PTCE: Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam Premium: 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice

Barron's Educational Series, Sacha Koborsi-Tadros

• Publisher: Barrons Educational Services
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781506280424
• eBook ISBN: 9781506280431
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Medical Theory, Practice & Reference

Barron’s PTCE: Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam includes in-depth content review and online practice. It’s the only book you’ll need to be prepared for exam day.

Written by Experienced Educators

• Learn from Barron’s--all content is written and reviewed by instructors who have vast experience teaching pharmacy technician courses to prepare students for certification
• Build your understanding with comprehensive review tailored to the most recent exam blueprint
• Get a leg up with tips, strategies, and advice for scheduling your exam, exam day itself, and recertification--it’s like having a trusted tutor by your side

Be Confident on Exam Day

• Sharpen your test-taking skills with 4 full-length practice tests--3 in the book (including a pretest to target your studying), and 1 more online 
• Strengthen your knowledge with in-depth review covering all major topics and knowledge domains on the latest exam blueprint
• Reinforce your learning with practice questions at the end of each chapter
• Expand your review with a series of appendices that cover the top 200 medications, common vitamins and natural supplements, frequently used pharmacy abbreviations and medical terminology, and much more

Online Practice

• Continue your practice with 1 full-length practice test on Barron’s Online Learning Hub
• Simulate the exam experience with a timed test option
• Deepen your understanding with detailed answer explanations and expert advice
• Gain confidence with scoring to check your learning progress

1

Overview of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam

The Importance of Pharmacy Technician Certification

Pharmacy technicians have an integral role in pharmacy practice. Ensuring patient safety and enhancing patient care are only two of the many valuable contributions made by pharmacy technicians. Pharmacists rely on technicians to help maintain the high quality of health care that is expected of the profession. Often, pharmacy technicians are the face of the pharmacy, interacting frequently with patients and helping develop customer loyalty. Pharmacy technicians who possess a comprehensive understanding of pharmacy practice are well sought after and are a valuable asset in pharmacy practice.

Certification is the process of granting recognition to an individual who has met predetermined qualifications. The CPhT designation is given to an individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to function as a pharmacy technician. Individuals prove that they have the necessary skills by passing either one of two national examinations: the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) or the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT). The PTCE is provided by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board; the ExCPT is offered by the National Healthcareer Association.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Board

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is responsible for ensuring that pharmacy technicians meet predetermined standards that convey competency in the field of pharmacy. In order to become a certified pharmacy technician, interested candidates need to apply for certification through the PTCB website, http://ptcb.org/. In order to qualify for certification, candidates must meet the following criteria:

Candidates should also check with their State Board of Pharmacy for additional certification and registration requirements.

■Have a high school diploma or an equivalent educational diploma (i.e., a GED or a foreign diploma)

■Provide full disclosure of all criminal actions and all State Board of Pharmacy registration or licensure actions

■Be in compliance with all applicable PTCB certification policies

■Receive a passing score on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE)

The pharmacy technician must also attest to one of the following:

1.Completion of a PTCB-recognized pharmacy technician education/training program

OR

2.Equivalent work experience as a pharmacy technician (for a minimum of 500 hours)

Note: Candidates who have completed a pharmacy degree may instead submit proof of that degree for consideration in place of completing a pharmacy technician education/training program.

PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program Verification

Candidates who are within 60 days of completing a PTCB-recognized education/training program are eligible to apply for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. All candidates must provide proof of education/training completion before certification can be granted. Examples of acceptable documentation include a certificate of completion, an official letter from the program provider, an unofficial transcript, or a diploma. The document should include the name of the education/training program, the name of the candidate, and the date of completion.

Work Experience Verification

Experienced pharmacy technicians who have not completed a PTCB-recognized education/training program will attest to having completed at least 500 hours of pharmacy work experience when applying for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. The employer-based training program must meet the same knowledge requirements as PTCB-recognized education/training programs. The candidate will be required to identify all employers that provided training and indicate the employer’s name and address, the supervisor’s name, the phone number, the start and end dates, and the type of position held.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) is a computer-based, 90-question, multiple-choice exam given over a 2-hour time frame. Of that time, 1 hour and 50 minutes are allotted for the actual test. The remaining 10 minutes are for a tutorial and a post-exam survey. Eighty out of the 90 questions are scored, and 10 questions are unscored. Test takers will not be able to differentiate between the scored and unscored questions because the unscored questions are randomly distributed throughout the exam. Each question will have four possible answers, of which only one is correct.

Test Content

The most recent PTCE blueprint went into effect in January 2020. As per this latest blueprint, test questions are determined based on knowledge comprehension in four knowledge domains, covering 26 knowledge areas. Table 1-1 lists the four knowledge domains. Additional information, including subcategories, can be found in the “Knowledge Domain” boxes at the beginning of each review chapter.

Table 1-1 PTCE Knowledge Domains and Test Content

Knowledge Domain	Percentage of PTCE Content
1.0—Medications	40.00%
2.0—Federal Requirements	12.50%
3.0—Patient Safety and Quality Assurance	26.25%
4.0—Order Entry and Processing	21.25%

Scheduling Your Exam

Applications for certification are accepted continually, year-round by the PTCB. Candidates apply online through the PTCB website. First-time candidates must register for a new account, while returning candidates can log into their PTCB account to submit a new application.

The PTCE is administered at Pearson VUE testing centers, which are available nationwide. They offer computer-based testing (CBT) for a multitude of professions, including pharmacy technicians.

Potential CPhT candidates can sign up for a testing slot by following these directions:

1.Go to http://ptcb.org/, and click on the link to apply for certification.

2.Create an account or log in to an existing account.

3.When prompted, select the Certified Pharmacy Technician credential.

4.Read through and agree to the “Certification Application-Candidate Agreement.”

5.Identify your eligibility pathway based on your education/training or work experience.

6.Enter your expected program completion date and select your training program, or indicate your work experience.

7.Pay the $129 fee.

8.Receive authorization to schedule and take the PTCE. Candidates are sent an authorization to schedule the PTCE via e-mail from the PTCB. The authorization period for test candidates is 90 days.

9.Schedule your exam by logging into your PTCB account at http://ptcb.org/ or by calling Pearson VUE directly. Be sure to choose a date, time, and location that’s convenient for you.

Applicants with a disability or a medical condition that requires an adjustment to standard testing conditions may apply for special accommodations. A “Testing Accommodations Form” is available for download on the PTCB website, and it must be submitted within 30 days of submitting your certification application.

Scoring

For the PTCE, a passin...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Copyright
• About the Author
• Table of Contents
• How to Use This Book
• 1. Overview of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam
• 2. Preparing for the Exam and Steps for Recertification
• 3. Pretest
• 4. Medications
• 5. Federal Requirements
• 6. Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
• 7. Order Entry and Processing.
• PRACTICE TESTS
• APPENDICES