What is the generic name for Lipitor?
Atorvastatin Lipitor is the brand name for atorvastatin, a statin used to lower cholesterol. The other three are statins too, which is why they're easy to mix up.
Metoprolol, atenolol and propranolol all end in "-olol". Which drug class do they belong to?
Beta blockers The "-olol" ending marks a beta blocker. Beta blockers slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure, and they're used for high blood pressure, angina and some heart rhythm problems.
Lisinopril belongs to which drug class?
ACE inhibitor Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor, and you can tell from the "-pril" ending. It's used mainly for high blood pressure and heart failure. A dry cough is a well-known side effect of this class.
Which of these medications is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)?
Omeprazole Omeprazole (Prilosec) is a proton pump inhibitor. PPIs end in "-prazole" and reduce stomach acid, so they're used for heartburn, GERD and ulcers.
How should unopened vials of insulin be stored in the pharmacy?
In the refrigerator, between 36°F and 46°F (2°C and 8°C) Unopened insulin goes in the refrigerator, between 36°F and 46°F (2°C and 8°C). It must never be frozen, because freezing damages it. Once a vial or pen is in use, the manufacturer's label says how long it can stay at room temperature.
Under federal law, which of these drugs is in Schedule II?
Oxycodone Oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance. Schedule II drugs have an accepted medical use but a high potential for abuse, so they have the tightest rules of any prescription drug, including no refills.
Which DEA form does a pharmacy use to order Schedule II controlled substances on paper?
DEA Form 222 DEA Form 222 is the order form for Schedule I and II drugs. Pharmacies can also order them electronically through the DEA's Controlled Substance Ordering System (CSOS).
Under federal law, how many times can a prescription for a Schedule III or IV drug be refilled?
Up to 5 times, within 6 months of the date it was written Federal law allows Schedule III and IV prescriptions to be refilled up to 5 times within 6 months of the date written, whichever comes first. After that the patient needs a new prescription. Some states are stricter, and the stricter rule always applies.
Under the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act, what is the most pseudoephedrine one person can buy in a single day at a store?
3.6 grams The federal daily limit is 3.6 grams of pseudoephedrine base per purchaser. There's also a limit of 9 grams in 30 days at a store, and 7.5 grams in 30 days by mail order. Buyers show ID and the sale is logged.
Why are some drug names printed with Tall Man lettering, such as hydrOXYzine and hydrALAZINE?
To help staff tell apart drug names that look alike Tall Man lettering puts the parts of two look-alike names that differ in capital letters. That makes the difference jump out, so staff are less likely to pick the wrong drug. Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine and hydralazine treats blood pressure, so a mix-up could hurt someone.
Which way of writing a dose follows safe-practice rules for zeros?
0.5 mg Doses under 1 should have a leading zero, like 0.5 mg, and whole numbers should never have a trailing zero. A missed decimal point in ".5 mg" can be read as 5 mg, and "5.0 mg" can be read as 50 mg. Both are tenfold errors.
Which of these medications is on the ISMP list of high-alert medications?
Insulin Insulin is a high-alert medication. Errors with it are not necessarily more common, but when they happen they can cause serious harm, like dangerously low blood sugar. That's why many pharmacies add extra checks for insulin, anticoagulants and opioids.
Which of these situations must a technician pass to the pharmacist?
A patient asks which cough medicine is safe to take with their blood pressure pills Recommending an over-the-counter product, and checking it against the patient's other medicines, is a clinical judgment. Only the pharmacist can do that. The other three are everyday tasks a technician can handle.
Amoxicillin suspension comes as 250 mg per 5 mL. The prescription calls for a 500 mg dose. How many mL is one dose?
10 mL 500 mg is twice 250 mg, so you need twice 5 mL, which is 10 mL. Set up as a proportion: 250 mg / 5 mL = 500 mg / x mL, so x = 500 × 5 ÷ 250 = 10 mL.
A child weighs 44 lb. The dose ordered is 10 mg per kg. How many mg is one dose? (1 kg = 2.2 lb)
200 mg First turn pounds into kilograms: 44 ÷ 2.2 = 20 kg. Then multiply by the dose: 20 kg × 10 mg/kg = 200 mg.
How many mL of a 20% solution do you need to make 100 mL of a 5% solution?
25 mL Use C1 × V1 = C2 × V2. So 20% × V1 = 5% × 100 mL, which gives V1 = 500 ÷ 20 = 25 mL. You'd add diluent to 25 mL of the 20% solution to make 100 mL.
A prescription reads: "1 tsp PO tid". The bottle holds 150 mL. How many days will it last? (1 tsp = 5 mL)
10 days "tid" means three times a day, so the patient takes 5 mL × 3 = 15 mL a day. 150 mL ÷ 15 mL a day = 10 days.
A National Drug Code (NDC) has three segments. What does the first segment identify?
The labeler: the manufacturer, repackager or distributor The NDC has three parts: labeler, product and package. The first segment is the labeler code, which the FDA assigns to the company. The second shows the product, including strength and dosage form, and the third shows the package size.
Where must sterile preparations, such as IV bags, be compounded?
Inside an ISO Class 5 primary engineering control, such as a laminar airflow workbench USP <797> requires sterile compounding inside an ISO Class 5 primary engineering control (PEC), like a laminar airflow workbench or a biological safety cabinet. It gives the cleanest air, filtered through HEPA filters, right where the work happens.
In non-sterile compounding, which tool is used to grind tablets into a fine powder?
Mortar and pestle A mortar and pestle is used to crush and grind tablets or crystals into a fine powder. This is called trituration. The powder can then be mixed into a liquid, a cream or capsules.
United States · Certification exam