PTCE Exam Dumps - PTCB CPhT Questions and Answers

In pharmacy practice and per USP/FDA conventions, when a manufacturer’s expiration date is expressed only as a month and year (e.g., “EXP 03/2026”), the product remains usable through the last day of that month. This standard is applied for product beyond-use and stock management, ensuring consistent interpretation across labeling and inventory control.

Upon receiving a recall notice, thefirststep a pharmacy technician should take is toverify whether the recalled product is present in the pharmacy’s inventory. This is critical because:

Product Identification– The pharmacy must determine if it has the affected lot numbers, expiration dates, or specific product variations mentioned in the recall notice.

Patient Safety– If the product is in stock, it must be removed from inventory immediately to prevent accidental dispensing.

Regulatory Compliance– TheFDA, manufacturer, or wholesaleroften provides specific instructions for handling recalled medications, and the pharmacy must comply with those guidelines.

FDA Drug Recall Guidelines– Recalls are classified intoClass I, II, and III, and the process requires inventory verification before further actions.

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline– The PTCB exam emphasizes medication safety and regulatory compliance, which includes proper handling of recalls.

The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)– This federal law mandates tracking and traceability of pharmaceutical products, reinforcing the importance of inventory checks during recalls.

Pharmacy Policy & Procedures– Most pharmacies followStandard Operating Procedures (SOPs)where verification of stock is the first step before contacting patients or returning products.

Key References:????Why Not the Other Options?

A. Call any affected patients❌→ This step is necessaryafterthe recall is confirmed and documented. If the pharmacy does not have the recalled product, patient notification is unnecessary.

B. Put the recall notice in the inventory technician’s box for processing❌→ Delaying action by simply passing the notice alongwithout verifying stockcan lead to patient harm.

D. Send the product back❌→ While returning recalled products is part of the process, itshould only occur after verification and proper documentation.

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

Retin-A (Tretinoin)is atopical retinoidused foracne treatmentandshould be stored with other topical medicationsatroom temperature (68-77°F or 20-25°C).

????Explanation of Answer Choices:✅D. Topical preparations→Correct.Retin-A is atopical medicationand should be stored accordingly.❌A. Liquid preparations→ Incorrect.Retin-A is not an oral liquid.❌B. Chemotherapy drugs→ Incorrect.Tretinoin is not classified as chemotherapy.❌C. Refrigerated drugs→ Incorrect.Retin-A should not be refrigerated.

????Reference:

USP <1079>: Storage of Pharmaceuticals

Manufacturer’s Storage Guidelines for Retin-A

When a voluntary, nonpunitive medication error reporting system is introduced and safety culture improves, organizations commonly see an initial rise in reported errors. This does not necessarily mean more errors are occurring; rather, more errors are being reported due to increased staff comfort and encouragement to report. Punitive cultures (B) reduce reporting, not increase it. Distraction from dispensing (C) or false reporting (D) are not recognized primary drivers of such patterns in patient safety literature.

References (Pharmacy Technician documents / Study Guides):

• ISMP and AHRQ patient safety culture principles: nonpunitive, learning-focused reporting increases the number of reported events initially.

• NCC MERP recommendations on error reporting and safety culture.

• Pharmacy safety and quality improvement modules in PTCB/ExCPT study guides: trends in reporting after implementing voluntary systems.

Oxaprozinis anonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)used to treat arthritis. It is listed on theISMP (Institute for Safe Medication Practices) List of Confused Drug Namesdue to its similarity toTopamax (topiramate), an anticonvulsant used for epilepsy and migraine prevention. The confusion arises because both drug nameslook and sound similar, which can lead to dispensing errors.

A. Tobradex→ Incorrect. Tobradex is anantibiotic/steroid ophthalmic medicationand is not confused with oxaprozin.

C. Tradjenta→ Incorrect. Tradjenta (linagliptin) is aDPP-4 inhibitor for diabetesand is not commonly confused with oxaprozin.

D. Trileptal→ Incorrect. Trileptal (oxcarbazepine) is ananticonvulsantbut is not on the ISMP Confused Drug List with oxaprozin.

Incorrect Answer Choices:Pharmacy Technician References:

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline (Error Prevention and Look-Alike/Sound-Alike (LASA) Drugs)

Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) List of Confused Drug Names

FDA Drug Safety Communications

Mosby’s Pharmacy Technician Exam Review

Levigating agentsreduce theparticle sizeof powders to make themeasier to mix into an ointment base.

Common levigating agents includemineral oil, glycerin, and propylene glycol.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. Emulsifying agents?❌Help mix oil and water but do NOT help incorporate solids into ointments.

B. Diluents?❌Used toincrease bulk volume(e.g., lactose in tablets).

D. Preservatives?❌Prevent microbial growth, but do NOT help mix solids into ointments.

????Reference:USP <795> Nonsterile Compounding Guidelines.

TheVaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)is a national system managed by theCDC and FDAto monitoradverse events following vaccination.

Anaphylaxisis asevere, life-threatening allergic reactionthat must beimmediately reported to VAERS, as it is a known but rareserious vaccine side effect.

Other serious events likeGuillain-Barré syndrome, myocarditis, and seizuresalso require VAERS reporting.

A. Constipation→ Incorrect;not a serious vaccine-related event.

C. Drowsiness→ Incorrect; commonbut not severeenough to require VAERS reporting.

D. Hyperlipidemia→ Incorrect;unrelated to vaccines.

Other Answer Choices Explained:References:

CDC VAERS Reporting Criteria for Adverse Vaccine Reactions

FDA Vaccine Safety Monitoring Guidelines

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline (Immunizations & Adverse Drug Event Reporting)

TheInstitute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)maintains a list oferror-prone abbreviationsthat shouldnot be usedin medication orders to prevent misinterpretation and medication errors.

Analysis of the Answer Choices:Abbreviation

Meaning

ISMP Recommendation

U

Units

❌Do NOT use→ Can be mistaken for "0" or "4" (e.g., 10U could be misread as 100).Use"unit"instead.

AD

Right ear

❌Do NOT use→ Can be confused with "OD" (right eye).Use"right ear"instead.

AU

Both ears

❌Do NOT use→ Can be confused with "OU" (both eyes).Use"both ears"instead.

gtt

Drop

✅Accepted→ Common and not considered error-prone.

Since"gtt" for drop is not on ISMP's "Do Not Use" list, it is the correct answer.

ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations– Confirms that "U," "AD," and "AU" should not be used in prescriptions.

Joint Commission "Do Not Use" List– Prohibits "U" and similar abbreviations to prevent dosing errors.

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline– Covers error prevention strategies, including abbreviation safety.

Key References:

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

A math formula on a white background Description automatically generated

Explanation of Answer Choices:✅C. 20→Correct.2 tablets per day × 10 days = 20 tablets.❌A. 5→ Incorrect. Under-dose.❌B. 10→ Incorrect. Under-dose.❌D. 40→ Incorrect. Over-dose.

????Reference:

USP <795> Pharmaceutical Calculations

PTCB Exam: Dosing Conversions

Pharmacy staff should always visually inspect nonsterile compounds for signs of incompatibility to ensure medication safety and efficacy. The presence ofprecipitationis a key indicator of an incompatibility issue in nonsterile compounded preparations. Precipitation occurs when a solute (drug) comes out of solution, forming visible solid particles. This can result from changes in pH, solvent composition, or chemical interactions between ingredients.

A. Photolysis:

Decomposition of a drug due to light exposure, leading to color changes or potency loss, but it is not a physical incompatibility visible as precipitation.

B. Hydrolysis:

Chemical breakdown of a drug due to water, common in ester and amide-containing drugs, but not a visual incompatibility like precipitation.

D. Oxidation-Reduction:

A chemical reaction that may change drug color or effectiveness but does not typically lead to visible precipitation in nonsterile compounds.

Other Answer Choices Explained:References:

USP <795> Pharmaceutical Compounding—Nonsterile Preparations

PTCB PTCE Exam Content Outline (Medication Safety & Quality Assurance)

Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy