Pharmacy Technician Certification
Exam Study Guide Questions and All
Actual Answers.
Pharmacy technician certification examination (PTCE) - Answer An examination for
certification of pharmacy technicians.
ExCPT exam - Answer An examination for pharmacy technicians that assesses their
knowledge and skills.
Drug - Answer A substance used to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent, or mitigate disease in
humans or animals.
Elimination - Answer The process by which a drug is removed from the body, primarily
through the kidney, lung, and bowel.
Bioavailability - Answer The rate and extent to which the active ingredient or active entity is
absorbed from a drug product and becomes available at the site of action.
Pharmacology - Answer The scientific study of the action of drugs on a living system.
Bioequivalence - Answer The rate and extent of absorption of an active ingredient from a
drug product so that it becomes available at its site of action.
Pharmacokinetics - Answer Involves the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
elimination (excretion) of a drug in a living system.
Narrow therapeutic index (NTI) - Answer Drugs for which small differences in dose or blood
concentration may lead to serious therapeutic failures or adverse drug reactions.
Strengths/dose - Answer The specific amount of active ingredient in a medication.
Dosage forms - Answer The physical form in which a drug is produced and dispensed, such as
tablets, capsules, or injections.
Routes of administration - Answer The path by which a drug is brought into contact with the
body, such as oral, intravenous, or topical.
,Therapeutic equivalence - Answer The relationship between two drugs that have the same
clinical effect and safety profile when administered to patients under the conditions specified in
the labeling.
Physical and chemical incompatibilities - Answer Situations where two or more substances
react with each other in a way that alters their effectiveness or safety.
Common and life-threatening drug interactions - Answer Interactions between drugs that can
lead to significant adverse effects or therapeutic failures.
Common and severe medication side effects - Answer Adverse effects that can occur with the
use of medications, ranging from mild to severe.
Contraindications - Answer Specific situations in which a drug should not be used because it
may be harmful to the patient.
Dietary supplements - Answer Products taken orally that contain dietary ingredients intended
to supplement the diet.
Drug stability - Answer The ability of a drug to maintain its identity, strength, quality, and
purity throughout its shelf life.
Proper storage of medications - Answer Storing medications according to manufacturer's
requirements, including light, temperature, and humidity considerations.
Common vaccines and immunization schedules - Answer Vaccines that are widely used and
the recommended timing for their administration.
Handling and administration instructions - Answer Guidelines for the proper use and
management of medications to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Common over-the-counter (OTC) products - Answer Medications that can be purchased
without a prescription and are used to treat common ailments.
Metabolism - Answer The process involving the conversion of active drugs to a compound
that can be easily removed or the conversion of prodrugs to active drugs.
Steep drug dose-response relationship - Answer A narrow span between effective drug
concentrations and concentrations associated with serious toxicity.
,Therapeutic drug monitoring - Answer A process subject to ensuring safe and effective use of
the drug.
NTI drugs - Answer Examples of drugs that have narrow therapeutic indices, requiring careful
monitoring.
AA - Answer Products in conventional dosage forms that present bioequivalence problems.
AB, AB1, AB2, AB3 - Answer Products meeting necessary pharmacokinetic (PK) or
pharmacodynamic (PD) measures.
AN - Answer Solutions and powders for aerosolization.
AO - Answer Injectable oil solutions.
AP - Answer Injectable aqueous solutions and, in certain instances, intravenous non-aqueous
solutions.
AT - Answer Topical products.
B - Answer Drug products that the FDA considers not to be therapeutically equivalent to
other pharmaceutically equivalent products.
B* - Answer Drug products requiring further FDA investigation and review to determine
therapeutic equivalence.
BC - Answer Extended-release dosage forms (capsules, injectables, and tablets).
BD - Answer Active ingredients and dosage forms with documented bioequivalence
problems.
Biosimilars - Answer Biological products that are demonstrated to be 'biosimilar' to or
'interchangeable' with a FDA-licensed biological product.
BE - Answer Delayed-release oral dosage forms.
, BN - Answer Products in aerosol-nebulizer drug delivery systems.
BP - Answer Active ingredients and dosage forms with potential bioequivalence problems.
BR - Answer Suppositories or enemas that deliver drugs for systemic absorption.
BS - Answer Products having drug standard deficiencies.
BT - Answer Topical products with bioequivalence issues.
BX - Answer Drug products for which the data are insufficient to determine therapeutic
equivalence.
Pharmaceutical equivalent - Answer A drug that contains the same chemical entity, the same
quantity of active ingredient, is the same dosage form, and has the same route of
administration.
Drug-disease interactions - Answer Various diseases may inhibit the absorption, metabolism,
and elimination of different drugs.
Pharmaceutical alternatives - Answer Drugs that contain the same therapeutic entity but are
different salts, esters, or complexes of that entity, or are different dosage forms or strengths.
Antitussives (OTC) - Answer Glaucoma or difficulty in urination due to an enlarged prostate.
Laxatives - Answer Kidney disease.
Therapeutic equivalence - Answer A drug is defined as being therapeutically equivalent if the
drug is pharmaceutically equivalent, produces the same clinical effect, and has the same safety
profile.
Nasal decongestants - Answer Heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes,
or difficulty in urination due to an enlarged prostate gland.
Nicotine replacement products - Answer Asthma, depression, heart disease such as
hypertension, irregular heartbeat, or recent myocardial infarction.
Exam Study Guide Questions and All
Actual Answers.
Pharmacy technician certification examination (PTCE) - Answer An examination for
certification of pharmacy technicians.
ExCPT exam - Answer An examination for pharmacy technicians that assesses their
knowledge and skills.
Drug - Answer A substance used to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent, or mitigate disease in
humans or animals.
Elimination - Answer The process by which a drug is removed from the body, primarily
through the kidney, lung, and bowel.
Bioavailability - Answer The rate and extent to which the active ingredient or active entity is
absorbed from a drug product and becomes available at the site of action.
Pharmacology - Answer The scientific study of the action of drugs on a living system.
Bioequivalence - Answer The rate and extent of absorption of an active ingredient from a
drug product so that it becomes available at its site of action.
Pharmacokinetics - Answer Involves the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
elimination (excretion) of a drug in a living system.
Narrow therapeutic index (NTI) - Answer Drugs for which small differences in dose or blood
concentration may lead to serious therapeutic failures or adverse drug reactions.
Strengths/dose - Answer The specific amount of active ingredient in a medication.
Dosage forms - Answer The physical form in which a drug is produced and dispensed, such as
tablets, capsules, or injections.
Routes of administration - Answer The path by which a drug is brought into contact with the
body, such as oral, intravenous, or topical.
,Therapeutic equivalence - Answer The relationship between two drugs that have the same
clinical effect and safety profile when administered to patients under the conditions specified in
the labeling.
Physical and chemical incompatibilities - Answer Situations where two or more substances
react with each other in a way that alters their effectiveness or safety.
Common and life-threatening drug interactions - Answer Interactions between drugs that can
lead to significant adverse effects or therapeutic failures.
Common and severe medication side effects - Answer Adverse effects that can occur with the
use of medications, ranging from mild to severe.
Contraindications - Answer Specific situations in which a drug should not be used because it
may be harmful to the patient.
Dietary supplements - Answer Products taken orally that contain dietary ingredients intended
to supplement the diet.
Drug stability - Answer The ability of a drug to maintain its identity, strength, quality, and
purity throughout its shelf life.
Proper storage of medications - Answer Storing medications according to manufacturer's
requirements, including light, temperature, and humidity considerations.
Common vaccines and immunization schedules - Answer Vaccines that are widely used and
the recommended timing for their administration.
Handling and administration instructions - Answer Guidelines for the proper use and
management of medications to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Common over-the-counter (OTC) products - Answer Medications that can be purchased
without a prescription and are used to treat common ailments.
Metabolism - Answer The process involving the conversion of active drugs to a compound
that can be easily removed or the conversion of prodrugs to active drugs.
Steep drug dose-response relationship - Answer A narrow span between effective drug
concentrations and concentrations associated with serious toxicity.
,Therapeutic drug monitoring - Answer A process subject to ensuring safe and effective use of
the drug.
NTI drugs - Answer Examples of drugs that have narrow therapeutic indices, requiring careful
monitoring.
AA - Answer Products in conventional dosage forms that present bioequivalence problems.
AB, AB1, AB2, AB3 - Answer Products meeting necessary pharmacokinetic (PK) or
pharmacodynamic (PD) measures.
AN - Answer Solutions and powders for aerosolization.
AO - Answer Injectable oil solutions.
AP - Answer Injectable aqueous solutions and, in certain instances, intravenous non-aqueous
solutions.
AT - Answer Topical products.
B - Answer Drug products that the FDA considers not to be therapeutically equivalent to
other pharmaceutically equivalent products.
B* - Answer Drug products requiring further FDA investigation and review to determine
therapeutic equivalence.
BC - Answer Extended-release dosage forms (capsules, injectables, and tablets).
BD - Answer Active ingredients and dosage forms with documented bioequivalence
problems.
Biosimilars - Answer Biological products that are demonstrated to be 'biosimilar' to or
'interchangeable' with a FDA-licensed biological product.
BE - Answer Delayed-release oral dosage forms.
, BN - Answer Products in aerosol-nebulizer drug delivery systems.
BP - Answer Active ingredients and dosage forms with potential bioequivalence problems.
BR - Answer Suppositories or enemas that deliver drugs for systemic absorption.
BS - Answer Products having drug standard deficiencies.
BT - Answer Topical products with bioequivalence issues.
BX - Answer Drug products for which the data are insufficient to determine therapeutic
equivalence.
Pharmaceutical equivalent - Answer A drug that contains the same chemical entity, the same
quantity of active ingredient, is the same dosage form, and has the same route of
administration.
Drug-disease interactions - Answer Various diseases may inhibit the absorption, metabolism,
and elimination of different drugs.
Pharmaceutical alternatives - Answer Drugs that contain the same therapeutic entity but are
different salts, esters, or complexes of that entity, or are different dosage forms or strengths.
Antitussives (OTC) - Answer Glaucoma or difficulty in urination due to an enlarged prostate.
Laxatives - Answer Kidney disease.
Therapeutic equivalence - Answer A drug is defined as being therapeutically equivalent if the
drug is pharmaceutically equivalent, produces the same clinical effect, and has the same safety
profile.
Nasal decongestants - Answer Heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes,
or difficulty in urination due to an enlarged prostate gland.
Nicotine replacement products - Answer Asthma, depression, heart disease such as
hypertension, irregular heartbeat, or recent myocardial infarction.
