PTCB Pharmacy Technician (PTCE) — All Questions
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52 questions
A patient submits a written request for a copy of her own pharmacy records. Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, how quickly must the pharmacy act on that request?
- a.within 30 days, with one 30-day extension✓
- b.within 10 business days of receipt, with no extension available under any circumstances
- c.within 60 days, with two possible extensions
- d.only after the patient's prescriber authorises the release
45 CFR 164.524(b)(2) requires the covered entity to act on a request for access no later than 30 days after receipt, and allows one extension of no more than 30 days provided the individual is given a written statement of the reason and the new date. Ten business days and sixty days are not the rule's figures, only one extension is allowed, and a patient's right of access to her own record does not depend on the prescriber's permission.45 CFR 164.524
Beyond the daily limit, federal law caps how much pseudoephedrine base a person may purchase at retail during a 30-day period. What is that cap?
- a.3.6 grams
- b.7.5 grams
- c.9 grams in any 30-day period✓
- d.24 grams
21 U.S.C. 844(a) makes it unlawful to knowingly purchase at retail more than 9 grams of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine base in a 30-day period, and provides that of those 9 grams no more than 7.5 may be shipped by a private or commercial carrier or the Postal Service. The 3.6 gram figure is the single-day limit in 21 CFR 1314.20, 7.5 grams alone is only the mail-order portion, and 24 grams appears nowhere in the statute.21 U.S.C. 844(a)
How hard is the exam?
The PTCB PTCE has 90 questions (80 scored) in 110 minutes, scored on a scale where 1,400 passes. The exam fee is $129. Pharmacy technicians earn a median of about $43,460/year (BLS, May 2024).
- Recommended study hours
- Medications make up 35% of the exam, so most study time goes to drug names, classes and interactions; Patient Safety and Quality Assurance is next at 23.75%. Plan several weeks of review.
- Published pass rate
- 69% (the source does not say which attempts it counts) — PTCB, 2025. PTCB labels it only “2025 Pass Rate” and does not split first attempts from retakes, so we will not tell you it is a first-time rate.Source: PTCB — Credentials by the Numbers
- Where to focus first
- Medications (35%) is the largest area — brand/generic names, classes, side effects and interactions — with Patient Safety (23.75%) and Order Entry and Processing (22.5%) close behind.
Fees and salaries are approximate and change over time. The pass rate above is quoted from the source linked beside it, for the period that source covers — where we have not checked a source, we say so and give no number.