FREE ExCPT Practice Test 2025

Explanation: HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) ensures that patient health information is kept private and secure. Pharmacy technicians must follow HIPAA guidelines when handling patient data.

Explanation: Lipitor is a brand name for Atorvastatin, a statin drug used to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

1 teaspoon = 5 mL

3 times daily for 10 days = 30 doses

30 doses × 5 mL = 150 mL

Explanation: Tall Man lettering (e.g., predniSONE vs. prednisoLONE) highlights differences in look-alike drug names to reduce dispensing errors.

Cocaine is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance under federal law. Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse, which may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. Heroin and marijuana are Schedule I substances (high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in the United States), and mescaline is also a Schedule I substance. Pharmacy technicians must understand the classification of controlled substances to ensure proper handling, storage, and dispensing according to legal requirements, a key aspect of pharmacy law and regulation tested in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

PHI stands for Protected Health Information, which refers to any information about health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that is created or collected by a Covered Entity (a health plan, a health care clearinghouse, or a health care provider who transmits any health information in electronic form in connection with a transaction covered by HIPAA) and can be linked to a specific individual. Pharmacy technicians must understand and comply with regulations regarding PHI to protect patient privacy. This is a critical aspect of healthcare law and ethics, likely to be covered in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

Federal law permits the dispensing of Schedule II controlled substances in an emergency based on an oral authorization from a prescriber. However, to maintain proper control and accountability, the prescriber must follow up with a written, signed prescription within 7 days of the oral order. Failure to do so requires the pharmacy to notify the DEA. Knowledge of controlled substance regulations is a critical component of the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

Celecoxib is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that selectively inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). COX-2 inhibitors reduce pain and inflammation without many of the gastrointestinal side effects associated with non-selective NSAIDs. Beta-adrenergic blockers are used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions. Proton pump inhibitors decrease stomach acid production. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, also known as statins, are used to lower cholesterol levels. Recognizing medication classes is crucial for pharmacy technicians to ensure accurate dispensing and understand potential drug interactions, a key aspect of medication safety in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

Alendronate is a bisphosphonate medication commonly used to treat osteoporosis. The brand name for alendronate is Fosamax. Levaquin is the brand name for levofloxacin (an antibiotic), Boniva is the brand name for ibandronate (another bisphosphonate), and Zithromax is the brand name for azithromycin (an antibiotic). Pharmacy technicians must be familiar with both generic and brand names of medications to accurately process prescriptions and ensure correct dispensing, a foundational aspect of drug therapy knowledge relevant to the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

Enteric coatings are applied to tablets and capsules to prevent them from dissolving in the acidic environment of the stomach. Instead, the coating allows the medication to pass through the stomach intact and dissolve in the more alkaline environment of the small intestine. This can be done to protect the drug from being degraded by stomach acid, to protect the stomach lining from irritation by the drug, or to delay the release of the medication until it reaches the intestines. While some coatings might indirectly make a tablet easier to swallow due to a smoother surface, and sustained-release formulations have their own mechanisms, the primary purpose of an enteric coating is to control where the drug is released in the gastrointestinal tract. Flavor enhancement is not a typical function of enteric coatings. Knowledge of different pharmaceutical dosage forms and their properties is essential for pharmacy technicians and is tested in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the recombinant zoster vaccine (brand name Shingrix) for the prevention of shingles (herpes zoster) in healthy adults aged 50 years and older. This vaccine is preferred over the live zoster vaccine (Zostavax). While the influenza, Tdap, and pneumococcal vaccines are also important for adults, the recombinant zoster vaccine is specifically targeted for shingles prevention in this age group. Pharmacy technicians often play a role in providing information about and administering vaccines, making this knowledge relevant to the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam, particularly in the area of patient care and public health.

In the 13th century, Sicily established a formal separation of the responsibilities of pharmacists and physicians, a landmark development that differentiated the roles of dispensing medications from prescribing them. This separation helped to ensure checks and balances in medication use. The creation of the first pharmacopeia occurred elsewhere, and while standardization and compounding regulations are important, the Sicilian decree specifically addressed the division of labor. Understanding the historical evolution of pharmacy practice provides context for current regulations, which are part of the knowledge base for the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

First, convert 2 liters to fluid ounces: 2 L * 33.8 oz/L = 67.6 oz. The concentration of propylparaben is 0.45 g / 67.6 oz. Next, convert 0.45 g to milligrams: 0.45 g * 1000 mg/g = 450 mg. So the concentration is 450 mg / 67.6 oz. Now, calculate the amount needed for 1 pint (16 oz): (450 mg / 67.6 oz) * 16 oz ≈ 106.5 mg. Rounding to the nearest whole number gives approximately 107 mg. Accurate pharmaceutical calculations are a key aspect of the ‘Dispensing Process’ evaluated in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

The abbreviation DAW on a prescription signifies ‘Dispense As Written.’ This instruction from the prescriber indicates that the brand-name medication is medically necessary and should be dispensed exactly as written, without generic substitution. Understanding such abbreviations is crucial for accurate prescription processing and dispensing in a pharmacy setting, a key aspect of the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam which assesses knowledge of pharmacy practice and regulations. MAC stands for Maximum Allowable Cost, NDC refers to the National Drug Code, and DEA is the Drug Enforcement Administration. These terms relate to medication costs and identification but not the prescriber’s preference for brand-name dispensing.

Medication therapy management (MTM) encompasses a range of services provided by pharmacists to individual patients to ensure the safe and effective use of medications. This includes assessing the patient’s medications, identifying and resolving drug-related problems, developing a care plan, and monitoring outcomes. Drug utilization review (DUR) is a process used to ensure the appropriate, safe, and cost-effective use of medications. Inventory management involves overseeing the supply of medications. Medication reconciliation is the process of comparing a patient’s medication orders to all of the medications that the patient has been taking. Pharmacy technicians often support MTM activities by gathering patient information and assisting pharmacists.

The DEA requires strict inventory control and the reporting of exact quantities for Schedule II controlled substances due to their high potential for abuse and dependence. While estimates are permitted for Schedule III-V medications, Schedule II drugs necessitate precise counts. Understanding the regulations surrounding controlled substances is a critical component of a pharmacy technician’s responsibilities and is heavily emphasized in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam, focusing on pharmacy law and regulatory requirements.

Pulverization by intervention involves reducing the particle size of a solid with the aid of a volatile solvent that can later be evaporated. This technique is particularly useful for hard crystalline substances. Trituration involves grinding a solid in a mortar and pestle, while spatulation is the mixing of powders using a spatula. Levigation is the process of reducing particle size of a solid by triturating it in a mortar or on an ointment slab with a small amount of a non-solvent liquid. Understanding different particle size reduction methods is relevant in pharmaceutical compounding. This knowledge is important for the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam as it relates to the preparation and dispensing of medications.

Paroxetine (Paxil) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). SSRIs work by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin in the brain, making more serotonin available to transmit signals between nerve cells, which can help improve mood. Buspirone (BuSpar) is an anxiolytic, alprazolam (Xanax) is a benzodiazepine (anxiolytic), and duloxetine (Cymbalta) is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). Understanding different classes of medications and their mechanisms of action is a crucial aspect of a pharmacy technician’s knowledge base, tested in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

According to USP standards for sterile compounding, the anteroom is a space adjacent to the cleanroom (buffer room) used for personnel hand hygiene, garbing procedures, staging of components, order entry, and other activities that generate particles. This helps to reduce the risk of contamination in the critical compounding environment. Understanding USP guidelines is crucial for pharmacy technicians involved in sterile compounding and is a significant part of Medication Safety and Quality Assurance in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.

Clark’s rule is a weight-based formula used in pediatric dosing, relating the child’s weight in pounds to the average adult weight of 150 pounds to determine the fraction of the adult dose to administer. Young’s rule is based on age, Fried’s rule is typically used for infants, and Cowling’s rule is another age-based formula. Understanding and applying the correct pediatric dosing rules is essential for ‘Medication Safety and Quality Assurance’, a key area in the NHA CPhT™ ExCPT exam.