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Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

PTCB PTCE Exam Questions

Page 9 of 50

161.

Which one of the following is considered an alpha blocker?

  • Alfuzosin (Uroxatral)

  • Metoprolol (Toprol XL, Lopressor)

  • Spironolactone (CaroSpir, Aldactone)

  • Triamterene (Dyrenium)

Correct answer: Alfuzosin (Uroxatral)

Alfuzosin (Uroxatral) is an alpha receptor blocker used in the treatment of hypertension and benign prostatic hypertrophy. 

Metoprolol (Toprol XL, Lopressor) is a beta-blocking agent. Spironolactone (CaroSpir, Aldactone) and triamterene (Dyrenium) are potassium-sparing diuretics.

162.

A patient is instructed to take a dose of 1.5 tbsp of an oral suspension as needed for cough. How many doses can this patient obtain from one pint? 

  • 21 doses

  • 15 doses

  • 9 doses

  • 30 doses

Correct answer: 21 doses

To solve this problem, know that 1 tablespoon is equal to 15 mL (so, 1.5 tbsp would equal 22.5 mL) and 1 pint is equal to 480 mL. Then, set the problem up as a proportion:

  1. 22.5 mL/1 dose = 480 mL/X doses
  2. 480/22.5 = 21.33 or 21 doses

163.

Which of the following was a result of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003?

  • Provided senior citizens with preventive medical benefits

  • Mandated that all patients, prescribers, and pharmacists be registered

  • Required the sale of methamphetamines to be logged

  • Required manufacturers of herbal supplements to identify all of its ingredients by name on the label

Correct answer: Provided senior citizens with preventive medical benefits

The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, also known as the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA), provided Medicare beneficiaries with preventive medical benefits and medication therapy management. This act also affected durable medical equipment (DME) businesses, as it installed a national competitive bidding program and lowered Medicare reimbursement rates.

The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 does not mandate that all patients, prescribers, and pharmacists be registered, require the sale of methamphetamines to be logged, or require manufacturers of herbal supplements to identify all of its ingredients by name on the label.

164.

Which pregnancy category is defined as when there is no positive evidence of human fetal risks and the potential benefits may warrant the use of the drug in pregnant people despite potential risks?

  • Category C

  • Category A

  • Category D

  • Category X

Correct answer: Category C

Pregnancy Category C is best described as when the potential benefits may warrant the use of the drug in pregnant people despite potential risks, and there is no positive evidence of human fetal risk.

Pregnancy Category A is best described as the medication’s use does not show any risks. Pregnancy Category X is best described as the risk of taking the medication clearly outweighs its benefits.

Pregnancy Category D is when there is positive evidence of human fetal risk, but the potential benefits may warrant the use of the drug in pregnant people despite potential risks.

The way to remember this is category A is acceptable, category B is somewhat acceptable, while category X is the worst — you would not want to use this in pregnant people. To distinguish category C and D, remember that there is no positive evidence of human fetal risk with C, but there is positive evidence for category D.

165.

Aspirin could cause which of the following in elderly patients?

  • Gastrointestinal bleeding

  • Drowsiness

  • Dry mouth

  • Hypoglycemia

Correct answer: Gastrointestinal bleeding

Aspirin, an antiplatelet, can result in an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in elderly patients.

Anticholinergics could cause dry mouth in elderly patients. Benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepine sedatives could cause drowsiness in elderly patients. Insulin and sulfonylureas could cause hypoglycemia in elderly patients.

166.

Which drug recall classification is used when adverse health events are not probable?

  • Class III

  • Class IV

  • Class I

  • Class II

Correct answer: Class III

Class III drug recall is issued when adverse health events are not probable.

Class I drug recall is issued when there is a significant chance that the drug could lead to death. Class II drug recall is issued when there is a probability that the drug could cause temporary adverse health events. 

There is not a Class IV drug recall category. However, there is "market withdrawal." This is when a product is removed from the market voluntarily by the manufacturers due to tampering, without any evidence of manufacturing or distribution problems. 

One way to remember drug recall classification is that it trends in the opposite direction of the pregnancy category classification. Pregnancy category medication becomes more harmful as it goes down the alphabet (A,B,C, D, then X), while drug recall becomes less harmful as the numbers increase (I, II, then III).

167.

What is the median of 5, 3, 8, 2, 5, 9, 8, 8, 6?

  • 6

  • 8

  • 9

  • 5

Correct answer: 6

The median of a group of numbers is the middle value. To solve this, you will need to rearrange the values into chronological order and then determine the number in the middle.

2, 3, 5, 5, 6, 8, 8, 8, 9

The middle number is 6; thus, the median is 6.

168.

A patient was in severe pain, so a nurse administered a pain medication prescribed to another patient who was in severe pain. What type of medication error occurred?

  • Unauthorized drug error

  • Prescribing error

  • Omission error

  • Wrong time error

Correct answer: Unauthorized drug error

If a nurse administered another patient’s pain medication to a patient in pain, it is considered an unauthorized drug error. An unauthorized drug error occurs when a patient receives a medication that was not prescribed for them.

A prescribing error occurs when a product is ordered or authorized by a physician with an incorrect drug selection or when the order is illegible and causes an error that reaches the patient. An omission error occurs when a patient does not receive their prescribed dose. A wrong time error occurs when a patient receives their medication at a time that varies from its scheduled time.

169.

Nitrostat® (nitroglycerin sublingual tablets) is a drug that has a special storage requirement. Which of the following best describes its special storage requirement?

  • Drug should not be removed from its original packaging

  • Drug should be refrigerated at 2-8°C until opened

  • Drug should not be exposed to light

  • Drug should be stored at room temperature

Correct answer: Drug should not be removed from its original packaging

Nitrostat® should not be removed from its original packaging because it contains nitroglycerin, which will quickly evaporate if it is stored outside of its original container.

Xalatan® and insulin should both be refrigerated at 2-8°C until opened. Once Xalatan® is opened, it can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 weeks. Nitropress® should not be exposed to light, as light causes the sodium nitroprusside to quickly deactivate.

170.

Which of the following entities determines who has prescribing authority?

  • Each state

  • Federal law

  • Each county

  • Each city

Correct answer: Each state

In the U.S., each state determines who has prescribing authority within the state. Pharmacy technicians must know who is authorized to write prescriptions within the state that the prescriber practices. Prescribers can either have full prescribing authority or limited prescribing authority. Physicians, podiatrists, dentists, and veterinarians all have full prescribing authority within the scope of their practice. Optometrists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners all have limited prescribing authority.

Each state determines who has prescribing authority, not federal law, each county, or each city.

171.

Doxycycline monohydrate 100-mg capsules and doxycycline hyclate 100-mg tablets are examples of what? 

  • Pharmaceutical alternatives

  • Pharmaceutical equivalents

  • Therapeutic equivalence

  • Bioequivalence 

Correct answer: Pharmaceutical alternatives

Pharmaceutical alternatives contain the same therapeutic entity but are different salts, esters, or complexes of that entity, or are different dosage forms or strengths. The two different forms of doxycycline contain the same chemical entity but different in salt and dosage form. 

Pharmaceutical equivalents are drugs that contain the same chemical entity, quantity of active ingredient, dosage form, and route of administration. Therapeutic equivalence describes a drug that is pharmaceutically equivalent, produces the same clinical effect, and has the same safety profile. Bioeqivalence describes the rate and extent of an active ingredient in a drug product so that it becomes available at its site of action. 

172.

What is the name of a glass container that requires its elongated neck to be broken off to withdraw its liquid content?

  • Ampule

  • Vial

  • Multidose vial

  • Spike

Correct answer: Ampule

An ampule is a glass container that requires its elongated neck to be broken off.

A vial is either a glass or a plastic container manufactured with rubber stoppers. A spike is a sharpened piece of plastic inserted into an IV bag. A multidose vial is either a glass or a plastic container used for more than one dose of medication.

173.

Which of the following is not a goal for Clozaril Administration Registry Enrollment (CARE)?

  • Assisting patients with clozapine co-payment

  • Reporting patient's white blood cell value

  • Reporting patient's absolute neutrophil counts

  • Assist physicians with effective monitoring functionalities

Correct answer: Assisting patients with clozapine co-payment

Clozaril Administration Registry Enrollment (CARE) is a secured internet application that facilities the reporting of white blood cell values and absolute neutrophil counts of patients who take clozapine. CARE is designed to assist physicians and pharmacists with effective monitoring functionalities while protecting patients' privacy. Co-payment assistance is not a part of CARE. 

174.

An individual is taking Ambien® (zolpidem) for insomnia. Which side effect would this patient most likely experience?

  • Drowsiness

  • Sedation

  • Respiratory depression

  • Constipation

Correct answer: Drowsiness

Drowsiness is a common side effect associated with Ambien® (zolpidem) and other non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics. Other side effects associated with this drug class include somnolence and dependency.

Sedation, respiratory depression, and constipation are all common side effects associated with opioids.

175.

What is the indication of pioglitazone?

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Hypertension

  • Vertigo

  • Migraine

Correct answer: Type 2 diabetes

Pioglitazone belongs to a drug class called thiazolidinedione (TZD). TZDs reduce fasting plasma glucose and HbA1C. TZDs are indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and not type 1 diabetes. Pioglitazone and rosiglitazone are the two agents in this drug class. 

176.

For a pharmacy to use its computer system for prescription adjudication, what must it have to route the prescription to the proper insurance company for processing?

  • Bank identification number

  • National provider identification number

  • Group number

  • Plan code

Correct answer: Bank identification number

For a pharmacy to use its computer system for prescription adjudication, it must have the bank identification number (BIN) to route the prescription to the proper insurance company for processing. A BIN is a "six-digit number on a prescription drug card that is used for routing and identification to process a prescription claim.”

Bank identification number (BIN) is a six-digit number used to identify the company that will reimburse the pharmacy for the prescription being filled. 

National provider identification number (NPI) is the prescriber ID. Group number or group code is the employer that contracted the insurance company for the policy. Plan code is the prescription provider.

177.

Pharmacokinetics includes all except which of the following?

  • Administration of the drug

  • Absorption of the drug

  • Distribution of the drug

  • Metabolism of the drug

Correct answer: Administration of the drug

Pharmacokinetics is the study on how a drug functions in a living system; therefore, pharmacokinetics includes the absorption of the drug, the distribution of the drug, the metabolism of the drug, and the elimination of the drug.

The administration of the drug is how the drug is administered (e.g., orally, intravenously, rectally, etc.).

178.

Recalled medication documentation should include all except which of the following?

  • Invoice numbers of the recalled medication

  • Dates customers notified

  • Number of customers notified

  • Number of customers responding 

Correct answer: Invoice numbers of the recalled medication

Recalled medication documentation should include:

  • Dates customers notified
  • Number of customers notified
  • Number of customers responding 
  • Quantity of recalled product returned or accounted for during the recall

179.

If a dose of a medication is 3 tablespoons, how many doses can be prepared from a pint bottle?

  • 10 doses

  • 7 doses

  • 32 doses

  • 16 doses

Correct answer: 10 doses

One tablespoon is equivalent to 15 mL; therefore, 3 tablespoons is equivalent to 45 mL. 

One pint is equivalent to 480 mL. 

To solve, set the problem up as a proportion: 45 mL / 1 dose = 480 mL / X doses; X = 10.67 or 10 doses.

180.

A 45-pound 5-year-old patient is having trouble swallowing. The physician placed an order for phenytoin at 5 mg/kg/day divided equally into two doses. The pharmacy has the 125 mg/ 5 mL phenytoin oral suspension in stock.

Rounding to the nearest hundredth, what is the volume (in mL) for the first dose to be administered?

  • 2 mL

  • 1.5 mL

  • 3 mL

  • 2.5 mL

Correct answer: 2 mL

The first step is to convert the patient's weight from lbs to kg:

45 lbs = 20.45 kg

Then you need to calculate the total daily dose of phenytoin (in mg):

20.45 kg x 5 mg/kg = 102.25 mg

Determine the amount (in mg) of one dose:

102.25 mg / 2 doses = 51.13 mg

The concentration of the phenytoin oral suspension is 125 mg/ 5 mL, which is equivalent to 25 mg/ mL.

Calculate the volume (in mL) for one dose:

25 mg / mL = 51.13 mg / x --> x = 2 mL 

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