PHARMACY TECHNICIAN STUDY GUIDE
Correct answers latest update
Who is the prescriber?
physician
Who is the medication dispenser?
pharmacist
Medication order
written request from a prescriber or a transcription of a verbal or telephone order in an inpatient
facility. Typically see these in hospital pharmacies.
Prescription
written request from a prescriber or a transcription of a verbal or telephone order in outpatient (or
ambulatory) facility. Typically see these in retail pharmacies, where medications are dispensed to
patients who are self administering at home.
Generic names
nomenclature for drugs, medication and other chemical compounds that don't change, regardless of
how pharmaceutical companies have branded them.
Brand names
trademarks used by pharmaceutical companies to identify their particular medication formulations.
Legend (drugs)
medications that must be prescribed by someone with precaution authority, such as a physical,
physicians assistant, or nurse practitioner, and must be dispensed by legally qualified pharmacies.
Over-the-counter
drugs that can be purchased without a presumption as long as they are properly labeled for home
use.
Formulary
in every pharmacy but what it is differs slightly depending on whether you're working in a hospital or
retail pharmacy.
Formulary (in hospital)
list of drugs that the pharmacy stocks that are available to resident prescribers.
Formulary (in retail pharmacy)
list of drugs that are or are not covered under different health insurance benefit plans.
Abbreviations
aka "sig codes" used in prescriptions and medication orders that are mostly based on Latin.
, Rx
prescription
sx
symptoms
dx
diagnosis
Which letter is not to be used when writing prescriptions?
"U"
never used because it could look like a 0 so be extra cautious.
AA
of each
AC
before a meal
AD
right ear
AS
left ear
AU
both ears
BID
twice a day
BUCCAL
cheek/gum
C
with
CAP
capsule
G
gallon
Correct answers latest update
Who is the prescriber?
physician
Who is the medication dispenser?
pharmacist
Medication order
written request from a prescriber or a transcription of a verbal or telephone order in an inpatient
facility. Typically see these in hospital pharmacies.
Prescription
written request from a prescriber or a transcription of a verbal or telephone order in outpatient (or
ambulatory) facility. Typically see these in retail pharmacies, where medications are dispensed to
patients who are self administering at home.
Generic names
nomenclature for drugs, medication and other chemical compounds that don't change, regardless of
how pharmaceutical companies have branded them.
Brand names
trademarks used by pharmaceutical companies to identify their particular medication formulations.
Legend (drugs)
medications that must be prescribed by someone with precaution authority, such as a physical,
physicians assistant, or nurse practitioner, and must be dispensed by legally qualified pharmacies.
Over-the-counter
drugs that can be purchased without a presumption as long as they are properly labeled for home
use.
Formulary
in every pharmacy but what it is differs slightly depending on whether you're working in a hospital or
retail pharmacy.
Formulary (in hospital)
list of drugs that the pharmacy stocks that are available to resident prescribers.
Formulary (in retail pharmacy)
list of drugs that are or are not covered under different health insurance benefit plans.
Abbreviations
aka "sig codes" used in prescriptions and medication orders that are mostly based on Latin.
, Rx
prescription
sx
symptoms
dx
diagnosis
Which letter is not to be used when writing prescriptions?
"U"
never used because it could look like a 0 so be extra cautious.
AA
of each
AC
before a meal
AD
right ear
AS
left ear
AU
both ears
BID
twice a day
BUCCAL
cheek/gum
C
with
CAP
capsule
G
gallon
