PTCB Exam Prep 2023-2024: Study Guide with 270 Practice Questions and Answer Explanations for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Test

By Shawn Blake

Become a certified pharmacy technician and land the job of your dreams with this comprehensive study guide that will fully prepare you for the PTCB Exam!

 

Worried about failing the upcoming pharmacy technician exam? Looking for the best study guide possible to help you pass it on your first try?

 

Each year, thousands of candidates give their all in an effort to pass the PTCB exams.

 

With a passing rate of only 59% over the past 7 years, the exam has earned a reputation for being extremely difficult.

 

But there's no reason to stress out. With the proper preparations and focused, consistent study, you can be one of the special few who only need to take it once.

 

While self-study and making your own materials are good options, you'll save time and effort with a ready-made comprehensive study guide covering all the topics that will be included in the test. You'll have a significant head start on the exam without having to sift through mountains of materials.

 

In this manual, you won't just find all the information you need to study – you'll also have detailed practice tests, similar to what you'll encounter in the exam, so you know what to expect on the big day.

 

Inside, you'll discover:

 

• A rundown of the PTCB exam, its objectives, and who is eligible to take it
• Study strategies to help you avoid burnout and do well on the test
• A breakdown of the PTCB exam's four subject areas and corresponding study guides for each
• A closer look at pharmacology: drug classifications, interaction and contradictions, therapeutic equivalence, compounding, and more
• Strategies for the safe handling and disposal of substances and waste, as well as the laws and regulations governing the work of a pharmacy technician
• Patient safety and quality assurance initiatives to safeguard the health of drug users and reduce the likelihood of medical mistakes, sketchy prescriptions, and more
• Order entry and processing – study up on compounding non-sterile products, reading prescriptions, working with drug administration supplies, and dealing with expired medications
• A compilation of commonly prescribed drugs and medications, along with their brand and generic names, to help you study
• 4 complete sets of practice tests with extensive explanations to help you prepare for exam day

 

And much more!

 

While there is always a second chance if you don't pass the first time, it's best to succeed the first time around.

 

There will be many obstacles and diversions on your path, but if you follow this reviewer you will have a good chance of achieving your goals.

 

Every second counts, so don't procrastinate any longer and dive headfirst into your PTCB study material!

 

If you want to level up your PTCB exam preparation, then you need this book today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hanley Publications LLC
• Release date: Jun 23, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227025104

Book preview

Introduction

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. – Colin Powell

Naturally, when you prepare to take any type of board exam, your stress levels tend to increase dramatically. However, some types of board exams can be a bit more mentally strenuous than others. An example of this is the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam. Also, for many, there is a degree of uncertainty about how to prepare for these board exams.

Let’s provide some context! If we were to look at the cumulative pass rate of the PTCB exam over the past seven years, it is only 59%. Now, this can be a fear-inducing statistic to read, and we completely understand your apprehension. The best way to make sure you are as prepared as possible is by not sugar-coating the facts. Yes, the exam is hard, but the more you know, the better you are able to prepare yourself.

If we were to take a bird’s-eye view of the PTCB pass rate in 2020, it was 70%, which is much higher than the previous years. But we all await the pass rate of the 2021 class, seeing as the pass rate has yet to be published. But let’s place the 2020 pass rate into perspective. Amongst other years where the results ranged between 57% and 58%, was there any specific reason for such a large disparity? Some will say COVID-19 resulted in more students studying instead of socializing, and others will say they used specific guides. Either way, it is a marked increase!

Between 2007 and 2013, pass rates started to rise from 70% to 76% before tumbling down to 57% in 2014. For the next five years, there was an exam pass rate of approximately 57% until our most recent 2020’s result. So, was the 2020 pass rate the beginning of much higher pass rates? Only time will tell, especially as we wait for the results of the 2021 exam.

Among many other questions students have about the exam, one of the most common is, How many people will be able to pass the PTCB on their first try? For many, passing the first time is more about saving time in extra studying and the money needed to pay to write the board exam. You can imagine how much money it can cost if you need to pay for each PTCB exam you need to retake. Another little pothole is that those who do not pass their initial attempt will need to wait 60 days before they can try the exam again. Fast-track this to some applicants who fail the exam on their third attempt; the timeframe you need to wait before trying for the fourth time is six months.

But, although this sounds scary, knowing what to study, how to study effectively, as well as making sure that you do PTCB practice tests will drastically improve your chances of passing the exam. This entire process also means that you need to be completely honest with yourself regarding any strengths and weaknesses you may have in terms of understanding specific categories of content. The parts you struggle more with may need more time, whereas those you are comfortable with may not necessarily need to be studied as intensely.

We understand how you are feeling. The anxiety that comes with writing the board exam, coupled with the stress of needing to plot how long in advance you need to study, can be crippling. But, take this book as your personalized test preparation program, where it is guaranteed that you will be prepared for your next PTCB exam attempt. This handbook is a lot more than just a study guide. It is a practical approach toward giving you an extra advantage over the rest of those taking the exam. With that, there are a bunch of different ways you will be able to benefit from using this preparation handbook. A few of them are as follows:

●  Improved memorization: When concepts are explained, the methods present within this handbook are of such an art that they are easy to digest, making memorization that much easier.

●  Improved confidence: When you run blindly into an exam, not knowing if you have covered all the content, especially if all your notes were all over the place, you will lose confidence in your academic abilities. With this exam prep handbook, you will be that much more confident to take on the challenge!

●  Less anxiety: It is well known that taking any kind of test or exam can be a stressful situation. As you use this handbook and work through all the material offered, you will find yourself more prepared and with less anxiety.

●  Time management: If you are either a daytime studier or a night owl, and you don’t know how to study given strict limits, then handbooks like this are perfect for you! Not only will you be able to jump into all the required content, but the practice tests in this guide will also encourage you to understand your pacing and where you should allocate your stamina!

●  Accessibility to a study guide and full-length practice tests that mimic the actual exam: If you know what to expect in an exam, you are able to properly prepare yourself for what lies ahead. You can do it, and this is the perfect guide to make sure you are successful!

As you jump into taking the PTCB exam, you should start becoming excited at the prospect of becoming a certified pharmacy technician. There are a myriad of benefits you can expect when deciding to take the PTCB exam. For example, those with a PTCB certification will undoubtedly earn higher salaries than pharmacy technicians who do not have this certification. A few further benefits include:

●  Those pharmacy professionals who have a PTCB certification will have a higher caliber to uphold patient safety, as well as be more competent in the services provided at a pharmacy.

●  Those with a PTCB certification will most likely be given more responsibility at the pharmacy whilst being a few steps ahead of those who don’t have the certification. This becomes important when your aim is to move up in the ranks of the pharmacy.

●  Apart from already standing out from all your colleagues, the certification will even allow you the ability to comply with legal requirements and practice in respective states that require the PTCB certification for possible employment.

●  Along with the ability to practice, the PTCB certification is a reflection of your dedication to gaining knowledge in your field. It is a symbol of achievement, one you should be proud of!

Grasping all of these benefits should be more than enough motivation to really gun toward obtaining your PTCB qualification. Now although you are going to be tested in four categories, namely medications, federal requirements, patient safety and quality assurance, and order entry and processing, you need to be ready to answer these in a Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) format. We must caution you, though, MCQ exams aren’t easy because the answer is already there. They are notoriously difficult because they will use similar answers to confuse you. But, we believe in your ability to use the resources in this guide to really overcome all obstacles and pass the PTCB certification exam with flying colors!

Your journey toward becoming PTCB certified has begun, and we are so excited to be on this journey with you!

Chapter 1: The PTCB Exam

The contents of this chapter are going to focus on what the PTCB examination actually is, what it entails, what you need to study, a few important study habits, and all of the eligibility requirements to be allowed access to the exam. But, before we get into all of the science and legal-based content, we need to discuss the PTCB a bit more.

Have you ever wondered how life would be on the other side of the pharmacy counter? A life where a pharmacy technician works in environments that are clean and bright. A pharmacy technician plays an important role in the public’s everyday functioning. They act by linking a prescription to a specific individual, ensuring they are given the medication necessary to cure disease, manage chronic conditions, and ultimately live happier and healthier lives. So, what is stopping you from becoming one of these pharmacy technicians? Well . . . all that stands in your way is the PTCB exam.

Is the PTCB Required?

Now you may be asking whether becoming a pharmacy technician means you need to pass this exam. In most cases, this is true. The reason we say in most cases is because depending on what state you want to practice in, most states will require you to hold some sort of national certification or form of license as of 2020. Now although there is a national certification exam that the National Healthcare Association (NHA) offers, the PTCB is the one that is most commonly recognized across most states in the USA.

The PTCB is a qualification that is very important to obtain. That is if you see yourself practicing in the USA and have the need to progress personally and professionally within the pharmacist technician domain. Now even though employers will most likely look to see if you have passed your PTCB, having this certification is a requirement for pharmacy technicians to legally handle medications, vaccinations, and prescriptions.

What Can You Expect When Taking the PTCB Exam?

As mentioned previously, the PTCB exam consists of 90 MCQs. However, only 80 of these questions are actually scored, giving you an overall score out of 80 marks. Now, what about the other 10? Well, they just don’t count. But they are also scattered throughout your exam, meaning you won’t know which question will count or not. This means you really need to remain focused on each and every question throughout the exam. The length of the exam is 1 hour and 50 minutes. This means you will have approximately 1 minute and 22 seconds to answer each question.

Now let’s chat about mental preparedness for the exam. You can expect to feel a bit stressed out as the date of the exam draws closer. This is completely normal. In fact, it is scientifically proven that a bit of nerve before an exam can actually help you perform better than you thought was possible. That is if you are able to contain your stress and anxiety! But, knowing that you have studied hard should bring a sense of calmness to your frazzled brain. You’ve worked hard, and by reminding yourself of that, you will be able to calm down and ace the exam!

What Topics Are Covered in the Exam?

You have already been acquainted with the four different knowledge domains that will be covered in your exam. But, within each of these domains exists subdomains from which your questions will be derived. Expect questions to come from the following subdomains:

●  Clinical pharmacology for technicians

●  All about pharmacy law and regulations

●  Compounding in both a sterile and non-sterile fashion

●  Medication safety

●  Quality assurance within the pharmacy

●  The order and fill process of medication

●  Inventory management within the pharmacy

●  Billing and reimbursement associated with the pharmacy

●  How to use and apply information systems within the pharmacy

Now, this may seem like a lot of content, and it is, but what is great is the interconnectedness of all these subdomains of knowledge. The knowledge you learn and study will be applicable across more than one knowledge domain. With this in mind, studying hard means you won’t spend as much time as you would’ve constantly revising the same topic. Study hard and finish the content faster—that is how you should approach this.

An In-Depth Content Outline

Now although four main knowledge domains are going to be tested during your PTCB exam, that does not necessarily mean that their weighting in terms of how often questions in those domains appear, will be equal. But this makes sense. After all, as a pharmacy technician, you are going to be dealing with a lot of different medications, which is why the medications domain accounts for 40% of the entire exam.

Although important, the federal requirements portion does not have as much content that needs to be studied. This is why it only consists of 12.5% of the exam. As a pharmacy technician, you will always need to ensure the safety of your patients, making sure that the medication you provide them with is of the highest quality possible. Thus, the patient safety and quality assurance section accounts for 26.25% of the exam. Finally, ensuring that you replenish stock, as well as knowing how to order and process received and issued medications, is important. It is for this reason that the order entry and processing domain weighs 21.25% of the exam.

The Medications Domain

As you delve into the medications knowledge domain, you will be required to have an in-depth understanding of the following concepts:

●  The classifications of different medications.

●  A medication’s brand name, generic name, and active ingredient.

●  What the term therapeutic equivalence means, and how it is applied within the clinical setting as a pharmacy technician.

●  The most important life-threatening and common drug interactions and contraindications to the use of specific medications. This segment will make mention of drug-disease, drug-drug, drug-dietary supplement, drug-laboratory, and drug-nutrient interactions.

●  What do the terms strength, dose, and