offers over 500 practice questions based on questions from the actual test
- Offers online content to supplement text learning
Why should you choose this NAPLEX review book:
- Provides math and pharmaceutical questions for the exam
- Provides full explanations for each of the questions in the material
- RxPharmacist LLC (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 310 Pages - 06/17/2019 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-02
NAPLEX Nuggets: Your Essential Review of the Most Highly Testable Medications from Pharmacy School by Eric & Melissa Christianson
With NAPLEX Nuggets, you’ll get the information you need to prioritize content and to focus on the most critical items first. You’ll have over 150 different medication classes, including approximately 400 different medications. The point of NAPLEX Nuggets is to create a guide that will give you the short and sweet version of everything you need to know. You’ll have bullet points to make it easy to review and memorize content rather than reading through lengthy articles.
Here you’re going to have a way to develop a thorough understanding of only the most critical content. You will be able to use NAPLEX Nuggets as a supplement to other content that you have available and makes it easier for those who don’t like to sit down and study for hours at a time. Those who need a last-minute guide or a refresh on some of their information can get it from NAPLEX Nuggets while doing their studying.
What makes this book unique:
- Content is arranged in a logical format to make it easier to find items
- Discusses information on approximately 400 medications to get a strong foundation
Why should you choose this NAPLEX review book:
- Discusses over 150 different medication classes to develop a foundation
- Presents information in short bursts to make it easier to study when time is limited
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Christianson, Eric (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-05-02
Value Picks for Best NAPLEX Review Books
PharmPrep: ASHP’s NAPLEX Review by Lea Eiland & Diane B. Ginsburg
PharmPrep is the American Society of Health Pharmacist’s review guide, and it comes in at a low price. Eiland’s book is short but focuses on an overview of the most important topics related to the NAPLEX exam. The primary topics include disease states and medications, as well as 77 different case-application questions.
You’ll get an excellent review guide for review concepts and a way to get a better understanding of practice questions. PharmPrep is an excellent supplement with an additional text or can be used by those who are already further along in their study experience. PharmPrep offers cases in the form of medical charts and includes multiple-choice questions with each to stimulate the same type of evaluation as the exam.
What makes this book unique:
- Includes 77 case-application questions to dive into cases and how to interpret them
- Cases formatted into medical charts for better comprehension
Why should you choose this NAPLEX review book:
- Presents calculations that are used on the actual examination
- Provides a federal law review to help you with the legal aspects of the exam
- Used Book in Good Condition
- English (Publication Language)
- 436 Pages - 05/20/2011 (Publication Date) - ASHP (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-02
Top 300 Pharmacy Drug Cards by Jill Kolesar & Lee Vermeulen
If you’re looking for some study materials that you can take with you, the Top 300 Pharmacy Drug Cards are a great way to go. McGraw Hill provides excellent content, and the cards offer information on 300 of the most essential drugs. You’ll learn all of the information that you need to memorize regarding the look of the pills and their packaging, generic and common names, approved doses, and more.
With Kolesar, you’ll get information about black box warning and safety issues as well as an audio Q & A. All of the content is designed to help you learn more about the different medications and how they could be represented on your exam. Kolesar also offers additional content through the online system to keep you fully informed and prepared.
What makes this book unique:
- Describes 300 top medications you’ll need to know on the exam
- In-depth information related to each of the drugs
Why you should choose this NAPLEX book:
- Online content increases the information provided to better prepare for the exam
- Audio Q & A available online to further increase foundation
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Kolesar, Jill M. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-05-02
Pharmacy Calculation Workbook by Coventry House Publishing
If you’re struggling with the calculations that are required for either the NAPLEX or PTCB exams, you may want to look at the Pharmacy Calculation Workbook. You’ll get a total of 250 different calculations that you can practice on to get an idea of what you can expect for either of these exams. The calculations are presented in ways that are very similar to what you would see when you take the exams, including test level difficulty.
Coventry House Publishing has created questions that are in all of the most critical areas, including dilutions and concentrations, patient-specific dosing, compounding, electrolyte solutions, nutrition support, and more. If you’ve tried to pass the exam before but were unsuccessful or if you are looking for a supplement to assist in your process, Pharmacy Calculation Workbook is a great way to go.
What makes this book unique:
- Focuses only on the calculations that you will find in your exam, not on the extraneous content
- Offers 250 different calculations to go over in the same format and style as the real exam
Why should you choose this NAPLEX review book:
- Questions are all test-level difficulty to keep you moving along at the right level
- Encourages critical skills that you require in order to pass the exam without focusing on outside content
- Coventry House Publishing (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 136 Pages - 06/11/2019 (Publication Date) - Coventry House Publishing (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-02
How to Choose the Best NAPLEX Review Books for You
How Long Do You Have to Study for NAPLEX?
The length of time you’ll need to study for the NAPLEX will, inevitably, depend on several factors. The best way to figure out your study timeline is to take a practice exam.
Generally, if you study hard for 1-2 months, you should pass, but you have to study effectively. Study until you’re continually getting practice questions on every topic correct until you feel not just prepared, but over-prepared.
Another thing to be mindful of when studying is the length of the exam. The NAPLEX can take up to 6 hours. You’ll get breaks, but that’s still a testing marathon. You’ll need to make sure you’ve adequately fortified your mind, body, and spirit to last that time without burning out.
Make sure some of your study sessions span that length of time — again, you can take breaks — but you don’t want to go into the testing room without having practiced the 6-hour grind. Otherwise, your work will get sloppy as the hours wear on, and you tire out.
If you’re not used to studying for hours at a time, you might have to add a few extra weeks to your study plan to accustom yourself not only to the material but to the test format. Again, the trick is to study until you feel more than prepared — study until you know you can focus through the 6 hours without crashing.
What Does Your NAPLEX Study Schedule Look Like?
Again, this will depend. How much do you remember from your Pharmacy School courses? How prepared are you to take a 6-hour long exam? Are there a lot of concepts you need to refresh yourself on, or just one or two concepts to review in-depth?
The best way to answer these questions is to take a practice test. RxPrep offers a free practice test, and taking one will help you diagnose exactly what you needs improvement — which concepts and question types you should practice. It’ll also help you determine if you need more work on your time management before the exam.
Once you’ve identified key areas you know you need to review, you can work back from your test date to make a study schedule. Figure out days when you can study for extended sessions and assign a topic you need to review each day. Also, incorporate a few long, 8-hour sessions to take a few more practice tests. Even if you think you’re familiar with every topic and you’re consistently getting practice questions right, the test is grueling, and you’re going to have to practice sitting down and focusing for 8 hours straight.
Which NAPLEX Study Guide is Best for Bad Test Takers?
McGraw-Hill’s NAPLEX Easy proves one of the most versatile study programs, perfect for historically poor test takers because it allows you to personalize your study methods.
Not only does the McGraw-Hill book include practice tests to practice the entire exam through and work on staying focused and vigilant, but it contains a total of 1000 test questions, tailored to the user’s strengths and weaknesses. Its adaptive strategy helps the user use their time efficiently, in their weak areas.
NAPLEX Easy creates a personalized, customizable study plan for you, which you can work through at your own pace. It’ll also help you schedule when and how to long to study for, so you’ll stay on track until the exam.
The structure of McGraw-Hill means you’ll have plenty of resources to help identify which areas you next to work extra hard on and apply plenty of focus to during the test, but it’s customizable.
Wrapping Up the Best NAPLEX Study Guides
Here’s a table of what NAPLEX review books we evaluated:
Last update: 2024-05-02
While some NAPLEX study guides might fit better to your learning style than others, when it comes down to it, you can pass the test with whichever resource you choose through discipline, dedication, and practice.
If you’re looking for the best possible text to study the NAPLEX exam, then the 2020 Course Book for Pharmacist Licensure is the best way to go. It will give you online access as well as the textbook. Our value pick is Top 300 Pharmacy Drug Cards, and it’s going to provide you with a strong understanding of the most essential drugs.
Finally, NAPLEX Nuggets offers you the best from our runner up category. You’ll get a focus on bite-sized pieces of information to keep you more interested in the information and more focused on your studying.
If you’re looking for how to study pharmacology, check out our post on that here.
