CoStudy

HomeCertificationsPharmacy Tech › Order Entry and Processing

Order Entry and Processing — Pharmacy Tech practice questions

37 multiple-choice questions and 20 flashcards on Order Entry and Processing, about 23% of the Pharmacy Tech bank. Every one carries a written rationale.

Written and maintained by Nick Burton · last updated 2026-08-22 · how we write and review questions

What this chapter covers

Order Entry and Processing is one of 4 chapters in CoStudy's Pharmacy Tech (PTCB CPhT) bank, and it holds 37 of the bank's 162 multiple-choice questions — roughly 23% of the total. That proportion is not arbitrary: chapters follow the certifying body's published exam outline, and the number of questions in each is set by that domain's published weight, so the share of your practice time this chapter takes matches the share of the real exam it accounts for.

Studying by chapter is worth doing once you have a diagnostic score. A single overall percentage tells you whether you are close; it does not tell you which domain is dragging. Working a weak chapter in isolation, and re-testing it in isolation, is the fastest way to move a score that has stalled — and it is why the mock exams in CoStudy report by domain rather than as one number.

Free Order Entry and Processing practice questions

10 questions drawn from this chapter, with the full rationale shown — the controlling principle behind the right answer, and why each wrong option tempts and fails.

PRN means:

  1. As needed
  2. Daily
  3. Before meals
  4. Twice daily

Answer: A — As needed

B) QD/daily. A) Correct — pro re nata = as needed. C) AC. D) BID.

A 10-digit NDC has segments labeled:

  1. Labeler-Product-Package
  2. Year-Lot-Strength
  3. Strength-Form-Quantity
  4. DEA-State-Pharmacy

Answer: A — Labeler-Product-Package

NDC = labeler code, product code, package code in 4-4-2, 5-3-2, or 5-4-1 formats. B/C/D) Wrong.

DAW 2 indicates:

  1. Prescriber requires brand
  2. Patient requested brand
  3. Substitution not allowed by federal law
  4. No selection indicated

Answer: B — Patient requested brand

DAW 2 = patient requested brand. A) DAW 1. C) Not a DAW code. D) DAW 0.

Young's Rule for pediatric dosing uses:

  1. Age
  2. Weight
  3. BSA
  4. Height

Answer: A — Age

Young's Rule = (age / (age + 12)) × adult dose. B) Clark's. C) BSA-based. D) Not standard.

A 30-day supply of metformin 500 mg BID with 5 refills represents how many total tablets if all refills are used?

  1. 60
  2. 180
  3. 360
  4. 60 × 6 = 360

Answer: C — 360

30 days × 2 tabs/day = 60 tabs per fill × 6 fills (original + 5 refills) = 360. A) One fill only. B) 3 fills. D) Restates C numerically — answer C is conventional.

A workflow step BEFORE adjudicating an insurance claim should be:

  1. Counseling the patient
  2. Filing the hard-copy
  3. Compounding the drug
  4. Verifying patient demographics, allergies, and prescription completeness

Answer: D — Verifying patient demographics, allergies, and prescription completeness

Order entry verifies the script and patient profile before claim submission. A) After dispensing. C) After adjudication. B) After dispensing.

FIFO inventory management means:

  1. First In, First Out (use oldest stock first)
  2. Fastest In, First Out
  3. Final Inventory, First Order
  4. Full inventory rotation monthly

Answer: A — First In, First Out (use oldest stock first)

A) Correct — FIFO minimizes expirations by dispensing older stock first. B/C/D) Wrong.

An IV order: 1,000 mL NS over 8 hours with drop factor 15 gtts/mL. Drip rate (gtts/min) is:

  1. ~21
  2. ~31
  3. ~63
  4. ~125

Answer: B — ~31

(1000 × 15) / (8 × 60) = 15000/480 = 31.25 gtts/min ≈ 31. A) Underestimate. C/D) Calculation errors.

An adult weighs 154 lb. Convert to kg?

  1. 70 kg
  2. 50 kg
  3. 100 kg
  4. 154 kg

Answer: A — 70 kg

154 lb ÷ 2.2 lb/kg = 70 kg. B) Too low. A) Correct. C) Approximate but wrong. D) Same number; wrong unit.

PCN on an insurance card stands for:

  1. Prescription Card Number
  2. Pharmacy Code Number
  3. Processor Control Number
  4. Patient Coverage Note

Answer: C — Processor Control Number

PCN is part of the routing combined with BIN to identify the benefit plan. A/C/D) Fabricated.

Order Entry and Processing flashcards

4 cards from the 20 in this chapter.

Convert 1 kg to lb?

2.2 lb.

PRN?

As needed (pro re nata).

Beyond-use date (BUD)?

Date beyond which a compounded preparation should not be used. Differs from manufacturer's expiration.

BID?

Twice daily (bis in die).

Practise the full chapter

These are a sample. The full Order Entry and Processing chapter runs 57 items with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.

Open Pharmacy Tech in CoStudy →

Other Pharmacy Tech chapters

All Pharmacy Tech practice questions →