How to Prepare for the PTCB Exam
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam is required for people wishing to become certified pharmacy technicians. The test has 90 multiple-choice questions and takes about two hours to complete. The PTCB exam covers billing, order entry and fill process, laws and regulations, using information systems, safety, sterile compounding, quality assurance, inventory management and pharmacology for technicians.
- Read your course eBooks and utilize your Certification Exam Review for the Pharmacy Technician These are great resources and have practices tests and review questions to help you prepare.
- Use flashcards to learn vocabulary terms for the test. You can make flashcards the “old fashioned” way with index cards or you can embrace technology and use online websites and mobile apps such as Quizlet to make flash cards. Examples of vocabulary include brand and generic names of medications, dosage abbreviations, disease symptoms, drug interactions, measurements, dosage calculations formulas, drug uses, and herbal medications and their uses.
- Take online practice tests. There is a practice test available for a fee on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board website (ptcb.org) or you can find free PTCB practice tests online.
Becoming a certified pharmacy technician is one of the best things you can do to propel your career! According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase by 20% from 2012 to 2022. The BLS also suggests that pharmacy technicians with formal education or training and national certification will be specifically sought after to meet these demands.