Free PTCB PTCE Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 8

Clopidogrel (Plavix) is an antiplatelet drug used to prevent blood clots, reducing the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke.

It is commonly prescribed afterstent placement, heart attack, or stroke.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

B. GERD?❌Treated withPPIs or H2 blockers(e.g., omeprazole, ranitidine).

C. Chronic migraines?❌Treated withbeta-blockers, triptans, or topiramate.

D. Type 2 diabetes?❌Treated withmetformin, insulin, or GLP-1 agonists.

????Reference:AHA Guidelines on Antiplatelet Therapy.

Cleaning counting trays removes medication residue to prevent cross-contamination, especially with penicillin or sulfa drugs.

????Reference:ISMP Pharmacy Cleaning and Contamination Prevention Guidelines.

When entering prescription information into a pharmacy computer system,using leading zeros helps prevent medication dosing errorsby clearly specifying the correct dose.

What Are Leading Zeros?Aleading zerois azero placed before a decimal pointto prevent misinterpretation.

✅Correct:0.5 mg(clearly means half a milligram)

❌Incorrect:.5 mg(could be mistaken for 5 mg, leading to a10× overdose).

A. Allergies❌→Important, butnot directly related to dosing errors.

C. Insurance Information❌→Unrelated to medication dosing safety.

D. Contraindications❌→Relevant to medication selection, but not specific to preventing dosing errors.

ISMP Best Practices for Medication Safety– Recommends usingleading zerosto prevent dosing mistakes.

Joint Commission "Do Not Use" List– Warns against missing leading zeros in prescriptions.

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline– Covers prescription entry and error prevention strategies.

Why Not the Other Options?Key References:

Pharmacy technicians must notify the pharmacistimmediatelyif a patient has an allergy to a prescribed medication.Dispensing an allergenic drug could cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis.

Check for allergies and drug interactionsin the patient’s profile.

Alert the pharmacistif an allergy is detected.

Ensure proper labelingfor allergy warnings.

(A) To obtain the patient’s medication history❌Incorrect – Technicians can review medication history, but pharmacists must intervene forallergies or significant concerns.

(B) If the patient is allergic to the prescribed medication✅Correct – An allergy could be life-threatening and requires pharmacist intervention.

(C) To clarify the date and time of the order❌Incorrect – Technicians can check the order date, but this is not a critical pharmacist intervention.

(D) If a patient has never taken the prescribed medication before❌Incorrect – Whilefirst-time medication use requires counseling, it does not always require pharmacist intervention unless there aredrug interactions, high-risk medications, or allergies.

Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) – Allergy Checking Protocols:https://www.ismp.org

PTCB Exam Content Outline – Medication Order Processing & Pharmacist Consultation

Key Responsibilities of a Pharmacy Technician in Medication Order Entry:Analysis of Answer Choices:References for Pharmacy Technicians:

AZ-Pakrefers to theAzithromycin 5-day therapy pack, which is commonly prescribed forbacterial infectionssuch as respiratory infections. The standard dosing regimen follows a"loading dose" strategyto quickly reach effective drug levels in the body:

Day 1:Taketwo tablets (500 mg total).

Days 2-5:Takeone tablet (250 mg) daily.

This regimen helps achieverapid therapeutic concentrationswhile maintaining effectiveness over five days.

A. 1 tablet PO on the current day, then 1 PO daily for 4 days→ Incorrect; aloading dose (2 tablets on Day 1)is required for proper drug efficacy.

B. 1 tablet PO on the current day, then 1 PO daily for 5 days→ Incorrect; the Z-Pak is a5-day regimen, not 6 days.

D. 3 tablets PO on the current day, then 1 PO every other day for 6 days→ Incorrect; this isnot a standard dosing regimenfor azithromycin.

Other Answer Choices Explained:References:

FDA Drug Monograph for Azithromycin (Z-Pak)

Lexicomp Drug Guide – Azithromycin Dosing

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline (Pharmacology – Infectious Disease Medications)

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

The abbreviation "PR" stands for "per rectum", which is a route of administration where the medication is inserted into the rectum for absorption.

????Explanation of Answer Choices:

✅A. Route of administration → Correct. "PR" means rectal administration (e.g., suppositories).

❌B. Frequency of dosing → Incorrect. Frequency abbreviations include BID (twice daily), QD (once daily), etc.

❌C. Medication strength → Incorrect. Strength is indicated by mg, mcg, etc.

❌D. Dosage form → Incorrect. Dosage forms include tablets, capsules, solutions, etc.

????Reference:

ISMP List of Common Prescription Abbreviations

PTCB Exam: Medication Order Interpretation

According toUSP <800>andOSHA guidelines, exposure control forhazardous drugs (HDs)must begin as soon as the drugenters the facilityto ensure proper handling, storage, and administration safety. This includes:

Receiving:

Hazardous drugs must beunpacked in a designated areathat isseparate from regular medications.

They shouldnot be opened in sterile or positive-pressure areasto prevent contamination.

Storage:

HDs must be stored in anegative-pressure room with proper ventilation.

They must be placed indesignated binsto reduce exposure risks.

Handling and Compounding:

Usepersonal protective equipment (PPE)such as gloves, gowns, and masks when handling hazardous drugs.

Use abiological safety cabinet (BSC) or compounding aseptic containment isolator (CACI)when preparing hazardous drugs.

A. Is dispensed→ Incorrect;control measures must start earlier, before dispensing.

C. Is compounded→ Incorrect; safety measures beginbefore compounding, when the drug arrives at the pharmacy.

D. Is placed on the pharmacy shelf→ Incorrect;exposure control measuresbegin before storage, duringreceiving and handling.

Other Answer Choices Explained:References:

USP <800> Hazardous Drug Handling Guidelines

OSHA Hazardous Drug Safety Standards

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Hazardous Drug List

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline (Medication Safety & Hazardous Drug Handling)

According tofederal law(Controlled Substances Act, CSA) andDrug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations, a prescription for aSchedule III or IV controlled substancemay be refilleda maximum of five (5) times within six (6) monthsfrom the date the prescription was written.

Refill Limit:A Schedule IV prescription may be refilled up to five (5) times within six (6) monthsfrom the issue date, if authorized by the prescriber.

Expiration:The prescription expiressix (6) monthsafter the date it was written.

Recordkeeping:The pharmacy must maintain accurate refill records either electronically or manually.

Additional Refills Beyond 5:If the patient needs refills after the 5-refill limit, anew prescriptionmust be issued by the prescriber.

Partial Fills:Partial dispensing is allowed, but the total quantity dispensed cannot exceed the originally prescribed amount.

A. 2 times in 3 months.→ Incorrect. Federal law allows more than 2 refills for Schedule IV drugs.

B. 3 times in 4 months.→ Incorrect. This underestimates the legal refill limit.

C. 4 times in 6 months.→ Incorrect. Schedule IV drugs may be refilledup to 5 times, not just 4, within 6 months.

DEA Pharmacist’s Manual – Controlled Substances Act (21 CFR 1306.22).

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline – Federal Pharmacy Law and Controlled Substances.

FDA and DEA Guidelines on Schedule III-V Prescription Refills.

Mosby’s Pharmacy Technician: Principles and Practice – Controlled Substances Regulations.

Key DEA Rules for Schedule III and IV Prescriptions:Why the Other Answer Choices Are Incorrect:Pharmacy Technician References:

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

Adispensing erroroccurs when a pharmacy provides amedication that differs from the prescribed order.This may involvewrong drug, dose, form, or incorrect labeling.

????Explanation of Answer Choices:✅D. Received by the patient→Correct.Adispensing error is an error in what the patient actually receives, not what they request.❌A. Requested by the patient→ Incorrect.A patient request does not determine dispensing errors.❌B. On the plan formulary→ Incorrect.Formulary status affects insurance, not dispensing accuracy.❌C. Supplied by the wholesaler→ Incorrect.Errors in supply do not qualify as dispensing errors.

????Reference:

ISMP Guidelines on Medication Errors

PTCB Medication Safety Guidelines

Insurance requires accurate “days supply” calculations.If a30-daysupply is incorrectly entered as a90-daysupply, the system will reject early refills.

????Reference:PTCE Pharmacy Billing and Reimbursement Guidelines.