Pharmacy Calculations Tutorial Pharmacy calculations are one of the most challenging parts of the PTCB exam. But as with everything, practice makes perfect. It’s very important that technicians learn from mistakes, revising any critical points over time. That way, you can plug any knowledge gaps you may have. In today’s pharmacy calculations tutorial, we put together five sample PTCB pharmacy calculation questions. Before studying the answer explanations below, take a few minutes to practice each question. Then, compare your answer with the answer explanation. Learn where you went right and ..read more

What diseases and conditions do technicians need to know? The diseases to know for the PTCB exam only extend to major diseases and conditions of each body system. Of course, technicians are not expected to study these diseases and conditions in great detail. Instead, only a basic definitional understanding is required. Below we have put together many of the major diseases and conditions that often get tested on the pharmacy technician exam. Note that the explanation is small; you are only expected to have a basic awareness of the most common illnesses. Diseases that affect the following body s ..read more

Pharmacies as Business The fundamental purpose of any pharmacy is to dispense medicines to patients. But that isn’t the only role of the pharmacy. Pharmacies also exist as businesses and pharmacy technicians play an important role in the smooth operation of that business. For this reason, retail pharmacy gets tested on the PTCB exam. Whilst technicians are not expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the full operation of any pharmacy business, they are expected to have a grounded understanding of the following definitions and math operations: Turnover Inventory Selling price and cost price ..read more

What are antiemetic drugs? Antiemetic drugs are medicines used to treat or prevent nausea and vomiting. “Antiemetic” takes its name from the word “emesis”, which is the medical term for vomiting. There are many different causes of nausea and vomiting. Some of the most common include: Motion sickness, vertigo Hyperemesis gravidarum (morning sickness) Chemotherapy Side effects of some drugs, such as general anesthetics and opioid analgesics Altitude sickness Bulimia nervosa Not all antiemetic drugs can be used to treat the same causes of nausea and vomiting. Some antiemetic drugs are only used ..read more

What are NSAIDs? NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs are among the most widely prescribed drugs for patients suffering from mild-to-moderate pain or inflammation and the pain associated with it, particularly of the musculoskeletal system. Aspirin is also used as an antiplatelet drug, reducing the risk of developing blood clots. Many NSAIDs are also used to reduce fever (acting as antipyretic agents). Examples of NSAIDs include: Naproxen Ibuprofen Celecoxib Aspirin Indomethacin Ketorolac Diclofenac Piroxicam Meloxicam For the PTCB exam, technicians are expected to have a ..read more

Introduction to Respiratory Medicines 8.3% of Americans have asthma in the United States. Of these 26.5 million people, 20.4 million are adults and 6.1 million are children. Given the prevalence of asthma and COPD in the US, pharmacy technicians are expected to have a thorough knowledge of respiratory medicines.  Technicians should expect at least a few questions on respiratory medicines. Here, we have put together a neat and effective PTCB guide to respiratory medicines – covering the basic but essential details that all technicians are expected to know.  Th ..read more

Drugs used to treat Diabetes There are more than 34 million patients with diabetes throughout the United States, and almost half a billion cases globally. Diabetes is set to rocket further in the years and decades ahead. Almost 1 in 5 Americans are expected to be diabetic by 2060, if the current trend continues. Diabetes type 2 is a condition that affects multiple organ systems. For example, diabetes can lead to: Vision loss / blindness Increased risk of heart attacks and strokes Kidney damage / kidney failure Nerve damage, potentially leading to limb amputation Though lifestyle changes, suc ..read more

PTCB Guide to Tetracyclines Antibacterial drugs are among the most widely dispensed medicines. Pharmacy technicians can expect to at least encounter some PTCB exam questions on this subject. It’s also a big subject, with many different antibacterial drug classes, mechanisms, side effects, and drug interactions. Of course, technicians are not expected to have an in-depth knowledge of each drug class. Instead, you are expected to know the major details only. Here, we break those major details down – in the context of tetracyclines. Later in this PTCB guide to tetracyclines, we review major side ..read more

Compounding and the PTCB Exam Compounding is an important subject on the PTCB exam – and syringe needles form a core part of any understanding of this subject. You may be asked questions related to compounding from several different knowledge domains of the PTCB exam. These include: Medications Pharmacy Math Federal Requirements There are two types of compounding: sterile and non-sterile compounding. Some medicines need to be prepared in a sterile environment, to reduce the risk of contamination to the medicine. Therefore, sterile compounding is highly regulated. That’s because the risk to t ..read more

Reproductive System Diseases Pharmacy technicians routinely handle and dispense medicines that help patients with diseases that affect the reproductive system. When we talk about the reproductive system, we mean those organs and systems responsible for the reproduction of the species. Men and women have different reproductive systems and different hormone profiles. Therefore, medicines dispensed vary considerably among the sexes. To take one example: the prostate gland. Only men have a prostate gland; a gland responsible for producing nourishing fluid that constitutes the majority of semen. Th ..read more