About this test
Brand/generic fluency for the most-dispensed drugs is the highest-yield memorization work in PTCE prep: these are the medications your Medications-domain questions (35% of the exam) draw from, and the ones you'll handle every shift once certified.
This quiz covers a deliberate spread across the classes that dominate US dispensing: statins, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, beta blockers, PPIs, SSRIs and SNRIs, antibiotics, antidiabetics, thyroid replacement, anticoagulants, and inhalers.
New to the material? Work through our 2026 PTCB study guide first, then reinforce it with the top 200 drugs list by class and Top 200 Drugs Flashcards.
What's in the question bank
| Topic | Questions in bank |
|---|---|
| Brand Generic | 18 |
| Drug Class | 9 |
| Indication | 3 |
Sample questions with answers
These 8 questions come straight from the 30-question bank the timed test above draws from. Work each one before you open the answer: recalling it cold is what moves it into long-term memory.
1. Augmentin combines amoxicillin with which beta-lactamase inhibitor?
- A.Sulbactam
- B.Tazobactam
- C.Avibactam
- D.Clavulanate (clavulanic acid)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Clavulanate (clavulanic acid)
Augmentin is amoxicillin plus clavulanate, a beta-lactamase inhibitor that protects amoxicillin from bacterial enzymes that would otherwise destroy it. Sulbactam pairs with ampicillin (Unasyn) and tazobactam pairs with piperacillin (Zosyn), so matching each inhibitor to its penicillin partner is the tested skill.
2. Metformin (Glucophage) is a first-line treatment for which condition?
- A.Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- B.Type 1 diabetes mellitus
- C.Hypothyroidism
- D.Hypertension
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Metformin, a biguanide, is the standard first-line oral medication for type 2 diabetes and works by decreasing hepatic glucose production and improving insulin sensitivity. It does not replace insulin, so it is not used alone for type 1 diabetes.
3. Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable for type 2 diabetes, contains which generic drug?
- A.Dulaglutide
- B.Liraglutide
- C.Tirzepatide
- D.Semaglutide
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Semaglutide
Ozempic is semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist that improves blood sugar control and has driven large increases in dispensing volume. Dulaglutide is Trulicity, liraglutide is Victoza, and tirzepatide is Mounjaro, all injectable incretin-based agents.
4. Empagliflozin (Jardiance) belongs to which class of antidiabetic drugs?
- A.DPP-4 inhibitors
- B.SGLT2 inhibitors
- C.GLP-1 receptor agonists
- D.Sulfonylureas
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. SGLT2 inhibitors
Empagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that lowers blood glucose by causing excess glucose to be excreted in the urine. The -gliflozin ending identifies the class, which also includes dapagliflozin (Farxiga) and canagliflozin (Invokana).
5. Januvia is the brand name for which DPP-4 inhibitor?
- A.Saxagliptin
- B.Linagliptin
- C.Sitagliptin
- D.Alogliptin
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Sitagliptin
Januvia is sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor for type 2 diabetes. All four options share the class ending -gliptin, so the brand match must be memorized: saxagliptin is Onglyza, linagliptin is Tradjenta, and alogliptin is Nesina.
6. Levothyroxine (Synthroid) is prescribed to treat which condition?
- A.Hypothyroidism
- B.Hyperthyroidism
- C.Type 1 diabetes mellitus
- D.Osteoporosis
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Hypothyroidism
Levothyroxine is a synthetic form of thyroid hormone (T4) that replaces what the thyroid gland cannot produce in hypothyroidism. It treats an underactive thyroid, the opposite of hyperthyroidism, and is among the most dispensed drugs in the United States.
7. Eliquis, an oral anticoagulant, contains which generic drug?
- A.Rivaroxaban
- B.Edoxaban
- C.Dabigatran
- D.Apixaban
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Apixaban
Eliquis is apixaban, a factor Xa inhibitor used to prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation and to treat or prevent blood clots. Rivaroxaban is Xarelto and edoxaban is Savaysa, both fellow -xaban factor Xa inhibitors, while dabigatran (Pradaxa) is a direct thrombin inhibitor.
8. Warfarin is available under which brand name?
- A.Eliquis
- B.Xarelto
- C.Coumadin
- D.Pradaxa
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Coumadin
Warfarin is the generic name for Coumadin (also marketed as Jantoven), a vitamin K antagonist anticoagulant that requires regular INR monitoring. The distractors are brands of the newer direct oral anticoagulants apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran.
Ready for the full timed run? Scroll back up and start the Top 200 Drugs Quiz, or browse every free PTCB quiz by exam domain.
Key concepts to know
Learn by suffix families
Generic-name suffixes encode the class: -statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors), -pril (ACE inhibitors), -sartan (ARBs), -olol (beta blockers), -prazole (PPIs), -floxacin (fluoroquinolones). Suffix recognition rescues you when a specific drug is unfamiliar.
Pair drug with indication
The exam rarely asks names in isolation; it asks what the drug treats. Always learn the triple: brand, generic, and primary indication (metformin/Glucophage → type 2 diabetes).
Top 200 Drugs Quiz: FAQ
Do I need to memorize all 200 drugs for the PTCE?
No exam requires all 200 verbatim, but the most-dispensed drugs appear constantly in Medications-domain questions. Prioritize the top 100 by prescription volume and the suffix patterns that identify classes.
Where does the top 200 list come from?
Rankings of US prescription volume, such as ClinCalc DrugStats, which aggregates national dispensing data. The list shifts slightly year to year, but the leaders (atorvastatin, levothyroxine, lisinopril, metformin) are stable.
Official sources checked
This quiz's content and explanations are built from and cross-checked against primary sources. Verify current exam facts directly with PTCB.