PTCB Practice Test 1: Free 20-Question Mini Exam

Correct answer: D. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

Tamsulosin is an alpha blocker that relaxes smooth muscle in the prostate and bladder neck to relieve the urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It does not treat infection or erectile dysfunction, so those distractors describe unrelated therapies.

Correct answer: B. Open the capsule, sprinkle the intact granules on a spoonful of applesauce, and swallow the mixture immediately without chewing

The capsule may be opened and its granules mixed with a tablespoon of soft, cool applesauce, then swallowed immediately with water; the granules must not be chewed or crushed, and the mixture must not be stored. Crushing destroys the delayed-release coating that protects the drug from stomach acid, which is why the tea and chewing options are wrong.

Correct answer: A. Schedule I

Schedule I substances, such as heroin and LSD, are defined by a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use in the United States, so they may not be prescribed or dispensed. Schedules II through V all contain drugs with some accepted medical use, with abuse potential decreasing as the schedule number increases.

Correct answer: A. Pass the alert to the pharmacist for clinical review rather than bypassing it

Drug utilization review findings and drug interactions are pharmacist-intervention issues under PTCE area 3.3. Resolving an interaction alert requires clinical judgment about risks, alternatives, and monitoring, which is outside the technician's role. Overriding alerts without review is a well-documented path to patient harm.

Correct answer: C. Take one capsule by mouth twice daily for 10 days

PO means by mouth and BID means twice daily, so the patient takes one capsule by mouth two times each day. The Roman numeral i indicates one capsule per dose, and the course length of 10 days comes directly from the sig.

Correct answer: C. Atorvastatin

Lipitor is the brand name for atorvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) used to lower cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular risk. Rosuvastatin (Crestor), simvastatin (Zocor), and pravastatin (Pravachol) are other statins in the same class but are marketed under different brand names.

Correct answer: C. Labeler, product, package

The NDC reads labeler code first, product code second, and package code third. Reversing the last two segments is a common error: the product code sits in the middle and describes the drug itself, while the package code always comes last and describes the container.

Correct answer: D. They may transfer the prescription up to the maximum refills permitted by law and the prescriber's authorization

21 CFR 1306.25(a) creates an exception to the one-time transfer limit: pharmacies electronically sharing a real-time, online database may transfer a Schedule III-V prescription up to the maximum number of refills permitted by law and the prescriber's authorization. All documentation requirements for transfers still apply.