book to study for ptcb exam

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morssolis

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i have 0 pharmacy experience and would like to get the certification before i apply for tech jobs.

i would like to take the test in a month and need a good book to study. i have found some people saying the concise review for the ptcb exam book is good but is there something i need to study before i review?

any books you would recommend for someone with 0 experience to pass the exam would be great. thanks

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I would actually suggest getting the job first. Most places will generally help you get your certification. I got my job over two candidates who were already certified. My boss said she would much rather have someone with no experience and teach them her way than higher someone who thinks they know what they are doing and will be harder to teach. Just my experience.

I have been told the The Pharmacy Technician book and workbook are good, and there is also a Pharmacy Math Review workbook that is helpful.
 
I've been wondering about this too. I don't have experience in pharmacy either, and I want to take the PTCB. I'm thinking about buying the Delmar book to study off of, but I'm not sure if it's reliable. So if there's any recommendations on what books to study, that would be appreciative.

Also xscpx, you suggested that getting the job first would be helpful. Is this the right time to go look for one?
 
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I had zero experience working in a pharmacy, and I studied The Pharmacy Technician for 2-3 weeks, passed with a 830 out of 900.
http://www.amazon.com/Pharmacy-Tech...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229932487&sr=8-1

Any review book would probably work though.


Thanks for the book recommedation. I'll give that a try as well. I just wanna make sure I can pass that exam with flying colors.

By the way, what do you guys think of Delmar's Pharm Tech book?
http://www.amazon.com/Delmars-Pharm...ication-Review/dp/0766814327/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_3
 
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Thanks for the book recommedation. I'll give that a try as well. I just wanna make sure I can pass that exam with flying colors.

By the way, what do you guys think of Delmar's Pharm Tech book?
http://www.amazon.com/Delmars-Pharm...ication-Review/dp/0766814327/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_3

I used the Delmar's Pharm Tech book and I think it's a little helpful. Overall, I DON'T recommend it. It has a lot of typos and errors which makes it sometimes hard to follow. I also feel like it doesn't cover all the material in better depth I needed to learn on the PTCB.
 
It's a complete waste of time to study those books. Being one who had read them through before...
1. The books are immensely detailed or sparse, whichever you buy. They are as good as a Kaplan MCAT book. They cover everything and of course you won't learn it all covering themselves should you fail.

2. They're outdated. Things change in pharmacy and it may not be completely advantageous to take everything in the book seriously.

3. What you really need to know is in your pharmacy experience. (It takes a little longer than the 2 months I gave myself, but I was able to pass well with those 2 months.)

If you're going to make the most of your pharmacy experience...
4. Learn pharmacy law. Understand the schedules, recognize the schedule drugs, and understand what the roles of pharmacist/technician are by law.

5. Learn your "fast-movers" or learn the top 100 most dispensed medications and their drug uses/classes as well as their brands. It's not as daunting as it sounds over time.

6. Work at your drop off window. By the time you can read prescriptions independently and calculate day supply or quantity dispensed (of all forms like liquid, tablets, creams), you will be ready for the math questions which make up the exam. Utilize unit canceling effectively if you're ever lost.

7. The final part of the exam covers inventory. I can't recall what questions would be asked here. Things you should know include expiration dates, reconstitution, ordering schedules, and equipment maintenance like refrigerators and fume hoods.
 
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