1. Master Pharmacy Calculations
For some people, Pharmacy math is the most difficult part of the PTCB Exam. If math isn’t your strong suit, you’re going to need to put in some work to make sure that you are prepared. As a Pharmacy Technician Instructor, calculations are my favorite subject to teach. In middle school and high school, you were probably taught some things that you haven’t used since. Many of the students that I have taught told me – on day one – that this is what they fear the most. The math skills you need to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam require memorization, problem solving, and your ability to adapt. After just a few weeks practicing those techniques you’ll learn how to go about solving the calculations you’ll need for the PTCB Exam.
2. Memorize Medication DETAILS – 40% of the Exam
You’ll need to do better than “memorizing the top 200 medications”. You are expected to know Generic Names, Therapeutic Equivalence, Interactions and Contraindications, Side Effects, and Indications. We teach you easy ways to master all of that material. One such example is that some medications that serve a similar purpose have a similar name. For instance, medications ending in –zepam and –zolam are benzodiazepines, they are used for anxiety, are schedule IV, and all interact with opiates, alcohol, and MAOI’s. We provide you a document with all of those rules neatly defined. Our organized study methods save you time! Don’t spend too much time focusing on all of the interactions between medications, ultimately that is the pharmacist’s job and even they have a computer program that alerts to drug interactions and contraindications.
3. Concentrate on Federal Pharmacy Law – 12.5% of the Exam
The PTCB Exam is a national exam, not specific to any state. Most states have additional regulations and laws that apply to the practice of pharmacy. State Laws and regulations are not tested on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. What is specifically tested is your ability to recognize major laws and their impact on the practice of Pharmacy on a national level. You should know how to handle a recall, what to do with hazardous waste, infection control, repackaging requirements, and about Restricted Drug Distribution Programs.
4. Patient Safety and Quality Assurance – 26.25%
Last November, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board restructured their exam and put a specific emphasis on Medication Safety. If you’re already certified as a Pharmacy Tech, you probably know that now, you are required to obtain a continuing education unit each re-certification period on Medication Safety. There have been too many incidents where lack of training, lack of regulation, and sheer oversight have led to some pretty terrible consequences for patients. More than 100,000 Americans die each year of adverse drug reactions – Journal of the American Medical Association. The ability of a Pharmacy Technician to prevent errors assists the Pharmacist tremendously. Many medications have very similar names like glipizide & glyburide. Others have a different release structure like Depakote ER & Depakote DR. Some medications have a large number of drug-drug interactions and/or contraindications, those are known as “high risk” medications and should garner additional attention on your part. We provide you with fast reference documents for the high risk and high alert medications.
5. RxTechExam.com – 100% Money-Back-Guarantee
We take a lot of pride in our online PTCB-Recognized course. We’ve practiced in pharmacy for decades, and we’ve helped hundreds of people pass the PTCB Exam. There is a huge amount of material that you must know to pass the national exam, and you can learn it right here, at your own pace, on your schedule, from the comfort of home. Don’t take out student loans. Our courses are reasonably priced and our money-back guarantee assures you that if you don’t pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam, you don’t pay! What are you waiting for? Start studying today!