PTCB medications practice test: top 200 drug questions
Medications is the largest PTCB domain, 35% of the 2026 exam, or about 28 of the 80 scored questions: brand and generic names, drug classes and what each drug treats, common side effects, interactions and therapeutic duplication, dosage forms and routes, and storage. The free drill below is 12 original questions with every answer explained.
- 35%
- of the 2026 PTCE
- 32
- questions in our mock
- 130+
- drugs in our generator
- 12
- questions in the free drill
Last checked · Domain weight from ptcb.org; drug facts from FDA labeling
Free medications drill: 12 original PTCB-style questions at the real exam's pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.
12
questions
14:40
time limit
Free
every answer explained
By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated · How we check facts · How this is scored
What medication topics are on the PTCB exam?
Generic and brand names, therapeutic classes and indications, common and severe side effects, drug interactions and contraindications, therapeutic duplication, strengths and dosage forms, routes, and storage and stability.
| Topic | What the questions ask |
|---|---|
| Brand and generic names | Match a brand to its generic and back, for the most-dispensed drugs |
| Classes and indications | Which class a drug belongs to and what it treats, often from its stem |
| Side effects | The effect a class is known for, and the serious ones to refer to the pharmacist |
| Interactions | Drug-drug, drug-food and drug-disease interactions a technician should flag |
| Therapeutic duplication | Two drugs from the same class on one profile, such as two statins or two ACE inhibitors |
| Dosage forms and routes | Extended release, enteric coated, sublingual, transdermal, inhaled, and what not to crush |
| Storage | Room temperature, refrigerator and freezer ranges, light-sensitive drugs, reconstituted suspensions |
The 2026 outline replaced "therapeutic equivalence" with therapeutic duplication, so expect questions about spotting two drugs that do the same job on one profile. You will not be asked to choose a therapy; the right answer is usually to flag it for the pharmacist.
How do you learn drug classes for the PTCB?
Learn the stems first. Most generic names end in a stem that tells you the class, so knowing 20 stems places hundreds of drugs before you have memorized them one by one.
| Stem | Class | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -pril | ACE inhibitor | lisinopril, enalapril, ramipril |
| -sartan | Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) | losartan, valsartan, olmesartan |
| -olol, -alol, -ilol | Beta-blocker | metoprolol, atenolol, labetalol, carvedilol |
| -dipine | Calcium channel blocker (dihydropyridine) | amlodipine, nifedipine |
| -statin | HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) | atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin |
| -prazole | Proton pump inhibitor | omeprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole |
| -tidine | H2 blocker | famotidine, cimetidine |
| -gliptin | DPP-4 inhibitor | sitagliptin, linagliptin |
| -gliflozin | SGLT2 inhibitor | empagliflozin, dapagliflozin |
| -azepam, -azolam | Benzodiazepine | diazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam |
| -floxacin | Fluoroquinolone antibiotic | ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin |
| -cillin | Penicillin antibiotic | amoxicillin, ampicillin |
| -triptan | Serotonin agonist for migraine | sumatriptan, rizatriptan |
| -mab | Monoclonal antibody | adalimumab, pembrolizumab |
Stems are a guide, not a law: some drugs do not follow them (metformin, warfarin, levothyroxine), and a few look like a stem but are not. Learn the exceptions as you meet them, and pair every stem with the side effect its class is known for: a dry cough for ACE inhibitors, muscle pain for statins, a slow pulse for beta-blockers.
PTCB-style question 1 · Drug classes
Which of these drugs is a beta-blocker?
- ACarvedilol
- BLosartan
- CAmlodipine
- DHydrochlorothiazide
Worked answer
A: Carvedilol. Carvedilol (Coreg) is a beta-blocker, with alpha-blocking activity too. Losartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker, amlodipine a calcium channel blocker and hydrochlorothiazide a thiazide diuretic.
- Beta-blockers share the -lol stem: metoprolol, atenolol, propranolol, carvedilol.
- Carvedilol ends in -dilol, still a -lol.
- The other three belong to the -sartan, -dipine and thiazide groups.
The trap: Looking only for "-olol". Carvedilol and labetalol end differently but are still beta-blockers.
Do I need to know the top 200 drugs for the PTCB?
You need to know the most-dispensed drugs well: generic, brand, class, main use and one key side effect for each. The exam asks about common drugs far more than rare ones.
| Generic | Brand | Class | Main use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atorvastatin | Lipitor | Statin | High cholesterol |
| Levothyroxine | Synthroid | Thyroid hormone | Hypothyroidism |
| Lisinopril | Zestril, Prinivil | ACE inhibitor | Hypertension, heart failure |
| Metformin | Glucophage | Biguanide | Type 2 diabetes |
| Amlodipine | Norvasc | Calcium channel blocker | Hypertension, angina |
| Metoprolol succinate | Toprol XL | Beta-blocker | Hypertension, heart failure |
| Omeprazole | Prilosec | Proton pump inhibitor | GERD, ulcers |
| Losartan | Cozaar | ARB | Hypertension |
| Sertraline | Zoloft | SSRI | Depression, anxiety |
| Gabapentin | Neurontin | Anticonvulsant | Nerve pain, seizures |
Study in class groups rather than alphabetically: all the statins together, all the ACE inhibitors, all the SSRIs. That way a question about one drug reminds you of its neighbors, and look-alike names from different classes (hydroxyzine and hydralazine, levothyroxine and levetiracetam) stop feeling the same.
Our generator draws on a verified table of more than 130 high-volume drugs, so the drill and every mock ask new combinations of name, brand, class and use.
PTCB-style question 1 · Brand and generic names
A prescription is written for Synthroid 75 mcg. Which generic does it name?
- ALevetiracetam
- BLevothyroxine
- CLiothyronine
- DMethimazole
Worked answer
B: Levothyroxine. Synthroid is levothyroxine (T4), thyroid hormone replacement for hypothyroidism. Liothyronine is T3 (Cytomel), methimazole treats an overactive thyroid, and levetiracetam (Keppra) is an anticonvulsant.
- Synthroid is a thyroid hormone, dosed in micrograms.
- Of the thyroid drugs, levothyroxine is T4 and the usual replacement.
- Levetiracetam only looks similar: it is a seizure medicine.
The trap: Picking levetiracetam because it starts with "lev". Look-alike names are exactly what this domain tests.
More drug questions, new combinations each time
Eight full mocks and four medications drills, with names, brands, classes and uses drawn fresh from our drug table every time.
The PTCB Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 16 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.
Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The PTCB Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.
- 8
- timed mocks
- 16
- topic drills
- 1
- score predictor
Which drug interactions should a pharmacy technician know?
The ones a technician is expected to flag: warfarin with azole antifungals, some antibiotics and NSAIDs; nitrates with PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil; serotonergic drugs together; potassium with ACE inhibitors and spironolactone; and two drugs from the same class.
- Warfarin: fluconazole, metronidazole, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and amiodarone can raise the INR; aspirin and NSAIDs add bleeding risk; large changes in vitamin K intake lower the INR.
- Nitrates (nitroglycerin, isosorbide) with sildenafil or tadalafil: a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
- Two serotonergic drugs (an SSRI with an MAOI, linezolid or St. John's wort): serotonin syndrome.
- ACE inhibitors or ARBs with spironolactone or potassium supplements: high potassium.
- Tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones with calcium, magnesium, iron or antacids: the minerals bind the antibiotic and cut absorption.
- Opioids with benzodiazepines: profound sedation and slowed breathing.
- Therapeutic duplication: two statins, two ACE inhibitors, or a brand and its generic from two prescribers.
On the exam, the technician's right answer is almost always to flag the interaction for the pharmacist, not to change the order or counsel the patient on a clinical decision. Choose the option that stops and refers.
PTCB-style question 1 · Interactions
A patient with a stable INR on warfarin brings in a new prescription. Which drug is most likely to raise the INR and should go to the pharmacist first?
- AAcetaminophen 325 mg, 2 tablets once
- BFluconazole 150 mg tablet
- CLoratadine 10 mg daily
- DFamotidine 20 mg twice daily
Worked answer
B: Fluconazole 150 mg tablet. Fluconazole inhibits the liver enzyme (CYP2C9) that clears warfarin, so warfarin levels and the INR can rise and bleeding risk goes up. A single small dose of acetaminophen, loratadine and famotidine are not known for this effect.
- The question asks which drug raises the INR, so look for an enzyme inhibitor.
- Azole antifungals such as fluconazole are classic warfarin interactions.
- The pharmacist decides; the technician flags it.
The trap: Choosing acetaminophen. Regular high doses can affect the INR, but a single dose is a far smaller concern than fluconazole.
What storage rules are on the PTCB exam?
USP ranges: controlled room temperature 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), refrigerator 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F), freezer -25°C to -10°C (-13°F to 14°F). Know which common drugs need the refrigerator, and which dosage forms must not be crushed.
- Refrigerate until dispensed or opened: insulin, many vaccines, latanoprost eye drops, reconstituted amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate suspensions, and some injectables such as lorazepam.
- Keep at room temperature after mixing: reconstituted azithromycin and cefdinir suspensions.
- Keep in the original glass bottle, tightly closed: sublingual nitroglycerin tablets.
- Do not crush: extended-release (ER, XL, SR), enteric-coated and orally disintegrating products, unless the labeling says it is allowed.
- Shake well: suspensions. Protect from light: drugs dispensed in amber containers.
PTCB-style question 1 · Storage
A wholesaler order arrives. Which item must go into the refrigerator?
- AAmoxicillin 500 mg capsules
- BUnopened insulin glargine vials
- CLevothyroxine 50 mcg tablets
- DAlbuterol inhaler
Worked answer
B: Unopened insulin glargine vials. Unopened insulin is stored in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) and never frozen. The capsules, tablets and inhaler are kept at controlled room temperature.
- Sort the order: which items are biologics or labeled "refrigerate"?
- Insulin is labeled for refrigeration until opened.
- Put it away first so it stays in range.
The trap: Thinking all insulin stays cold. An opened pen or vial can be kept at room temperature for the days its label allows, but unopened stock is refrigerated.
Practise the whole domain in the free drill above, then take the full PTCB practice test. More worked questions, each with its trap, are on PTCB sample questions, and a study plan built around the drug list is in how to pass the PTCB.
Frequently asked questions
How many drugs do I need to know for the PTCB?
Are brand names still tested?
What replaced therapeutic equivalence in 2026?
Do I need to know doses?
Are these real PTCB questions?
Get the top drugs automatic
Eight full PTCB-style mocks and four drills per domain, every answer explained, for one payment.
The PTCB Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 16 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.
Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The PTCB Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.
- 8
- timed mocks
- 16
- topic drills
- 1
- score predictor