THE PTCE EXAM PREP

PTCB Exam Format

Questions

The test consists of 90 multiple-choice questions that are divided into four knowledge domains and areas.

Time Limit (120 minutes) + 20 min (PRE & POST EXAM TUTORIAL & SURVEY)

During the exam, you are given a total of two hours to answer each of the 90 questions (ten of which are unscored). Ten minutes are allotted for both a PTCE practice exam tutorial and post-exam survey. The majority of the time, one hour and 50 minutes, is given to respond to the pharmacy tech exam questions. For each PTCB review question, you will be asked to select the best answer from four given possible answer choices. Again PTCE is a two-hour computer-based test with 90 multiple-choice questions, 80 of which are scored and 10 of which are unscored.

Exam Delivery

The PTCB certification exam is a computer-based examination administered nationwide. When you go to register for the PTCB exam, you will be asked to select a convenient location from a list of available Pearson VUE test centers.

During the pharmacy tech certification tutorial, you will have the opportunity to learn the pharm tech exam format and how to navigate the testing screen. It is recommended to take pharmacy technician practice tests to familiarize yourself with this format prior to testing day as well.

MEDICATIONS

The medications section of the PTCB exam covers a wide range of topics related to medications, including:

Medication names and classifications : The exam covers generic and brand names, as well as therapeutic equivalence.
Drug interactions : The exam covers common and life-threatening drug interactions, including drug-drug, drug-disease, and drug-dietary supplement interactions.
Medication strengths and dosages : The exam covers medication strengths, dosage forms, and routes of administration.
Medication side effects : The exam covers common and severe side effects, as well as other negative effects.
Medication storage : The exam covers proper storage of medications, including temperature, light, and restricted access.
Federal requirements : The exam covers federal requirements for handling and disposing of pharmaceutical substances, as well as controlled substances.
Patient safety : The exam covers high-alert and look-alike/sound-alike medications, as well as error prevention strategies.

The medications section makes up about 40% of the exam.

2. FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The federal requirements section of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) covers topics such as:

Handling and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste
Controlled substances, including receiving, storing, ordering, labeling, dispensing, and more
Risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS)
Pharmacy legislation
DEA controlled substance schedules

The federal requirements section makes up 12.5% of the entire exam.

3. PATIENT SAFETY & QUALITY ASSURANCE

Pharmacy technicians play a key role in ensuring patient safety and medication quality by:

Verifying patient information : Pharmacy technicians must ensure that patient names are spelled correctly and that their date of birth is verified before dispensing medication. They should also be vigilant when entering patient information into the pharmacy computer system.
Checking prescriptions : Pharmacy technicians should double-check prescriptions and verify the original prescription against the label.
Labeling medications : Pharmacy technicians are responsible for typing the correct information and instructions onto the label, printing it out, and attaching it to the medication container.
Communicating with patients : Pharmacy technicians should ensure that patients understand their doctor's directions and the quantity of medication they are being prescribed.
Being familiar with look-alike drugs : Pharmacy technicians should be aware of drugs that look or sound similar and double-check that the correct medication has been dispensed.
Following procedures and policies : Pharmacy technicians should adhere to the pharmacy's procedures and policies, as well as OSHA guidelines.

4. ORDER ENTRY & ORDER PROCESSING

A pharmacy technician helps maintain a high level of order entry and processing by accurately entering patient and prescription details into the computer system, double-checking medication labels against the prescription order, ensuring all necessary information is included on the label (drug name, dosage, directions, and expiration date), and performing visual checks for accuracy before dispensing the medication, ultimately minimizing the risk of medication errors.

Key ways pharmacy technicians contribute to accurate order processing through medication labels and orders:

Data entry : Carefully inputting patient information, prescription details (drug name, strength, quantity, directions), insurance information, and prescriber details into the pharmacy computer system.
Medication verification : Matching the medication selected from the pharmacy shelf with the prescription order by checking the NDC (National Drug Code) number and comparing drug names, strengths, and dosage forms.
Labeling accuracy : Ensuring all required information is clearly printed on the medication label, including patient name, drug name, strength, directions for use, quantity, and expiration date.
Double-checking : Performing a final visual inspection of the medication and label before dispensing to catch any potential errors.
Expiration date management : Checking the expiration date of medications and rotating stock to ensure patients receive medications within their expiry window.
Special instructions : Paying close attention to any special instructions on the prescription, such as "take with food" or "shake well before use," and accurately reflecting them on the label.
Alerting the pharmacist : Immediately notifying the pharmacist of any discrepancies or potential issues identified during order processing, such as drug interactions or unusual dosage requests.

By performing these tasks diligently, pharmacy technicians play a crucial role in maintaining a high standard of accuracy and patient safety throughout the medication order process.

A Candidate Guidebook

PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) Program

Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)

Pharmacy technicians who want to work more effectively with pharmacists to offer better patient care and service take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam® (PTCE®) to earn the national PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) Certification.

PTCB’s CPhT Program is nationally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

Scope

PTCB CPhTs support pharmacists in delivering patient care in a variety of settings, including community pharmacies, hospitals, and other facilities. Although CPhTs typically support the medication dispensing process, the legal scope of practice for CPhTs is defined by individual State Boards of Pharmacy.

Eligibility Requirements

PTCB credentials are designed for use exclusively in the United States of America and its territories (US). Therefore, PTCB exams are generally only administered in the US. Active members of the US military and their spouses are eligible to test anywhere in the world. Other applicants outside of the US are only eligible to take a PTCB exam if they meet specific criteria. Learn more.

To be eligible to apply for PTCB CPhT Certification, an applicant must complete one of the following requirements:

Pathway 1: A PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program (or completion within 60 days of application submission).*

Pathway 2: Equivalent work experience as a pharmacy technician (min. 500 hours).** This alternative path will serve experienced pharmacy technicians who were not in a position to attend a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program. Learn more.

*A Pharmacy degree is acceptable in lieu of a recognized pharmacy technician training/education program. Learn more.

**500 hours must be complete at the time of application.

In addition to completing a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program or equivalent work experience, applicants must also satisfy the following:

Full disclosure of all criminal and State Board of Pharmacy registration or licensure actions
Compliance with all applicable PTCB Certification policies
Passing score on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE)

PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program Verification

CPhT applicants who are within 60 days of completing a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program will be eligible to take the PTCE. PTCB CPhT Certification will not be granted until proof of education/training completion is provided to PTCB. Examples of acceptable documentation include but are not limited to the following:

Certificate of completion indicating your name, the education/training program title, and completion date
Letter from an education/training provider official on letterhead indicating your name, the education/training program title, and completion date
Unofficial transcript or diploma

Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE)

Candidates are required to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) to earn the CPhT credential. The PTCE is a computer-based exam administered at Pearson VUE test centers nationwide. The exam is multiple-choice and contains 90 questions: 80 scored questions and 10 unscored questions. Each question lists four possible answers, only one of which is the correct or best answer. Unscored questions are not identified and are randomly distributed throughout the exam. A candidate’s exam score is based on the responses to the 80 scored questions. Be prepared to commit 2 hours for the exam (5-minute tutorial, 1 hour and 50-minute exam, and 5-minute post-exam survey).

Content Outline

PTCB implemented its most recent update to the PTCE in 2020. The content of the PTCE is updated periodically to reflect changes in pharmacy technician practice. Questions are not presented in the knowledge area order shown in the PTCE content outline, but are randomly distributed throughout the exam. A complete version of the content outline, which lists the knowledge required to perform the activities associated with each function, can be found in Appendix C.

Passing Score

A panel of subject-matter experts established a passing score for the PTCE using industry best practices. The method used by the panel, as directed by a psychometrician, is the modified-Angoff method. This method requires experts (panel members) to evaluate individual test questions and estimate the percentage of qualified pharmacy technicians that would be able to answer each question correctly. These estimates were analyzed for consistency and averaged to produce the passing score. The passing score and candidate results are reported as scaled scores. The passing scaled score for the PTCE is 1,400. The range of possible PTCE scores based on the exam outline is 1,000 to 1,600.

Preparing for the PTCE

PTCB has made two essential resources available to assist candidates in preparing for the PTCE:

Familiarity with material contained in basic pharmacy technician training manuals or books may be helpful. Supervising pharmacists may also be helpful in designing a study plan. PTCB does not endorse, recommend, or sponsor any review course, manuals, or books for any PTCB exam.

Official PTCB Practice Tools

PTCB offers two unique ways for CPhT candidates to prepare for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam® (PTCE®)—the PTCE Practice BankTM and the Pre-PTCETM. We recommend that candidates first study using the Practice Bank and then take the Pre-PTCE as a final check of readiness before attempting the PTCE. Learn more.

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In This Section

Want to know more about drugs or are you in school to be a Pharmacist, Physician, Surgeon or Other Medical Professional

Some useful links

https://crediblemeds.org/

https://www.ptcb.org/guidebook/ptcb-certified-pharmacy-technician-cpht-program

INFORMATION ON PTCB:

PHARMACY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION BOARD: 215 Constitution Avenue NW, Suite 101, Washington DC 20037

Credentials : CLICK HERE,
Renew Credentials :How to Renew?, Renewal Requirements, Find CE
About :DEI Commitment, PTCB Team, History, News, Jobs at PTCB, Contact Us
Pharmacy Technicians: I want to be Certified, I am Certified, Resources
Organizations: Employers, Educators, State Associates

THE PTCE EXAM PREP

PTCB Exam Format

Questions

Time Limit (120 minutes) + 20 min (PRE & POST EXAM TUTORIAL & SURVEY)

Exam Delivery

MEDICATIONS

The medications section of the PTCB exam covers a wide range of topics related to medications, including:

Medication names and classifications : The exam covers generic and brand names, as well as therapeutic equivalence.

Drug interactions : The exam covers common and life-threatening drug interactions, including drug-drug, drug-disease, and drug-dietary supplement interactions.

Medication strengths and dosages : The exam covers medication strengths, dosage forms, and routes of administration.

Medication side effects : The exam covers common and severe side effects, as well as other negative effects.

Medication storage : The exam covers proper storage of medications, including temperature, light, and restricted access.

Federal requirements : The exam covers federal requirements for handling and disposing of pharmaceutical substances, as well as controlled substances.

Patient safety : The exam covers high-alert and look-alike/sound-alike medications, as well as error prevention strategies.

The medications section makes up about 40% of the exam.

2. FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The federal requirements section of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) covers topics such as:

Handling and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Controlled substances, including receiving, storing, ordering, labeling, dispensing, and more

Risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS)

Pharmacy legislation

DEA controlled substance schedules

The federal requirements section makes up 12.5% of the entire exam.

3. PATIENT SAFETY & QUALITY ASSURANCE

Pharmacy technicians play a key role in ensuring patient safety and medication quality by:

Verifying patient information : Pharmacy technicians must ensure that patient names are spelled correctly and that their date of birth is verified before dispensing medication. They should also be vigilant when entering patient information into the pharmacy computer system.

Checking prescriptions : Pharmacy technicians should double-check prescriptions and verify the original prescription against the label.

Labeling medications : Pharmacy technicians are responsible for typing the correct information and instructions onto the label, printing it out, and attaching it to the medication container.

Communicating with patients : Pharmacy technicians should ensure that patients understand their doctor's directions and the quantity of medication they are being prescribed.

Being familiar with look-alike drugs : Pharmacy technicians should be aware of drugs that look or sound similar and double-check that the correct medication has been dispensed.

Following procedures and policies : Pharmacy technicians should adhere to the pharmacy's procedures and policies, as well as OSHA guidelines.

4. ORDER ENTRY & ORDER PROCESSING

Key ways pharmacy technicians contribute to accurate order processing through medication labels and orders:

Data entry : Carefully inputting patient information, prescription details (drug name, strength, quantity, directions), insurance information, and prescriber details into the pharmacy computer system.

Medication verification : Matching the medication selected from the pharmacy shelf with the prescription order by checking the NDC (National Drug Code) number and comparing drug names, strengths, and dosage forms.

Labeling accuracy : Ensuring all required information is clearly printed on the medication label, including patient name, drug name, strength, directions for use, quantity, and expiration date.

Double-checking : Performing a final visual inspection of the medication and label before dispensing to catch any potential errors.

Expiration date management : Checking the expiration date of medications and rotating stock to ensure patients receive medications within their expiry window.