PTCB lessons
Short lessons organized by the 2026 PTCE content outline. Each one starts with a 30-second summary and the key facts, then what the technician does, common mistakes and a few practice questions. Written from FDA drug labels, federal regulations and public safety guidance, and checked fact by fact. For exam study only; federal law only.
Medications 8 lessons
Generic/brand names and drug classes
Therapeutic duplications
Drug interactions and contraindications
Strengths, dosage forms, routes and administration
Side effects, adverse effects and allergies
Indications
Drug stability
Storage of medications
Federal Requirements 6 lessons
Storage, handling and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous substances
Controlled substance prescriptions and DEA schedules
Controlled substance handling: ordering to destruction
Restricted drug programs (pseudoephedrine, REMS)
FDA recalls
DSCSA: serialization, tracing and quarantine
Patient Safety 6 lessons
High-alert and look-alike/sound-alike drugs
Error prevention strategies
Issues needing pharmacist intervention
Event reporting (MedWatch, VAERS, RCA, CQI)
Types of prescription errors
Infection prevention and cleaning
Order Entry 5 lessons
Pharmacy calculations, Sig codes and abbreviations
- How to read Sig codes, Roman numerals and medical terms on a prescription5 min · 3 questions
- How to work out days' supply, quantity, dose volume and conversions5 min · 3 questions
Drug administration equipment and supplies
Lot numbers, expiration dates and NDC numbers
Returns: dispensable, non-dispensable, expired
Ready to practice? Take the free full-length PTCB practice test or start with the 40-question diagnostic.