Pharmacy Technician Exam Study Guide

Which of the following medications should a pharmacy technician identify as being included in the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) program?

Isotretinoin (Accutane)

** High risk medication to both genders

When repackaging medications from a stock container to a unit-dose package, which of the following information should a pharmacy technician record?

The lot number of the manufacture

**Also record medication name, expiration date, and strength

A pharmacy technician receives a prescription to dispense VI fl oz of promethazine syrup. What size bottle should the technician use to fill this prescription?

180 mL

** 1 oz= 30 mL & "VI" means 6... 180 mL= 6oz.

Which of the following information is indicated by the NDC number?

The manufacturer

** Indicates manufacturer, strength, dosage form, and package size of the medication

A pharmacy technician receives a prescription for hydrocortisone ointment 45g. Which of the following container sizes should the technician use to dispense the medication?

2 oz

**45 g = 1.5 oz, technician should use 2 oz bottle to dispense the medication

A pharmacy technician is completing a new patient profile. Which of the following information should the technician record from the patient's insurance card?

Group number

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following information is required to be included on the label of a compounded sterile preparation?

Medication's beyond use date

Which of the following controlled substances schedules represent substances that contain limited quantities of certain narcotics and have a low potential for abuse?

Schedule V

** Low risk for abuse and contain limited quantities of certain narcotics

A pharmacy technician should recognize that how much sodium chloride is found in a 1 L bag of 0.9% sodium chloride?

9 g

*0.9g/100 mL = X g/1000 mL, then 1,000 0.9/100 = 9g

A provider prescribes an adult patient to receive 80 mEq of potassium over 3 hours. Which of the following will be the flow rate in mL/hr if 80 mEq/500 mL solution was dispensed?

167

**500mL/3 hr = 166.66, so about 167

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following medication is contraindicated for administration to a patient who is allergic to penicillin (Pen VK)?

Amoxicillin/ clavulanate (Augmentin)

To reduce medication errors, which of the following formats should be used to represent a dosage measured in grams?

0.3 g

*Most precise

A pharmacy technician is preparing an amoxicillin (Amoxil) suspension. Which of the following auxiliary labels should the technician apply to the container?

"Shake well before use"

When a managed care plan covers 80% of a prescription cost and the patient pays the remaining 20%, this payment arrangement is known as which of the following?

Coinsurance

**a type of insurance in which the insured pays a share of the payment made against a claim.

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following is the generic name for Ambien?

Zolpidem

When a medication has been recalled, which of the following actions should a pharmacy technician take?

Return the medication to the manufacture

Which of the following describes the primary purpose of the Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951?

To require prescription medications to bear the legend "Rx only"

Which of the following information does the FDA require to be published in a medication's monograph?

Contraindications

Which of the following information should a pharmacy technician be aware of regarding prednisone (Deltasone) and prednisolone (Orapred)?

Tall-man lettering in incorporated on their labels

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following insurance coverage plans allows a patient to see a specialist without a referral?

PPO

Which of the following actions is outside the scope of practice for a pharmacy technician who works at a community pharmacy that provides immunizations?

Explaining potential adverse effects of an immunization

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following medications is recommended for a patient who has symptoms of acid reflux and upset stomach?

Omeprazole (Prilosec)

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following prescription instructions is represented by the SIG code listed below?

ii gtts ou tid

Instill two drops in both eyes three times daily

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following information applies to a prescription for isotretinoin (Accutane)?

Prescribers and patients must be registered with iPLEDGE.

A pharmacy technician is required to include a patient package insert when dispensing which of the following medications to a patient?

Drospirenone (Yasmin)

A pharmacy technician is preparing to inject a diluent into a vial for a powder medication. Which of the following needles should the technician use for this process?

Vented

** Helps minimize spraying or foaming of the liquid when mixing

Which of the following actions demonstrates a pharmacy technician's compliance with laws and regulations while filling a prescription?

Informing a patient of the pharmacy's privacy policies and procedures.

According to the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 (PPPA), which of the following medications can be dispensed from a retail pharmacy in a non-childproof container without a signed written request?

Sublingual nitroglycerin

**Used for chest pain, and childproof containers could interfere during an emergency.

Which of the following actions should a pharmacy technician take to avoid contamination in the pharmacy setting?

Disinfect countertops with isopropyl alcohol

** The technician should help maintain a clean environment

A pharmacy technician should expect which of the following types of medications to be prescribed for a patient who has depression?

SSRI

** Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor used as an antidepressant

A pharmacy technician should identify that HIPPA privacy regulations apply to which of the following?

Patient counseling

Personnel who are authorized to enter the sterile compounding room should receive training in accordance with which of the following organizations?

United States Pharmacopeia (USP)

** must be trained and garbed according to USP <797> guidelines

A pharmacy technician should verify that which of the following information is recorded on a hard copy of a prescription for a Schedule II medications?

The patient's address

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following statements regarding refills for Schedule II medications is correct?

They cannot be refilled.

Which of the following should a pharmacy technician identify as the purpose for rotating an inventory of medications?

To ensure that medications that will expire soon are used first

** Tech does so by rotating the medication

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following prescription instructions corresponds with the prescription below?Naproxen (Anaprox) 550 mg 2 tabs po q4-6h prn

Take two tablets by mouth every 4 to 6 hours as needed.

A pharmacy technician is preparing to dispense a prescription for amoxicillin oral suspension 500 mg bid for 10 days. How many mL of amoxicillin 250 mg/5 ml should the technician dispense?

200 mL

**500mg/x mL= 250 mg/5ml = 10 mL

10mL twice a day= 20 mL

20 mL * 10 days= 200 mL

According to USP 797, which of the following personal protective equipment (PPE) should a pharmacy technician apply first when performing aseptic technique?

Shoe covers

A pharmacy technician receives a prescription for a noncontrolled medication that indicates the medication should be refilled "prn." The technician should identify that "prn" indicates which of the following?

The prescription can be refilled for a maximum of 1 year from the date it was written.

Based on the prescription below, a pharmacy technician should dispense which of the following days' supply of the medication?Proventil Syrup ii tsp qid disp. 8 oz

6 days

**240 mL/ 40 mL/ day= 6 days

Which of the following references should a pharmacy technician use to determine if a medication is a therapeutic equivalent to another medication?

Orange book

Which of the following tasks should a pharmacy technician identify as the final step in the filling process of a new prescription?

Asking the pharmacist to perform a verification check

A pharmacy technician is assisting a patient who has a new prescription. Which of the following actions should the pharmacy technician take?

Offer counseling with the pharmacist on this medication

** According to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA '90), the technician should offer counseling with a pharmacist to a patient who has a new prescription.

A pharmacy technician is assisting a patient who is picking up a prescription. Which of the following questions should the technician ask the patient to ensure the correct prescription is provided?

"Can you verify your name and date of birth?"

Which of the following organizations is responsible for reviewing new generic equivalents and therapeutic indications for existing medications?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Which of the following should a pharmacy technician identify as an area that needs to be cleaned monthly in a sterile compounding area?

Walls

** Needed to be cleaned every month

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following prescription labels corresponds with the prescription below?

1 tsp qid pc prn allergy

Take 1 teaspoon four times daily after meals as needed for allergy.

** qid= four times daily

pc= after meals

prn= as needed

A pharmacy technician is processing recalled medications. Which of the following should the technician identify as a Class III recall?

Medications that are unlikely to cause adverse health effects

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following liquid dosage forms are concentrated solutions of sucrose in water?

Syrups

** Also contain alcohol

A pharmacy technician is preparing to fill a prescription for a toddler. Which of the following is the weight-based formula the technician should use to determine the correct pediatric dose?

Clark's rule

When validating a DEA number, a pharmacy technician should identify that the second letter should be the first letter of which of the following?

Prescriber's last name

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following medications is required to be stored behind the pharmacy counter?

Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)

**According to the 2005 Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act, pharmacies are required to store pseudoephedrine behind the pharmacy counter

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following pain medications poses the lowest risk for women who are pregnant?

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

Under federal law, a pharmacy technicians should identify that which of the following statements is true regarding prescriptions for schedule II medications?

They should be filed separately from all other prescriptions.

** The technician should identify that Schedule II prescriptions should be filed separately from all other prescriptions.

According to federal law, a schedule III medication can be refilled up to many times when authorized by a prescriber?

5 times within 6 months

** According to the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, Schedule III medications can be refilled up to five times in 6 months if authorized by the prescriber.

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following OTC medications is most likely to increase a patient's risk for gastrointestinal bleeding?

Ibuprofen (Motrin)

A patient asks a pharmacy technician to contact her prescriber to request a refill of Singulair. The technician should expect the prescriber to send a prescription for which of the following generic medications?

Montelukast

Which of the following actions should a pharmacy technician take to promote medication compliance?

Ask the patient to monitor medication intake by keeping a log.

Based on the prescription below, how many tablets should a pharmacy technician dispense?

Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) 500 mg 1.5g qid * 10 days

120 tablets

**First, convert g to mg (1.5 g = 1,500 mg). 3 tablets of 500 mg each = 1,500 mg. 3 tablets x 4 times per day = 12 tablets per day. 12 tablets per day x 10 days = 120 tablets.

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following abbreviations is prone to medication errors and is on the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) " Recommended Do Not Use" list?

U

** "U" means units, and can be mistaken for zero

Which of the following routes of administration is parenteral?

Intramuscular

A pharmacy technician receives a prescription for a brand name medication that has a generic available. Which of the following acronyms on the prescription indicates the provider wished to ensure the brand name medication will be dispense?

DAW

** "Dispense as written"

Which organization oversees the disposal of hazardous waste from health care facilities?

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

Which medication is an example of an antitussive?

Dextromethorphan (Delsym)

A medication prescription calls for dextrose 5% in water(D5W) 1000 mL with 40 mEq of potassium chloride to be infused at 125 mL/hr. How many 1 L bags will be needed over a 24 hour period?

Three

**Each bag can last 8 hr (1,000/125 = 8), so a total of three bags will be needed in a 24 hr period (24/8 = 3).

A pharmacy technician is discussing a patient's medication refill with the prescriber/ According to HIPPA guidelines, how much of the patient's confidential info can the technician disclose to the prescriber?

The minimum amount of info needed to complete the task

Which of the following is represented by the abbreviation APAP?

Acetaminophen

** The technician should identify that the abbreviation APAP is derived from the chemical name of acetaminophen, which is N-acetyl-p-aminophenol.

Which of the following should a pharmacy technician take when receiving a delivery of noncontrolled substances?

Reconcile the shipment invoice

When calculating the beyond-use date (BUD) for a sterile compound, which of the following information should a pharmacy technician consider?

The stability of the medication

Which of the following pharmaceutical dosage forms is alcohol free?

Suspensions

** Medication particles are suspended in liquid; however, the medication is not dissolved.

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following is recommended by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) when labeling a prescription?

Dosing instructions should use numbers

**The technician should identify that the ISMP recommends using numbers, rather than letters, when entering dosage instructions.

Which of the following vitamins should a pharmacy technician identify as fat-soluble?

Vitamin K

** Also Vitamin A, E, and D

According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), which of the following abbreviations should a pharmacy technician use?

pc

** "pc" means a medication should be taken after a meal.

Which of the following retail provisions covered under the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA) of 2005 for pseudoephedrine purchased without a prescription?

There is a 30-day purchase limit on pseudoephedrine products.

**According to the CMEA, patients cannot purchase more than 9 g of pseudoephedrine products every 30 days.

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following is true where no refill information is provided on a noncontrolled substance prescription?

Refills require authorization from the prescriber.

A pharmacy technician is preparing to dispense a prescription. Which of the following findings is an indication that the prescription might be altered or forged?

Written in red ink

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following organization procedures encourages reporting of medication errors?

Confidential error reporting

**The technician should identify that confidential error reporting encourages the reporting of medication errors because it does not tie into performance reviews and aids in the prevention of future errors.

Which federal acts required a patient to receive pharmacist counseling?

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA (90')

Based on the prescription below, a pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following information might cause a medication administration error?

Glimepiride (Amaryl) 2.0 mg one tablet orally once daily #90

The strength of 2.0 mg should be written as 2 mg.

**The prescriber should not use a trailing zero after a decimal point because this could lead to a medication error if the decimal point is overlooked.

A pharmacy technician should assign which of the following expiration dates to a magic mouthwash that contains water?

14 days

A pharmacy technician should use a vertical airflow hood to compound which of the following?

Chemotherapy

**The technician should use a vertical airflow hood to compound chemotherapy medications.

According to federal law, when transferring a Schedule II medication to another pharmacy, which of the following forms should the receiving pharmacy complete and retain?

DEA Form 222

A pharmacy technician should identify is assisting a patient who reports that she is allergic to NSAIDs. Which of the following should the technician recognize as a medication that this patient should avoid taking?

Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin)

A pharmacy technician is preparing to dispense a prescription for a patient. On the prescription, the instructions indicate "supp." Which of the following statements should the technician make to the patient?

"This medication is a suppository."

** "supp" means suppository

Which of the following conditions is a contraindication to taking atorvastatin (Lipitor)?

Pregnancy

Which of the following parts of Medicare covers durable medical equipment (DME)?

Part B

**Medicare Part B covers outpatient diagnostic testing, preventive care, and DME, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and oxygen tanks.

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following is approximately equivalent to 1 quart?

960 mL

Which of the following tasks is within a pharmacy technician's scope of practice?

Obtaining a patient's health history

A pharmacy technician should allow a laminar flow hood to run for which of the following amounts of time before sterile compounding can begin?

30 min

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following is required on a Schedule II prescription?

DEA number

A pharmacy technician has dispensed a prescription for acetaminophen with codeine. The technician should identify that this medication is included in which of the following controlled substance schedules?

Schedule III

**Acetaminophen with codeine is a combination narcotic that is considered a Schedule III medication because of the risk of moderate physical dependency and high psychological dependency.

A pharmacy technician is preparing a clindamycin (Cleocin) oral suspension. What auxiliary label should the technician place on the bottle?

"Take with a Full Glass of Water"

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following is required on an OTC medication label?

Net contents

**The technician should identify that the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 requires the net contents of an OTC medication package to be listed on the medication label. Other required information includes the product name, the name and address of the manufacturer, and directions for use.

According to USP <797>, how many times must negative gloved fingertip sampling be demonstrated prior to preparing sterile products?

Three times

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following is an example of a solid dosage form?

Effervescent tablets

Which of the following actions by a pharmacy technician demonstrates proper hand-washing hygiene in a sterile environment?

Drying hands and forearms with a lint-free towel

A pharmacy technician should identify that which of the following is a benefit of an automated medication delivery system?

Reduces medication errors

** Human error reduction

Which of the following should a pharmacy technician identify as the primary purpose of MedWatch?

To allow the voluntary report of adverse events

A pharmacy technician is preparing to dispense several medications. Which of the following medications should the technician label and dispense in its original container?

Nitroglycerin (Nitrostat)

**Nitroglycerin is sensitive to air and light; therefore, the technician should label and dispense nitroglycerin in its original amber glass container. The amber bottle will shield the medication from sunlight and prevent loss of potency.

A pharmacy technician should recognize that the CDC recommends a patient who is 65 years of age receive which of the following vaccines?

Zoster live

**The CDC recommends an individual who is 65 years of age receive the zoster live, or shingles, vaccine.