Just like any other programs, the students of the Penn Foster Pharmacy Tech program have to pass the exam to become a certified pharmacy technician. The thing is, it is not easy as it sounds. Some people might think of cheating by looking for the cheat sheets while in fact the questions from these exams are not the same even though it is possible for them to be similar.
Questions and Answers of Penn Foster Pharmacy Tech for Practice and Some Words to Remember
If you want to pass the Penn Foster Pharmacy Tech exam, study and practice are the key. It is nearly impossible for you to get a good score without these two. Instead of looking for the answers or the cheats, it is better for you to study and practice by reading some of the possible questions that might show up in the exam.
Some questions and answers for practice:
- Question: What is a volume or volume percentage expressed as a fraction? Hint: think volume as in liquid or mL.
Answer: ml/100mL
- Question: What is the suffix for: combined alpha and beta blockers?
Answer: alol
- Question: Androgens are any substance, (for example, testosterone) that promotes masculinization. Substances that are androgens sometimes contain what letter combination? Hint: this letter combination root also means “pertaining to a man”
Answer: andr
- Question: What is the most common letter combination for generic Serotonin 5-HT2 receptor antagonist drugs?
Answer: answerin
- Question: What is the most common letter combination for names of enzymes?
Answer: ase
- Question: What is the most common letter combination for anti-anxiety agents (diazepam type)?
Answer: azepam
- Question: Antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). What is the common letter combination for antihypertensives (prazosin)?
Answer: azosin
- Question: A beta-lactamase inhibitor is a used molecule used in conjunction with a beta-lactam antibiotic to extend its spectrum of activity. Although beta-lactamase inhibitors have little antibiotic activity of their own, they instead prevent (inhibit) the activity of beta-lactamases, a family of enzymes that break the beta-lactam ring which then allows penicillin-like antibiotics to work, thereby granting bacterial resistance. What is the most common letter combination for Beta-lactamase inhibitors?
Answer: bactam
- Question: What is the common letter combination for Tranquilizers/anti-epileptics?
Answer: bamate
- Question: Barbituric acid derivatives produce an inhibiting action on the central nervous system and are widely used in medicine as calming, hypnotic, and anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital. What is the most common letter combination for Barbituric acid derivatives?
Answer: barb
- Question: Anti-inflammatory analgesics (phenylbutazone type). Anti-inflammatory analgesics are pain medications that also reduce swelling and irritation of the various tissues of the body. What is the common letter combination for anti-inflammatory analgesics of the phenylbutazone type?
Answer: butazone
- Question: What is the most common letter combination for local anesthetics?
Answer: caine
- Question: Are medicines that kill bacteria or prevent their growth and are used to treat infections in different parts of the body – the ears, nose, throat, lungs, sinuses, and skin, for example. Physicians may prescribe these drugs to treat pneumonia, strep throat, staph infections, tonsillitis, bronchitis, and gonorrhea. These drugs will not work for colds, flu, and other infections caused by viruses and are a newer class of antibiotics and often are seen as an alternative to penicillin for many patients. Clinical studies continue to compare this class of antibiotics to penicillin in combating various infections. For example, a 2004 study showed that these drugs are three times more effective than penicillin for treating bacterial throat infections, such as strep throat, in children. Examples are cefaclor (Ceclor), cefadroxil (Duricef), cefazolin (Ancef, Kefzol, Zolicef), cefixime, (Suprax), cefoxitin (Mefoxin), cefprozil (Cefzil), ceftazidime (Ceptaz, Fortaz, Taziceef, Tazidime), cefuroxime (Ceftin) and cephalexin (Keflex). What drug class does this latter paragraph describe?
Answer: cephalosporins
- Question: What is the most common letter combination for penicillin?
Answer: cillin
- Question: What is the most common letter combination for antifungal medications of the miconazole type?
Answer: conazole
Some words to remember:
- Oxy-10: Benzoyl peroxide Acne
- Strattera: Atomoxetine ADD/ADHD
- Ritalin: Methylphenidate ADD/ADHD, Narcolepsy
- Rhinocort: Budesonide Allergic Rhinitis
- Flovent: Fluticasone Allergic Rhinitis
- Zyrtec: Cetirizine Allergies
- Flonase: Fluticasone Allergies
- Allegra: Fexofenadine Allergies, Allergic Rhinitis
- Aricept: Donepezil Alzheimer’s
- Aricept: Donepezil Alzheimer’s Disease
- Imdur: Isosorbide mononitrate Angina
- Trimox: Amoxicillin Antibiotic
- Augmentin: Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid Antibiotic
- Zithromax: Azithromycin Antibiotic
- Omnicef: Cefdinir Antibiotic
- Cefzil: Cefprozil Antibiotic
- Keflex: Cephalexin Antibiotic
- Cipro: Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic
- Biaxin: Clarithromycin Antibiotic
- Cleocin: Clindamycin Antibiotic
- Vibramycin: Doxycycline Antibiotic
- Levaquin: Levofloxacin Antibiotic
- Zyvox: Linezolid Antibiotic
- Flagyl: Metronidazole Antibiotic
- Minocin: Minocycline Antibiotic
- Macrobid: Nitrofurantoin Antibiotic
- Veetids: Penicillin Antibiotic
- Polysporin: Polymyxin/Bacitracin Antibiotic
Tips to Pass the Penn Foster Pharmacy Tech Exam
You are able to pass the Penn Foster Pharmacy Tech exam if you are ready and prepare well. These following tips will help you to pass it:
- Study and exam guides and practice exams
- Pass the exam by knowing how to see word problems
- Practice the cases
- Pass the exam by knowing the way to parse multiple choice questions
- Read carefully
- Do not stay in one place
- Leave nothing blank
- Guess the answer if you are stuck
- Prepare yourself
The last one, preparing yourself is really important. Even if you study a lot a day before, it means nothing if you do not prepare yourself. Before the exam, please get some rest. Do not waste all your time studying as it is not good for your brain and your body in general. Aside from some rest, consuming some healthy foods is also needed. Please eat something like vegetables and fruits. Do not forget to also stay hydrated.
After you are ready with your body and mind, on the day of the exam, it is also better to come early. While it is true that it will not guarantee you to pass the exam, it is effective to give you time to get comfortable in your seat and spread out a little. Being calm is the key to answer everything.
