Prepare for your Pharmacy Technician final exam with these practice questions and answers. This comprehensive guide covers all pharmacy technician competencies and skills.
Q: Pharmacists are educated and skilled individuals who:
Answer: Are licensed to practice pharmacy and dispense medications.
Q: How many years of study are required at an accredited college of pharmacy for a PharmD degree?
Answer: 4
Q: Which of the following duties can be performed by the pharmacy technician?
Answer: handle insurance billing
Q: Of the following duties, which is NOT performed by the pharmacy technician?
Answer: writing prescriptions
Q: Which kind of pharmacy would be located in a hospital?
Answer: health-system
Q: Which of the following is not an example of an ambulatory practice setting?
Answer: long-term care facility
Q: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a professional image?
Answer: being a team player
Q: The person wearing a long white lab coat in a pharmacy is most likely to be:
Answer: the pharmacist
Q: Which of the following is NOT a common eligibility requirement for a pharmacy technician?
Answer: age 21 or older
Q: Which of the following agencies administers the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam?
Answer: PTCB
Q: If a candidate fails the ExCPT exam, how long must they wait before taking it again?
Answer: 30 days
Q: How many hours of continuing education are needed to recertify with ICPT?
Answer: 20 hours, including 1 hour of pharmacy law
Q: The PTCB covers nine competency areas. Which of the following is NOT one of these areas?
Answer: professional dress and attitude
Q: A ________ is an occupation that requires advanced education and training.
Answer: profession
Q: If patients can travel to the pharm or pharm travel to them, they are using what kind of pharm
Answer: Ambulatory
Q: Which of the following is NOT considered one of the three primary types of communication?
Answer: sublimation
Q: Research indicates that up to ________ of communication is nonverbal.
Answer: 80%
Q: Which of the following is NOT a method of nonverbal communication?
Answer: email messaging
Q: What percentage of people in the United States are affected by a language barrier?
Answer: 20%
Q: Which of the following is helpful when assisting a patient with restricted literacy?
Answer: ask the patient whether they have any questions
Q: Which of the following is NOT one of the “Five Patient Rights”?
Answer: right away
Q: Which of the following statements is NOT true about verbal communication?
Answer: it is not affected by the senders tone of voice
Q: The abbreviation DUR stands for:
Answer: Drug Utilization Review
Q: Which of the following would NOT be considered an internal customer in a pharmacy practice?
Answer: The patient
Q: The study of measurable distance between individuals as they interact is called:
Answer: Proxemics
Q: How drugs effect on the desired cell and how a drug is processed in the body is referred to as:
Answer: pharmacodynamics
Q: A drug receptor can be compared to a:
Answer: Lock
Q: In combination with alcohol, cimetidine can cause:
Answer: rapid heartbeat, changes in blood pressure, and possible coma
Q: All of the following are examples of agonist drugs EXCEPT:
Answer: Propranolol
Q: Excessive alcohol drinking while taking warfarin can cause:
Answer: blood clots
Q: All of the following are treatments for alcoholism EXCEPT:
Answer: Naloxone
Q: All of the following are used for smoking cessation EXCEPT:
Answer: Naltrexone
Q: The body’s response to a drug is known as the:
Answer: desired effect
Q: Half-life is written as:
Answer: T1/2
Q: Hydrocodone can cause ________ when combined with alcohol.
Answer: drowsiness, dizziness, and risk for overdose
Q: Which of the following is one of the long-term effects of alcohol use?
Answer: Neuroadaptation
Q: Drug-drug interactions may occur because ________ healthy people.
Answer: drug testing procedures are performed on
Q: What grows within the eye, causing the eye to become opaque?
Answer: cataract
Q: timolol maleate is used to treat:
Answer: glaucoma
Q: The glaucoma treatment betaxolol is sold under what brand name?
Answer: betoptic
Q: What is the correct dosage for Ciprodex?
Answer: 4 drops 2 times daily for 7 days
Q: The ________ is commonly called the eardrum.
Answer: timpanic membrane
Q: Which of the following is NOT an oral antibiotic therapy used to treat styes?
Answer: Gentamicin 0.3% qid
Q: Which of the following drugs should not be used in the treatment of glaucoma?
Answer: prednisolone acetate
Q: All of the following are ophthalmic antihistamines EXCEPT
Answer: ketorolac
Q: All of the following can cause retinopathies EXCEPT:
Answer: HIV
Q: A stye is also known as:
Answer: hordeolum
Q: Which of the following is a felony?
Answer: distribution of illegal drugs
Q: Who regulates Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, & HIPAA?
Answer: CMS
Q: Which agency regulates the legal trade of controlled substances?
Answer: DEA
Q: Which law is also known as the Drug Efficacy Amendment?
Answer: Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962
Q: To dispense controlled substances, a pharmacy would need to register with DEA using which form?
Answer: 224
Q: Which one established the first enforceable standards for sterile compounding in 2004?
Answer: United States Pharmacopeia
Q: Acetylsalicylic acid, also known as aspirin, is derived from a(n) ________ source.
Answer: plant
Q: Which of the following is derived from an animal source?
Answer: thyroid hormone
Q: What mineral is used to treat arthritis?
Answer: gold
Q: naturally occurring substance that has been chemically altered is considered a ________ drug.
Answer: semi-synthetic
Q: A drug that is produced in a lab in imitations of a naturally occurring compound is called:
Answer: synthesized
Q: Which of the following is an example of a synthetic drug?
Answer: barbiturates
Q: What form of drug nomenclature is being used in this example: (±)- 2- (p- isobutylphenyl)?
Answer: chemical name
Q: Which type of tablet is made by die-punching powder or granular substance into a uniform shape?
Answer: compressed
Q: What type of tablet MUST be dissolved in liquid before it is administered?
Answer: Effervescent
Q: Water-in-oil emulsion bases are occlusive, meaning the substance:
Answer: covers or closes a wound, keeping air out
Q: Solutions that use dissolving agents other than water are called:
Answer: nonaqueous solutions
Q: Which of the following suspensions is for external use only?
Answer: lotions
Q: Which of the following is NOT another term for extended-release (ER)?
Answer: time-lapse
Q: The abbreviation ROA stands for:
Answer: Route of Administration
Q: Which parenteral method has a volume limit of 3mL?
Answer: subcutaneous
Q: What size needle should be used for IV injections?
Answer: 1- or 1.5-inch needle, 16-20 gauge
Q: Medications administered externally to the skin and absorbed into mucous membranes are called:
Answer: topical
Q: Which of the following medications is NOT administered rectally?
Answer: Norplant
Q: Which type of drug name is usually capitalized?
Answer: trade name
Q: NSAIDs work by blocking the effect of the enzyme:
Answer: cyclooxygenase
Q: The generic name for Axid® is:
Answer: Nizatidine
Q: The generic name for Zantac® is:
Answer: Ranitidine
Q: The generic name for Tagamet® is:
Answer: cimetidine
Q: The generic name for Pepcid® is:
Answer: Phamotidine
Q: The generic for Protonix® is:
Answer: Pantoprazole
Q: The generic for Prevacid® is:
Answer: Lansoprazole
Q: Which type of laxative causes colon fluid retention, increasing peristalsis?
Answer: hyperosmotics
Q: The nutrient value that prevents deficiencies in 98% of the population is the:
Answer: recommended dietary allowance
Q: Vitamin K is stored in the:
Answer: Liver
Q: Vitamin B12 is also known as:
Answer: cyanocobalamine
Q: A drug info. resource is any source providing _____, evidenced-based, and evaluated drug info.
Answer: credible
Q: which reference text is subtitled The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics?
Answer: Goodman and Gilman’s
Q: An alphabetical listing of names or subjects with page references for easy use is called a(n):
Answer: index
Q: Which of the following is NOT among the PDR’s detailed product information?
Answer: OTC contraindications
Q: How many drug monographs are included in Martindale?
Answer: nearly 6,000
Q: Which reference book contains information on disinfectants and pesticides?
Answer: Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference
Q: Pharmaceutical references list drugs either by their classification or by their:
Answer: Therapeutic Indication
Q: Which pharmaceutical reference book has a loose-leaf edition that is updated monthly?
Answer: Drug Facts and Comparisons
Q: Which of the following can help you determine authority and accuracy of a website?
Answer: qualifications, credentials, or expertise of authors/editors
Q: Which of the following is the largest registry of adverse drug effects in the United States?
Answer: MEDMARX
Q: What service does the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act require pharmacists to provide?
Answer: counseling of patients on medication-related issues
Q: Which of the following is appointed to supervise all aspects of the daily pharmacy operation?
Answer: Pharmacy Manager
Q: The area of the pharmacy where the pharmD provides the patient with detailed drug info. is the:
Answer: Pick-up area
Q: Which of the following shows the correct DEA registration number format for Dr. Mary Smith?
Answer: AS1234563
Q: Who is NOT allowed to receive a phone-in prescription from a prescriber in most states?
Answer: CPhT
Q: Which bin would hold a prescription for Sarah McWilliams in a large and busy pharmacy?
Answer: Ma-Me
Q: A patient’s confidential information is commonly referred to as:
Answer: PHI
Q: Which kind of pharmacy is most likely to be open 24 hours per day?
Answer: chain
Q: A pharmacy with only one location would be considered a(n) ________ pharmacy.
Answer: independent
Q: Which of the following indicates good customer service?
Answer: listen and revolve any issues or concerns
Q: You’re a third of the way there!
Answer: Keep going!!
Q: Even pharmacies with counting machines will still need to count out _________ by hand.
Answer: schedule II narcotics
Q: Why should penicillin not be counted by machine?
Answer: potential for allergic reactions due to cross-contamination
Q: A device that can hold hundreds or thousands of tablets is called a(n):
Answer: cassette
Q: Which statement about prescription-filling robots is true?
Answer: they are more prevalent in institutional pharmacies
Q: When inventory is low in an automated medication-delivery system, it automatically:
Answer: reorders a preset amount of the item
Q: EHR stands for:
Answer: Electronic Health Records
Q: All technological advances in pharmacy and healthcare will need to comply with HIPAA to ensure:
Answer: Patient confidentiality
Q: In what way can an automated medication cabinet increase security?
Answer: can be password-protected
Q: Independent purchasing contracts set all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer: the name of the GPO
Q: An automated ordering system will automatically generate an order based on:
Answer: current inventory levels
Q: Identification of recalled drugs can be determined by using the drug’s NDC and:
Answer: Lot number
Q: Which of the following is NOT a problem associated with excessive pharmacy inventory?
Answer: insufficient inventory to meet customer demand
Q: Which of the following is NOT a reason to dispose of a controlled substance?
Answer: Potential for abuse
Q: Which agency must be notified if narcotics are stolen from the pharmacy?
Answer: DEA
Q: An employee who takes or steals medication for any reason will face:
Answer: getting fired and criminal charges
Q: GPO stands for:
Answer: Group Purchasing Organization
Q: What kind of drugs is never dispensed?
Answer: expired
Q: Which of the following is NOT a method of purchasing pharmaceuticals from a manufacturer?
Answer: Group
Q: What provide parameters for meds that are stocked and approved for reimburs. in a health sys?
Answer: Formulary
Q: An automated system updates the pharmacy’s inventory level of a particular drug based on:
Answer: the shipment received
Q: In ambulatory pharm setting, who usually responsible for billing a patient’s insurance company?
Answer: Pharmacy Technician
Q: Prior authorization is a step in the ________ process.
Answer: Drug Utilization Review
Q: Which type of insurance requires a patient to have a pcp referral in order to see a specialist?
Answer: HMO
Q: When a person is injured at work, what % of their medical costs will they have to cover?
Answer: 0%
Q: HMO stands for:
Answer: Health Maintenance Organization
Q: A ________ is a set amount a patient pays up front before insurance coverage applies.
Answer: deductible
Q: A DAW code of 1 indicates that the doctor ________ a substitution.
Answer: does not permit
Q: Which type of formulary generally covers drugs that it does not list?
Answer: open
Q: Which of the following is associated with a certain amount a patient will pay or co-pay?
Answer: tier
Q: TRICARE for Life provides coverage for military personnel age:
Answer: 65+
Q: Who can answer customers’ medically based questions about OTC drugs?
Answer: pharmacist
Q: Which of the following means a drug that helps to relieve pain?
Answer: analgesic
Q: Which of the following is a brand name for acetaminophen?
Answer: Tylenol
Q: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include all of the following analgesics EXCEPT:
Answer: acetaminophen
Q: Which of the following blocks leukotriene receptors to alleviate sneezing and runny nose?
Answer: antihistamine
Q: Loratadine is sold under which of the following trade names?
Answer: Claritin
Q: What is the maximum amount of calcium carbonate that an 8-year-old child may ingest per day?
Answer: 996mg
Q: What type of OTC antiflatulent medication is approved for use in infants and children?
Answer: simethacone
Q: What SPF is recommended for children under 6 months old?
Answer: 30+
Q: which OTC product is helpful in cooling and healing a sunburn?
Answer: aloe vera gel
Q: 3/4 – 1/3 = ________
Answer: 5/12
Q: 10:1000 = ________%
Answer: 1
Q: Convert 4/6 to a ratio and reduce to lowest terms:
Answer: 2:3
Q: Convert CCL to an Arabic numeral:
Answer: 250
Q: 36.87 – 23.456 = ________
Answer: 13.414
Q: 1 gm = ________ mg.
Answer: 1,000
Q: 1 mg = ________ mcg
Answer: 1,000
Q: 1 mL = ________ L
Answer: 0.001
Q: 1 dram = ________ grains
Answer: 60
Q: Which of the following is not an apothecary unit of measure?
Answer: milliequivalents
Q: 1 tsp = ________ mL
Answer: 5
Q: 1 Tbsp = ________ mL
Answer: 15
Q: 2 fluid ounces = ________ mL
Answer: 60
Q: 1kg = ________ lb (apothecary)
Answer: 2.2
Q: 1 gallon = ________ mL
Answer: 3,840
Q: 8 fluid ounces = ________ mL
Answer: 240
Q: 1 grain = ________ mg
Answer: 65
Q: 1 pound = ________ g
Answer: 454
Q: 1 lb = ________ oz (apothecary)
Answer: 12
Q: 1 lb = ________ oz (household)
Answer: 16
Q: 5 gr = _______ mg
Answer: 325
Q: Which of the following is correct?1 mcg = 0.1 mg10 mg = 0.001 gm1L = 1000 mL1000L = 1 mL
Answer: 1L=1,000mL
Q: What is often used to denote a milliliter?
Answer: cubic centimeter
Q: Which measurement system does not use commas until there are five digits in the number?
Answer: international unit
Q: Which drug is NOT measured using apothecary-unit applications?
Answer: Penicillin
Q: is a formula for solving pedi. dosage calculations based upon the patient’s weight in pounds.
Answer: Clark’s Rule
Q: Which SIG code means “as needed”?
Answer: prn
Q: Which SIG code means four times per day?
Answer: qid
Q: What is of particular importance when taking quarterly or annual inventory?
Answer: invoice cost
Q: AWP stands for:
Answer: Average Wholesale Price
Q: How will the insurance company most likely pay the pharmacy?
Answer: by check of electronic transfer for batched claims
Q: What info. do you need to calculate gross profit percent on a single item sold in the pharmacy?
Answer: selling price and cost
Q: On an accounting statement, net profit + cost + overhead should equal:
Answer: income
Q: Halfway there!!!!!!
Answer: yayayayayay!
Q: Which type of flavoring additives is used in the preparation of salty-tasting drugs?
Answer: cinnamon
Q: Which of the following is used for continuous stirring?
Answer: magnetic stir plate
Q: What was recently revised to include new material about nonsterile compounded formulations?
Answer: USP 795
Q: Medication doses for animals are usually calculated on the basis of:
Answer: Milligrams per kilogram of body weight
Q: The eye generally tolerates a pH range of:
Answer: 4-11
Q: Which of the following dosage forms must be sterile?
Answer: Ophthalmic Ointments
Q: Which term refers to the process of reducing particle sizes to a fine powder?
Answer: triturating
Q: Which dosage form contains two immiscible liquids?
Answer: emulsion
Q: Which of the following dosage forms is placed in the oral cavity to disintegrate over time?
Answer: troches
Q: Pharmacy technicians have assumed many duties once performed by the pharmacist, including:
Answer: compounding and preparation of intravenous drugs
Q: Which is the most common type of health-system pharmacy?
Answer: hospital pharmacy
Q: Which of the following is not included among the AHA categories of hospitals?
Answer: short-term care
Q: What term is used in long-term care facilities as an alternative to the word “patient”?
Answer: centralized
Q: Which of the following is NOT ordered using a medication order form?
Answer: double room
Q: Which type of medication order means that the patient should receive medication as necessary?
Answer: PRN
Q: What kind of medication order is used in a health-system facility research program?
Answer: STAT
Q: Pharmacy technicians perform all of the following tasks EXCEPT:
Answer: verifying medication orders
Q: The pharmacy expiration date for a unit-dose of medication is typically:
Answer: 12 months from the date of unit dosing
Q: Which of the following is a type of automated dispensing cabinet?
Answer: pyxis
Q: What piece of hospital equip has sets of trays on wheeled cart used in critical situations?
Answer: crash cart
Q: Which of the following is NOT an example of a class 100 environment?
Answer: USP 797
Q: The functions of a laminar flow hood include all of the following EXCEPT that it:
Answer: provides sterile air in the work environment
Q: Laminar flow hood has been turned off, how long should it run before it can be used again?
Answer: 30 minutes
Q: Laminar flow hoods should be inspected and certified every:
Answer: 6 months
Q: Laminar flow hoods should have their pre-filters changed every:
Answer: month
Q: Which term is NOT used when describing a needle?
Answer: Barrel
Q: Needles lengths range from ________ or longer.
Answer: 3/8 to 3 1/2in
Q: Of the following, which gauge needle would be the finest (smallest)?
Answer: 22
Q: Which of the following needle gauges is the largest?
Answer: 14
Q: What can be attached to the syringe directly for multiple draws other than needles?
Answer: dispensing pins
Q: Which size of sterilizing filters would be considered capable of removing all microorganisms?
Answer: 0.22 micron
Q: Which part of the syringe can be described as a piston-type rod?
Answer: plunger
Q: Syringe capacity ranges from ________ mL.
Answer: 0.5 to 60
Q: The rule is that the capacity of the syringe should be _______ than the volume to be measured.
Answer: the next size larger
Q: If you were measuring a 3.8 mL dose, which size syringe would be most appropriate?
Answer: 5 mL
Q: Which route of administration is an injection into the spine?
Answer: intrathecal
Q: A hypotonic solution:
Answer: can cause swelling of blood cells
Q: A hypertonic solution:
Answer: can cause shrinking of red blood cells
Q: Of the following additives, which precipitates easily and should be added last to the IV?
Answer: calcium gluconate
Q: Antineoplastic drugs are also known as:
Answer: chemotherapy
Q: Percent strength represents how many grams of active ingredient are in:
Answer: 100 mL
Q: All of the following are categories of concentration problems except:Weight/weightVolume/weightVolume/volumeWeight/volume
Answer: volume/weight
Q: The % strength concentration of a solid active ingredient contained within a liquid base is:
Answer: % weight/volume
Q: Which refers to the strength of active pharmaceutical ingredient in a medication?
Answer: concentration
Q: The % strength concentration of a liquid active ingredient contained within a liquid base is:
Answer: % volume/volume
Q: The % strength concentration of a solid active ingredient contained within a solid base is:
Answer: % weight/weight
Q: When calculating concentrations, it is best to convert any ratio strengths to:
Answer: percents
Q: In concentration problems, ________ are used interchangeably.
Answer: grams and milliliters
Q: Which concentration refers to solid active ingredient mixed with liquid base?
Answer: w/v
Q: When mixing ________, the base quantity is considered the total quantity.
Answer: powders with liquids
Q: Which of the following is the outermost layer of the skin?
Answer: epidermis
Q: Which skin layer contains melanocytes?
Answer: epidermis
Q: Which skin layer stores adipose?
Answer: hypodermis
Q: Red area, inflamed skin caused by irritations, , infection, or defects to the skin’s structure?
Answer: contact dermatitis
Q: Which of the following is an example of a rash?
Answer: contact dermatitis
Q: ________ is a chronic immune disorder.
Answer: psoriasis
Q: All of the following are treatments for psoriasis EXCEPT:
Answer: imiquimod
Q: Which remedy for lice is available as a 1% shampoo with the brand name Kwell?
Answer: lindane
Q: Which of the following drugs is used to treat impetigo?
Answer: retapamulin
Q: Which of the following drugs is used to treat athlete’s foot?
Answer: miconazole
Q: Which of the following drugs is an oral drug for acne treatment?
Answer: accutane
Q: Folliculitis is a _____ skin infection.
Answer: bacterial
Q: Blackheads are a type of _____________ acne.
Answer: non-inflammatory
Q: Which of the following is caused by hyperpigmentation?
Answer: liver spots
Q: Which prescription treatment for acne is taken orally and available in 50, 75, or 100mg caps?
Answer: doxiclycline
Q: Congrats, you finished the whole thing!!
Answer: you’re gonna rock it, good luck!