PTCB Practice Test 3 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which of the following is a drug the helps remove mucous from the respiratory system?

Antitussives
Decongestants
Expectorants (Correct answer)
Antihistamines

Correct answer: Expectorants

Expectorants are a class of drugs designed to help clear mucus from the respiratory system. They work by thinning the mucus, making it less viscous and easier to cough up, thereby relieving congestion. Guaifenesin is a common example of an expectorant found in many over-the-counter cough and cold medications.

Question 2: Which DEA Form is used to engage in wholesale distribution by retail pharmacy for drugs containing pseudoephedrine?

DEA Form 41
DEA Form 106
DEA Form 222
DEA Form 510 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: DEA Form 510

DEA Form 510 is specifically used for chemical registration, which is required for businesses that engage in the wholesale distribution of certain List I chemicals, including pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is a precursor chemical used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine, hence the strict DEA regulations. Retail pharmacies engaging in wholesale distribution of such drugs must register using this form.

Question 3: What type of injectable water is intended to be use for injections?

Bacteriostatic water USP (Correct answer)
Purified water USP
Sterile water for irrigation USP
Water for injection USP

Correct answer: Bacteriostatic water USP

Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP, is sterile water that contains a bacteriostatic agent, such as benzyl alcohol, to inhibit the growth of most bacteria. This makes it suitable for diluting medications for multiple-dose injections after initial opening. It ensures the sterility of the solution over time, which is crucial for patient safety.

Question 4: Which of the following types of errors describes administration to the patient of medication not authorized by a legitimate prescriber?

omission error
monitoring error
unauthorized drug error (Correct answer)
wrong dosage form error

Correct answer: unauthorized drug error

An unauthorized drug error occurs when a patient receives a medication that was not prescribed or authorized by a legitimate healthcare provider. This type of error can happen due to various reasons, including administering the wrong drug to the wrong patient, or administering a drug without a valid order. It highlights a critical breakdown in the medication administration process and can lead to serious patient harm.

Question 5: Which of the following is not a quality-related event?

Incorrect drug
Incorrect patient
Incorrect pharmacy (Correct answer)
Incorrect drug strength

Correct answer: Incorrect pharmacy

A quality-related event in pharmacy typically refers to an error in the medication dispensing or administration process that could harm the patient. Examples include dispensing the incorrect drug, incorrect strength, or to the incorrect patient. While an incorrect pharmacy might be a logistical issue, it doesn't directly constitute a medication error impacting patient safety in the same way as the other options.

Question 6: The medical term -phagia means which of the following?

Eat (Correct answer)
Pain
Disease
Around

Correct answer: Eat

The medical suffix "-phagia" is derived from Greek and means "to eat" or "to swallow." It is commonly used in terms related to eating or swallowing, such as dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) or polyphagia (excessive eating). Understanding such prefixes and suffixes is crucial for interpreting medical terminology.

Question 7: Which of the following is used to identify medications affected by recalls?

National Drug Code
Lot Number (Correct answer)
Pharmacy
Bar Codes

Correct answer: Lot Number

The lot number, also known as the batch number, is a unique identifier assigned by the manufacturer to a specific group of products made at the same time. This number is critical for tracking and identifying medications in the event of a recall, allowing for efficient removal of affected products from circulation. It ensures traceability and patient safety by pinpointing specific batches that may be compromised.

Question 8: Which of the following demonstrates the gross profit formula?

purchase price + cost to dispense
overall cost x desired percent profit
selling price – purchase price (Correct answer)
selling price – overall cost

Correct answer: selling price – purchase price

Gross profit is a fundamental financial metric that represents the revenue a business generates from sales after subtracting the direct costs associated with producing or purchasing those goods. In a pharmacy setting, this means taking the selling price of a medication and subtracting the price the pharmacy paid to acquire it (purchase price). This formula helps assess the profitability of individual products before accounting for operating expenses like salaries or rent.

Question 9: Which of the following is a way pharmacy information systems can be used?

Electronic audit request
Financial information reporting
Clinical screening (Correct answer)
Codified prescription sig formatting

Correct answer: Clinical screening

Pharmacy information systems (PIS) are crucial tools designed to enhance patient safety and optimize pharmacy operations. One of their primary uses is clinical screening, where the system automatically checks for potential drug-drug interactions, allergies, duplicate therapies, and appropriate dosing based on patient profiles. This proactive screening helps pharmacists identify and prevent medication errors, significantly improving patient care and outcomes.

Question 10: Which of the following medication is used to treat GERD?

Ranitidine (Correct answer)
Infliximab
Loperamide
Bisacodyl

Correct answer: Ranitidine

Ranitidine is an H2 receptor antagonist, a class of medications specifically designed to reduce the production of stomach acid. By decreasing acid secretion, ranitidine effectively alleviates symptoms and promotes healing in conditions caused by excessive stomach acid, such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and peptic ulcers. The other listed medications treat different conditions: Infliximab (autoimmune diseases), Loperamide (diarrhea), and Bisacodyl (constipation).

Question 11: The transferring of a Schedule II prescription can be done how many times?

Zero (Correct answer)
One
Two
Five

Correct answer: Zero

Federal regulations, specifically the Controlled Substances Act, strictly prohibit the transfer of Schedule II prescriptions between pharmacies. This stringent rule is in place due to the high potential for abuse and dependence associated with these controlled substances. If a patient needs to fill a Schedule II prescription at a different pharmacy, a new prescription must be obtained directly from the prescriber.

Question 12: Mycostatin 400,000 units po four times a day is prescribed by the doctor. After reconstitution, the medication is administered at 100,000 units per milliliter. In one dose, how many milliliters will the nurse administer?

8 ml
20 ml
16 ml
4 ml (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 4 ml

To determine the volume to administer per dose, you divide the prescribed dose by the concentration of the reconstituted medication. The doctor prescribed 400,000 units, and the medication is available at 100,000 units per milliliter. Therefore, 400,000 units divided by 100,000 units/ml equals 4 ml. This calculation ensures the correct amount of medication is given in a single dose.

Question 13: Over the course of 8 hours, give 1L NS. 15 gtt/ml drop factor ______ gtt/min flow rate

7200 gtt/min
1875 gtt/min
31 gtt/min (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 31 gtt/min

To calculate the IV flow rate in drops per minute (gtt/min), use the formula: (Total Volume in mL × Drop Factor) / Total Time in minutes. First, convert 1 liter to 1000 mL and 8 hours to 480 minutes. Then, (1000 mL × 15 gtt/mL) / 480 minutes = 15000 gtt / 480 minutes, which approximately equals 31.25 gtt/min. Rounding to the nearest whole number, the flow rate is 31 gtt/min.

Question 14: [Morphine Sulfate 15 mg/ml] For myocardial infarction, your patient requires morphine gr 1/6 subcutaneous stat. How many milliliters are you going to use?

10 ml
20 ml
47 ml
0.66 ml (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 0.66 ml

First, convert the prescribed dose from grains to milligrams using the conversion 1 grain = 60 mg. So, 1/6 gr is equivalent to (1/6) * 60 mg = 10 mg. Next, to find the volume in milliliters, divide the desired dose (10 mg) by the concentration of the available medication (15 mg/ml). This calculation yields 10 mg / 15 mg/ml = 0.666... ml, which rounds to 0.67 ml or 0.66 ml as the closest option.

Question 15: [Dilaudid-HP 10 mg/ml] The doctor prescribes Dilaudid gr 1/60 IV every four hours prn. In a day, how many milliliters will be administered?

0.5 ml
0.1 ml
0.6 ml (Correct answer)
0.4 ml

Correct answer: 0.6 ml

First, convert the prescribed dose from grains to milligrams: 1/60 gr * 60 mg/gr = 1 mg per dose. Since the medication is administered every four hours, there will be 24 hours / 4 hours/dose = 6 doses in a day. The total daily dose is 1 mg/dose * 6 doses = 6 mg. Finally, divide the total daily dose (6 mg) by the medication's concentration (10 mg/ml) to get the total volume: 6 mg / 10 mg/ml = 0.6 ml.

Question 16: [Scopolamine Hydrobromide Injection, USP 0.4 mg/ml] At 0700, the doctor prescribes scopolamine gr 1/150 subcutaneous. How much liquid will be administered?

2 ml
1.2 ml
1.5 ml
1 ml (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 1 ml

To determine the volume to administer, first convert the prescribed dose from grains to milligrams. Using the conversion 1 grain = 60 mg, a dose of 1/150 gr is equivalent to (1/150) * 60 mg = 0.4 mg. Then, divide the desired dose (0.4 mg) by the concentration of the available medication (0.4 mg/ml). This calculation results in 0.4 mg / 0.4 mg/ml = 1 ml.

PTCB Practice Test 3

Which of the following is a drug the helps remove mucous from the respiratory system?