Introduction

Welcome to Achievable’s Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE) course! This course prepares you for the PTCE exam administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, or PTCB. Passing the nationally recognized PTCE exam certifies you as a pharmacy technician (CPhT). Achievable’s PTCE course prepares you rigorously with a comprehensive coverage of all exam areas like medications, patient safety, quality assurance, order entry and processing, as well as laws and regulations related to a pharmacy. Chapter-associated quizzes in the course strengthen your concepts, while assessment exams help you to determine test readiness and to recognize weaker concepts.

Eligibility criteria

• Must live in the United States or its territories.
• Complete a PTCB-recognized education/training program OR equivalent work experience.
• Fully disclose all criminal and State Board of Pharmacy registration or licensure actions.
• Pass the PTCE.

Exam format

• The exam consists of 90 multiple-choice questions, of which 80 are scored while 10 are unscored.
• The exam duration is 2 hours, which includes a 5-minute tutorial, a 50-minute exam, and a 5-minute post-exam survey.
• The passing score is 1400 on a scale of 1000-1600.

Content outline

The PTCE includes multiple-choice questions tested on the following four broad content areas.

• Medications
• Federal requirements
• Patient safety and quality assurance
• Order entry and processing

The content is heavily weighted towards medications (40%), followed by patient safety and quality assurance (26.25%), order entry and processing (21.25%), and federal requirements (12.5%). Medications include common generic and brand names of drugs, drug interactions and adverse effects, medication storage, and physical and chemical incompatibilities. Patient safety and quality assurance includes procedures to improve patient safety, like methods to prevent LASA errors, prescription errors, drug utilization reviews, and maintaining hygiene and cleaning standards in the pharmacy. Order entry and processing comprises procedures to compound medications, formulas, and calculations used to dispense medications, and insurance processing. Federal requirements encompass the laws and regulations in relation to the pharmacy, like the regulation of controlled substances and hazardous products.

Tips for success

• Review study material thoroughly and make notes when applicable
• Complete quizzes at the end of each chapter and review them again from the dashboard when prompted
• Make a list of weak concepts and review them in detail
• Make a study plan
• Review definitions, formulas, calculations, high yield medications, and adverse effects
• Take assessment tests to increase the ease of answering multiple-choice questions
• Ensure that you get plenty of rest the night before the exam

Final thoughts

The Achievable PTCE course will strengthen your content knowledge using various strategies, including spaced repetition techniques. You will find the content not only comprehensive but also written clearly with the aim of decreasing overall study time. As you work your way through the course, feel free to reach out with any questions. We are here to help! Wishing you all the best for the PTCE.