Free PTCE Order Entry Practice Questions

Order Entry and Processing is 22.5% of the PTCE. These questions cover reading a prescription: Sig codes, routes and sites, Roman numerals and symbols.

Answer each one in your head, then open the answer to check.

1. Question 1

   What does "q.wk." mean on a prescription?

   1. AEvery other week
   2. BOnce a day
   3. COnce a week
   4. DFour times a day
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   C. Once a week

   In "q.wk.", q means every and wk means week, so it's once a week. Weekly drugs such as alendronate 70 mg or methotrexate must be clearly labeled, and writing 'once weekly' is safest.

   • Why not A? q.wk. is every week.
   • Why not B? Daily is a different frequency.
   • Why not D? That's q.i.d.

2. Question 2

   What does "OD" mean when used in an ophthalmic prescription?

   1. AOverdose
   2. BRight eye
   3. CLeft eye
   4. DBoth eyes
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   B. Right eye

   "OD" stands for "oculus dexter," Latin for "right eye."

   • Why not A? OD in eye prescriptions means right eye, not overdose.
   • Why not C? Left eye is OS.
   • Why not D? Both eyes is OU.

3. Question 3

   What does "ss" mean in a Sig such as "tab ss"?

   1. AOne-half
   2. BSliding scale
   3. CTwo
   4. DWithout
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   A. One-half

   'ss' (semis) means one-half. ISMP recommends writing '½' or 'one-half' instead.

   • Why not B? ss is one-half; spell out 'sliding scale' to avoid confusion.
   • Why not C? ss means one-half.
   • Why not D? Without is s with a bar over it.

4. Question 4

   A prescription says "take 1 tablet q8h." How many doses will the patient take in 24 hours?

   1. A8
   2. B3
   3. C4
   4. D6
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   B. 3

   q8h means every 8 hours. 24 hours divided by 8 equals 3 doses per day.

   • Why not A? 8 is the hours between doses, not the number of doses.
   • Why not C? 4 a day would be q6h.
   • Why not D? 6 a day would be q4h.

5. Question 5

   "Give via NG tube" means the medication goes...

   1. AUnder the tongue
   2. BInto the ear
   3. CInto a vein
   4. DThrough a tube from the nose to the stomach
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   D. Through a tube from the nose to the stomach

   NG = nasogastric. Some products, like extended-release tablets, can't be crushed for tubes.

   • Why not A? That's sublingual.
   • Why not B? That's otic.
   • Why not C? That's IV.

6. Question 6

   What does "qs ad 100 mL" mean?

   1. AAdd exactly 100 mL more
   2. BUse 100 mL every day
   3. CAdd enough to make a total of 100 mL
   4. DDiscard after 100 days
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   C. Add enough to make a total of 100 mL

   qs = quantity sufficient; ad = up to. Add the vehicle until the final volume is 100 mL.

   • Why not A? qs ad means bring the TOTAL to 100 mL.
   • Why not B? It's a compounding instruction, not a dose.
   • Why not D? It isn't a dating instruction.

7. Question 7

   What does the abbreviation "q4h" mean in a prescription Sig?

   1. AEvery 4 hours
   2. BOnce every 4 days
   3. CFor 4 hours only
   4. DFour times daily
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   A. Every 4 hours

   "q4h" means the medication should be taken or administered every 4 hours.

   • Why not B? That would be q4days.
   • Why not C? Not a duration. It's how often.
   • Why not D? Four times daily is qid.

8. Question 8

   What does the abbreviation "p.o." mean?

   1. AAs needed
   2. BBy mouth
   3. CTwice daily
   4. DAfter meals
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   B. By mouth

   "p.o." stands for "per os," Latin for "by mouth."

   • Why not A? As needed is prn.
   • Why not C? Twice daily is bid.
   • Why not D? After meals is pc.

9. Question 9

   In a prescription, "Disp: XV" indicates a quantity of...

   1. A5
   2. B10
   3. C15
   4. D20
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   C. 15

   The Roman numeral XV equals 15.

   • Why not A? 5 is V.
   • Why not B? 10 is X.
   • Why not D? 20 is XX.

10. Question 10

    Sig: 1 cap po tid x10d. What does "x10d" mean?

    1. ATake 10 capsules
    2. BFor 10 days
    3. C10 doses a day
    4. DEvery 10 days
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    B. For 10 days

    'x' followed by a time means 'for that long.'

    • Why not A? It describes length of therapy.
    • Why not C? The frequency is tid; x10d is the duration.
    • Why not D? x means 'for' a duration.