PTCB - PHARMACY LAWS EXAM 2025/2026
180 Practice Questions with Answers, Rationales, and Multiple Choice
FEDERAL PHARMACY LAWS & REGULATIONS
Questions 1-30: Historical Legislation
1. The Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 prohibited:
A) The sale of prescription drugs without a prescription
B) The interstate transportation or sale of adulterated or misbranded food and
drugs
C) The use of child-resistant packaging
D) The re-importation of drugs into the US
Answer: B
Rationale: The Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 was the first federal law to
prohibit the interstate transportation or sale of adulterated or misbranded food
and drugs. This laid the foundation for modern pharmaceutical regulation .
2. Which of the following would be considered "adulterated" under the Pure Food
and Drugs Act?
A) A drug with false labeling
,B) A drug lacking adequate directions for use
C) A drug containing filthy, decomposed, or putrid substances
D) A drug without the established name on the label
Answer: C
Rationale: Adulteration refers to drugs consisting of any filthy, decomposed, or
putrid substance; prepared under unsanitary conditions; prepared in containers
composed of poisonous substances; containing unsafe color additives; or differing
in strength, quality, or purity from official compendium standards .
3. What does "misbranding" mean under pharmacy law?
A) The drug contains unsafe color additives
B) The drug is prepared under unsanitary conditions
C) False labeling, lack of label, or inaccurate quantity of contents
D) The drug is stored at improper temperatures
Answer: C
Rationale: Misbranding includes false labeling, no label, labels lacking
manufacturer information, lack of accurate quantity of contents, no warning if
habit-forming, no labeled directions for use, no ingredient/alcohol content
disclosure, and failure to bear the established name of the drug .
,4. The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) of 1938:
A) Created the DEA
B) Separated drugs into Legend and Nonlegend categories
C) Created the FDA and required all new drug applications be filed
D) Established child-resistant packaging requirements
Answer: C
Rationale: The FDCA of 1938 created the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
required all new drug applications to be filed with the FDA, and clearly defined
adulteration and misbranding .
5. The Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951:
A) Required child-resistant packaging for all medications
B) Separated drugs into Legend (prescription) and Nonlegend (OTC) categories
C) Created the DEA and controlled substance schedules
D) Required patient counseling for Medicaid patients
Answer: B
, Rationale: The Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951 separated drugs into
Legend (prescription) and Nonlegend (over-the-counter) categories. It required all
products to have adequate directions for use unless dispensed with a
prescription, allowed verbal prescriptions over the phone, and allowed refills to
be called in from a doctor's office .
6. Which statement about the Durham-Humphrey Amendment is TRUE?
A) It required all medications to be pure, safe, and effective
B) It established the Poison Prevention Packaging Act
C) It prohibited dispensing legend drugs without a prescription
D) It created the National Drug Code (NDC) system
Answer: C
Rationale: The Durham-Humphrey Amendment established clear criteria for what
constitutes a prescription drug and prohibited dispensing legend drugs to those
without a prescription. The label "Caution: Federal law prohibits dispensing this
medication without a prescription" was required on all prescription medicines .
7. The Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962:
A) Created the FDA
B) Required all medications in the US to be pure, safe, and effective