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Pharmacy — PTCB Practice: Sig Codes, Law & Safety flashcards

6 of 80 questions free to study here · 11 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys

Sig codes and error-prone abbreviations, controlled-substance rules, DEA forms and disposal, look-alike names and error prevention, USP compounding with garbing, hoods and hazardous drugs, NDCs, recalls, Orange and Purple Books, HIPAA, OBRA '90, REMS, calculations and storage.

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Practice deck · part of PTCB PTCE / NAPLEX · written against: Top-drug lists and federal pharmacy law as of 2026; PTCE content outline effective 6 January 2026. Updated 2026-10-10.

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6 questions from the deck as they are. Flip, rate yourself, filter by topic; your progress stays in this browser.

The 6 sample questions as a list
  1. On a prescription, what does the sig code bid mean?
    Twice a day (Latin bis in die).

    Example: a bid sig is usually taken morning and evening, roughly 12 hours apart.
    Sig Codes
  2. Which federal law created the five controlled-substance schedules, and which agency enforces it?
    The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970, enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); schedules rank drugs by medical use and abuse and dependence potential.
    Controlled Substances
  3. What is the purpose of tall-man lettering, as in hydrOXYzine versus hydrALAZINE?
    Capital letters highlight the part of the name that differs, helping staff tell look-alike drug names apart on labels, shelves and screens.
    Medication Safety
  4. How is a National Drug Code (NDC) structured?
    As of 2026, a 10-digit, three-segment number: labeler, product and package (in 4-4-2, 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 configurations), usually padded to an 11-digit 5-4-2 format for billing.

    Watch out: a 2026 FDA final rule moves FDA-assigned NDCs to a uniform 12-digit 6-4-2 format starting March 7, 2033.
    NDC · Recalls & FDA
  5. What is a REMS?
    A Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy — an FDA-required safety program for drugs with serious risks, which may include a Medication Guide, communication plans or elements to assure safe use.
    REMS
  6. What temperature range does USP define as refrigerated?
    2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F) — for products such as most unopened insulin and many vaccines.
    Storage

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Checked against the Controlled Substances Act and 21 CFR Part 1300 series and the DEA Pharmacist's Manual (US government; public domain); reference only, no text copied.
  • Abbreviation and look-alike items checked against The Joint Commission Do Not Use list and ISMP's error-prone abbreviation, confused drug name and high-alert medication lists; reference only.
  • Recall classes, NDC structure and Orange Book codes checked against FDA web pages (public domain); USP chapter scopes and storage definitions checked against USP General Notices (reference only).
  • USP chapters 795 (2023 revision), 797 and 800 checked against USP and NABP summaries; EPA RCRA Subpart P (2019), DEA disposal and partial-fill rules (21 CFR Parts 1306 and 1317), and FDA disposal guidance and Purple Book web pages (reference only; no text copied).
  • Pseudoephedrine sale rules checked against DEA Diversion's Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act pages, child-resistant packaging against 16 CFR 1700.14 (Poison Prevention Packaging Act), the NDC format against FDA's 2026 final rule (91 FR 10749), and iPLEDGE against FDA's iPLEDGE REMS page (US government; public domain; reference only).
  • HIPAA items checked against 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164, OBRA '90 against 42 U.S.C. 1396r-8(g), and biosimilar interchangeability against 42 U.S.C. 262 (US government; public domain); reference only.

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Not clinical guidance. These cards prepare you for an exam. Never use them to make decisions about a patient's care: follow current guidelines, prescribing information and your institution's policies. The decks contain no doses.

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