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PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCE) practice questions

205 free questions with answers and explanations.

Practice test
  1. 101.A pharmacy technician is preparing to compound a topical cream that requires the use of a Class III biological safety cabinet (BSC). Which of the following statements accurately describes a characteristic of a Class III BSC?Medications
  2. 102.Which of the following medications is classified as a 'high-alert medication' and requires extra precautions during dispensing?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  3. 103.A pharmacy technician is performing a final check on a prescription for 'cephalexin 250 mg, take 1 capsule by mouth every 6 hours' for a patient with a known penicillin allergy. What action should the technician take?Medications
  4. 104.A pharmacy technician is assisting with the preparation of a sterile IV admixture in a Class II biological safety cabinet. What is the primary purpose of this type of cabinet in sterile compounding?Medications
  5. 105.A pharmacy technician is receiving a prescription for 'levofloxacin 500 mg, take 1 tablet by mouth daily'. The patient asks if they can take this antibiotic with their antacid for heartburn. What is the most important counseling point the technician should convey regarding this interaction?Medications
  6. 106.A patient calls the pharmacy asking for advice on how to take their new prescription for 'alendronate 70 mg, take 1 tablet by mouth once weekly'. Which of the following instructions is crucial for the technician to reinforce to ensure proper absorption and minimize esophageal irritation?Medications
  7. 107.A pharmacy technician is reviewing a medication order for a patient with diabetes. The order is for 'Humalog KwikPen 10 units subcutaneously three times daily with meals'. The technician understands that Humalog is a rapid-acting insulin. Which of the following is a critical counseling point for this patient regarding the administration of Humalog?Medications
  8. 108.A pharmacy technician is preparing to clean a spill of a hazardous chemotherapy agent in the compounding area. After donning appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), which of the following is the MOST crucial step to take immediately after containing the spill to prevent further contamination?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  9. 109.A pharmacy technician is entering a new prescription for 'isotretinoin 40 mg, take 1 capsule by mouth daily'. The patient is a female of childbearing potential. Which of the following is a mandatory requirement that the technician should be aware of for dispensing this medication?Medications
  10. 110.A pharmacy technician is entering a new prescription for a patient who has a known penicillin allergy. The prescription is for 'Amoxicillin 500 mg TID'. Which of the following risk management strategies is being employed by the pharmacy system when it flags this prescription?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  11. 111.A pharmacy technician is reviewing a prescription for 'metformin 500 mg, take 1 tablet by mouth twice daily'. The patient asks if they should take it with or without food. What is the most appropriate instruction for the technician to provide?Medications
  12. 112.A pharmacy technician is assisting a patient who is concerned about taking 'amlodipine 5 mg daily' because they are experiencing swollen ankles since starting the medication. Which of the following is the most appropriate response?Medications
  13. 113.A pharmacy technician is receiving a prescription for 'linezolid 600 mg, take 1 tablet twice daily'. The patient's profile shows they are also taking sertraline. What severe potential drug interaction should the technician be aware of?Medications
  14. 114.A pharmacy technician is refilling medications for a patient, and the patient's insurance requires prior authorization for one of the prescribed drugs. The patient calls, anxious to receive their medication. What is the MOST appropriate way for the technician to manage this situation while maintaining patient confidentiality?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  15. 115.A pharmacy technician is reviewing a new prescription for a patient with gout. The prescription is for 'allopurinol 100 mg, take 1 tablet by mouth daily'. Which of the following auxiliary labels is most important to include with this medication?Medications
  16. 116.A pharmacy technician is tasked with restocking the automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) with various medications. To minimize the risk of medication errors, which of the following is the MOST important step?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  17. 117.Which of the following is an example of a 'sentinel event' in a pharmacy setting?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  18. 118.A pharmacy technician is preparing a non-sterile oral solution. The master formula calls for 'Purified Water, USP'. Which of the following is the primary characteristic of Purified Water, USP, that makes it suitable for this purpose?Medications
  19. 119.A patient calls the pharmacy to report that they are experiencing a 'bad cough' since starting their new blood pressure medication, 'lisinopril 10 mg, take 1 tablet daily'. The pharmacy technician should recognize this as a common side effect of which class of medications?Medications
  20. 120.A pharmacy technician is preparing to compound a non-sterile cream. Which of the following is the MOST critical step to prevent microbial contamination of the final product?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  21. 121.A patient approaches the pharmacy counter requesting an over-the-counter medication for heartburn. They mention taking 'warfarin' daily. Which of the following antacids would be the SAFEST recommendation, considering the patient's medication list?Medications
  22. 122.A pharmacy technician is reviewing a patient's medication profile and notices that the patient is prescribed both a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and an antacid. The patient's chart indicates recurring symptoms of GERD. What potential issue should the technician be MOST concerned about in terms of medication effectiveness?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  23. 123.A patient calls the pharmacy asking for advice on their new prescription for 'prednisone 20 mg, take 1 tablet daily for 5 days, then taper down'. They ask if they should stop taking it if they feel better after 2 days. What information should the technician provide?Medications
  24. 124.A pharmacy technician is preparing to restock the automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) with medications. Which of the following is the MOST critical step to prevent medication errors during this process?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  25. 125.A pharmacy technician is preparing a non-sterile compound requiring 30 grams of an ingredient. The balance used has a sensitivity requirement of 6 mg and a minimum weighable quantity (MWQ) of 120 mg. To ensure accuracy, which of the following is the most appropriate action?Medications
  26. 126.A pharmacy technician is preparing a non-sterile compound that requires the use of a Class III Torsion balance to weigh an ingredient. The minimum weighable quantity (MWQ) for this balance is 120 mg. If the prescription requires 10 mg of the ingredient, what is the SMALLEST amount of diluent powder (e.g., lactose) that should be added to meet the MWQ for accurate weighing?Medications
  27. 127.A pharmacy technician is assisting a patient who reports muscle pain and weakness since starting a new medication for high cholesterol. The patient is taking 'simvastatin 40 mg daily'. Which of the following conditions is the MOST serious concern associated with these symptoms?Medications
  28. 128.A patient calls the pharmacy reporting they have been experiencing severe muscle pain and dark urine since starting a new cholesterol medication. Which of the following medication classes is most likely responsible for these symptoms?Medications
  29. 129.A pharmacy technician is preparing a compounded sterile product (CSP) for a patient with a known penicillin allergy. The order is for 'cefazolin 1 gram IV every 8 hours'. What is the most appropriate action for the technician?Medications
  30. 130.A pharmacy technician is processing a new prescription for a patient who has a known severe penicillin allergy. The prescription is for amoxicillin. What is the appropriate immediate action for the technician?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  31. 131.A pharmacy technician is preparing a non-sterile compound that requires a specific temperature for mixing. The master formulation record states, 'Mix ingredients at 40°C'. Which of the following is the equivalent temperature in Fahrenheit?Medications
  32. 132.A pharmacy technician is receiving a new prescription for a patient diagnosed with a bacterial infection. The prescription is for 'Amoxicillin 500 mg, take 1 capsule by mouth three times daily for 10 days.' Which of the following drug classes does amoxicillin belong to?Medications
  33. 133.A pharmacy technician is receiving a new prescription for a patient that includes a medication known to cause photosensitivity. What patient counseling point, if any, should the technician emphasize to the pharmacist for review before dispensing?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  34. 134.A pharmacy technician is preparing a sterile ophthalmic solution. Which characteristic is MOST critical for ensuring the safety and efficacy of this preparation?Medications
  35. 135.A pharmacy technician is preparing an oral suspension that requires the addition of a suspending agent. Which of the following is the primary purpose of a suspending agent in a liquid pharmaceutical preparation?Medications
  36. 136.A pharmacy technician is preparing a non-sterile compound that requires 0.5 mL of a highly potent liquid ingredient. Which of the following measuring devices would provide the most accurate measurement for this volume?Medications
  37. 137.Which of the following infection control measures is MOST effective in preventing the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in a pharmacy setting?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  38. 138.A pharmacy technician is preparing a sterile IV admixture in a laminar airflow workbench (LAFW). The technician notices a small crack in the workbench's HEPA filter. What is the MOST appropriate immediate action?Medications
  39. 139.A pharmacy technician is preparing a non-sterile compound that requires the use of a Class A torsion balance. The minimum weighable quantity (MWQ) for this balance is 120 mg. If the formula calls for 10 mg of an active ingredient, what is the most appropriate method to accurately weigh this ingredient?Medications
  40. 140.A pharmacy technician is reviewing a patient's medication profile and notices that the patient is prescribed two medications from the same therapeutic class with similar mechanisms of action, prescribed by different prescribers. The patient is elderly and takes multiple medications. This scenario represents an increased risk of which type of medication error?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  41. 141.A pharmacy technician is preparing a patient's medication profile for pharmacist review. The patient is prescribed 'Coumadin (warfarin) 5 mg daily' and 'Bactrim DS (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim) twice daily.' The technician recognizes a potential drug interaction. Which type of interaction is MOST likely occurring?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  42. 142.A pharmacy technician is preparing a batch of Unit Dose (UD) medications for the automated dispensing cabinet (ADC). They notice that several vials of insulin are cloudy, despite being stored correctly and not expired. The product is typically clear. What is the MOST appropriate action for the technician to take?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  43. 143.A patient calls the pharmacy asking for refill information on their spouse's prescription. The technician confirms the patient's name and address. What is the most appropriate next step for the technician?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  44. 144.A pharmacy technician is assisting with the annual inventory count for controlled substances. They discover a discrepancy where the physical count of a Schedule II medication (e.g., oxycodone) does not match the perpetual inventory record. What is the MOST appropriate next action?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  45. 145.A pharmacy technician is preparing a non-sterile compound. The formula requires 0.5 mL of a liquid ingredient. Which of the following measuring devices would provide the MOST accurate measurement for this volume?Medications
  46. 146.A pharmacy technician is assisting with the annual inventory of controlled substances. During the count, they discover a discrepancy of 10 tablets of oxycodone 15 mg. What is the MOST appropriate immediate action the technician should take?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  47. 147.A pharmacy technician is conducting a daily inspection of the medication storage area. They notice several vials of insulin that have expired. What is the MOST appropriate immediate action the technician should take?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  48. 148.A pharmacy technician is preparing a sterile IV admixture in a laminar airflow workbench (LAFW). During the process, they accidentally touch the tip of the syringe to the outside surface of the medication vial. What is the MOST appropriate action to take?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
  49. 149.A pharmacy technician is preparing to reconstitute a powdered medication for oral suspension. Which of the following is the MOST critical step to ensure proper dosing and stability?Medications
  50. 150.A pharmacy technician is preparing a batch of Unit Dose (UD) medications using an automated packaging machine. After loading the bulk medication and starting the machine, they notice that the machine is not consistently sealing every pouch. What is the MOST appropriate initial step the technician should take?Patient Safety and Quality Assurance