Free practice quiz
PTCE Prep Course (PTCE): free quiz
10 questions from the program. See your score right away, then unlock the explanation of every answer.
- Question 1 of 10
A technician under pharmacist supervision enters a prescription for metformin 500 mg tablets, take 1 tablet PO twice daily, quantity 60, refills 3. The technician verifies patient identifiers, prescriber data, directions, days' supply, and insurance fields before pharmacist final review. In the published PTCB taxonomy, which major PTCE domain best classifies this task?
Domain mapping
B is correct: order-entry work includes entering prescription data, quantity or days' supply, third-party fields, and preparing for pharmacist verification. C is tempting because metformin knowledge matters, but the task is not drug identification. D is tempting because prescriber and refill data have legal elements, but no federal rule is being applied. A is tempting because accuracy prevents errors, but QA focuses on safety systems and error-prevention processes.
NOTICE missing fields; SAY it needs pharmacist review; MONITOR entry accuracy; HOLD/CLARIFY/ESCALATE if unresolved.
- Question 2 of 10
A technician working under pharmacist supervision receives an e-prescription for warfarin 5 mg tablets: take 1 tablet by mouth once daily. The patient profile lists amiodarone 200 mg by mouth once daily, and the claim requires days' supply. Before choosing an answer or calculating quantity, which task–fact–rule sequence best fits technician workflow?
Task–Fact–Rule
D is correct: identify the task, extract facts, then apply the workflow rule. Warfarin has narrow-index anticoagulant effects; amiodarone can increase INR and bleeding risk, so the technician documents facts and escalates. A is tempting for days' supply but skips an interaction check. C is tempting as a dose-adjustment response, but technicians cannot change doses. B is tempting because apixaban is an anticoagulant, but substitution is pharmacist/prescriber scope. Review Task–Fact–Rule — focus on interaction and scope.
Pharmacist Action: NOTICE amiodarone; SAY verify concerns as needed; MONITOR INR per protocol; HOLD/CLARIFY/ESCALATE until reviewed. - Question 3 of 10
A prescription reads: omeprazole 20 mg capsule, take 1 capsule by mouth once daily. The patient profile also lists clopidogrel 75 mg by mouth once daily. Under pharmacist supervision, which entry best matches the generic-brand pair while appropriately handling the profile concern?
Generic-brand order entry
B is correct. Omeprazole is Prilosec; omeprazole may reduce clopidogrel activation via CYP2C19, so the technician flags it for pharmacist review, not therapy change. D: Protonix is pantoprazole; tempting because it is also a PPI, but it is a different generic. C: Prilosec is the right brand, but changing PO to IV is outside technician scope. A: Nexium is esomeprazole; renal adjustment is a dosing trap, not the correct brand match.
NOTICE clopidogrel plus omeprazole; SAY profile interaction found; MONITOR pharmacist resolution before filling; HOLD/CLARIFY/ESCALATE if product selection is uncertain. - Question 4 of 10
An order reads: pantoprazole delayed-release 40 mg tablet by mouth once daily. The patient profile also lists sucralfate 1 g by mouth four times daily. Before pharmacist final verification, the technician finds pantoprazole 40 mg delayed-release tablets, 20 mg delayed-release tablets, oral suspension packets, and IV vials in stock.
Pantoprazole delayed-release tablets protect acid-labile drug until intestinal release, so B preserves the ordered PO DR form. D is tempting because sucralfate raises absorption/timing concerns, but technicians must not change formulation for an interaction; refer to the pharmacist. C is tempting because 2 × 20 mg equals 40 mg, but exact 40 mg stock best matches the order/package size unless policy directs otherwise. B is tempting because the dose matches, but IV is a different route/form requiring authorization.
Pharmacist Action: NOTICE form/route; SAY “DR 40 mg PO stock matched”; MONITOR order-entry alerts each fill; HOLD/CLARIFY if DR, route, frequency, or interaction is unclear. - Question 5 of 10
A pharmacy receives insulin glargine 100 units/mL pens for a patient who injects 20 units subcutaneously nightly. The carton labeling says to refrigerate at 2–8°C, protect from light, and do not freeze. Under pharmacist supervision, the technician notes the delivery sat at about 35°C for several hours. What is the best technician action?
C is correct. Insulin potency depends on labeled storage; a 35°C excursion requires quarantine and pharmacist review. D is tempting as a dose-adjustment response, but technicians must not change insulin dosing; heat affects stability, not a technician-directed dose. B is tempting to “correct” temperature, but freezing can damage insulin. A confuses in-use room-temperature dating with unopened stock storage. Drug-interaction logic is not the issue; storage excursion is.
NOTICE temperature excursion; SAY report details; MONITOR quarantine log immediately; HOLD/CLARIFY/ESCALATE before dispensing any affected product. - Question 6 of 10
A verified order reads: digoxin 0.125 mg by mouth once daily. The patient profile also lists amiodarone, and the supervising pharmacist will review the interaction before dispensing. For technician order entry, which dose is the correct metric conversion to micrograms?
D is correct: 1 \(mg = 1000 mcg\), so 0.125 \(mg = 125 mcg\). Digoxin has a narrow therapeutic index; mcg/mg decimal errors are high risk. A is a 10-fold underdose trap. C is a 10-fold overdose trap. B is a catastrophic unit-entry error. Amiodarone may increase digoxin exposure, so the technician should flag the profile for pharmacist review rather than adjust the dose.
NOTICE: digoxin plus amiodarone and mcg/mg risk. SAY: report the interaction flag. MONITOR: pharmacist-directed digoxin level and toxicity checks. HOLD/CLARIFY/ESCALATE: any unclear decimal or unit. - Question 7 of 10
Under pharmacist supervision, a technician enters a prescription for amoxicillin-clavulanate 875 mg/125 mg tablets: take 1 tablet by mouth every 12 hours for 10 days. The pharmacist will complete final verification. What quantity should be entered?
Quantity From Directions
C is correct: every 12 hours equals 2 doses/day; 1 tablet/dose × 2 doses/day × 10 \(days = 20 tablets\). D counts only once daily. B is a 7-day supply trap. A incorrectly assumes three daily doses. This is an order-entry calculation; final clinical appropriateness and verification remain pharmacist responsibilities.
NOTICE duration and frequency; SAY unclear directions to the pharmacist; MONITOR entered quantity against sig before adjudication; HOLD/CLARIFY if sig, duration, or dosage form conflicts. - Question 8 of 10
Under pharmacist supervision, a technician is preparing a verified order for hydrocortisone 2.5% w/w cream, apply 1 g topically twice daily, dispense 60 g. How many grams of hydrocortisone are needed to compound the 60 g preparation before pharmacist check?
A 2.5% w/w preparation contains 2.5 g drug per 100 g of finished product. Set up \(2.5\ ext{ g}/100\ ext{ g}=x/60\ ext{ g}\), so \(x=1.5\ ext{ g}\). D is a decimal-place trap consistent with 0.25%. B is tempting because it repeats the percent number, but percent strength is per 100 g, not per batch. C is a tenfold decimal error. The technician should match units, calculate the ingredient amount, document the preparation, and submit it for pharmacist verification.
- Question 9 of 10
A pharmacist has verified vancomycin 1,000 mg in 250 mL normal saline IV every 12 hours to infuse over 2 hours for a fictional inpatient. A 20 gtt/mL drop factor is printed on backup gravity tubing, but the nurse requests the electronic pump setting. The technician is entering the rate for pharmacist check. Which mL/hr rate should be prepared?
Flow rate setup
Use \( \text{mL/hr}=\frac{250\text{ mL}}{2\text{ hr}}=125 \). C is correct. D is tempting if 4 hours is used, but the verified infusion time is 2 hours. A reflects a 3-hour rate, a common dose-adjustment-style trap; technicians do not change infusion time without pharmacist clarification. A uses the drop-factor pathway instead of pump mL/hr; drug-interaction concerns with vancomycin require pharmacist review, not a rate change.
NOTICE verified volume and time; SAY rate mismatch; MONITOR pump programming before start; HOLD/CLARIFY if order time, volume, or device differs. - Question 10 of 10
A prescription reads: hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5 mg/325 mg tablets, take 1 tablet by mouth every 6 hours as needed for acute pain, quantity 12. Before pharmacist final verification, the technician must enter the correct DEA schedule in the pharmacy system. Which schedule applies federally?
A is correct. Hydrocodone combination products are federally Schedule II: accepted medical use but high abuse potential. B is tempting because some codeine combinations are Schedule III, but hydrocodone products are not. D fits some low-dose antitussive codeine products, not hydrocodone/APAP. C fits benzodiazepines and tramadol, not hydrocodone. This is a classification-entry task; any therapeutic concern, interaction, or dosing question should be escalated to the pharmacist.
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