Question 1
Which instruction is correct for alendronate 70 mg once weekly?
What is on the PTCB exam
PTCB's content outline, in effect since 6 January 2026, has four knowledge domains. Medications is the largest at 35% of the exam.
| Medications | 35% |
|---|---|
| Patient Safety and Quality Assurance | 23.75% |
| Order Entry and Processing | 22.5% |
| Federal Requirements | 18.75% |
Medications (35%)
Generic and brand names and classes, therapeutic duplications, interactions and contraindications, strengths, dosage forms, routes and special instructions, side effects and allergies, indications, drug stability and storage.
Federal Requirements (18.75%)
Storage, handling and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous drugs, controlled substance prescriptions and DEA schedules, ordering, receiving, loss and destruction of controlled substances, restricted drug programs such as pseudoephedrine and REMS, FDA recalls and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act.
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance (23.75%)
High-alert and look-alike/sound-alike drugs, error prevention, issues that need the pharmacist, event reporting, types of prescription errors, and infection prevention.
Order Entry and Processing (22.5%)
Calculations, sig codes, abbreviations and medical terms; equipment and supplies; lot numbers, expiration dates and NDC numbers; and returns.
Try 3 questions
Question 2
Under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), which elements make up the product identifier on a prescription drug package?
Question 3
A prescription for prednisoLONE oral solution arrives for a child. Which drug name is the classic look-alike/sound-alike risk for this order?
Next step
Questions people ask
When did the PTCB content outline change?
The current outline took effect on 6 January 2026.
Which domain is biggest?
Medications, at 35% of the exam.
Are calculations on the exam?
Yes. PTCB marks several outline statements as calculation-based, including doses, days supply, concentrations and dilutions.