PEBC Tech QE Part I study guide
PEBC Tech QE Part I · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Examination Part I (MCQ) is the multiple-choice component of the national certification examination administered by The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC). It is written by pharmacy technician candidates - Canadian graduates, U.S. graduates and internationally educated technicians proceeding through PEBC's certification pathway - and it is paired with Part II (OSPE), the practical station-based component. Part I samples the knowledge base a technician needs to support dispensing, preparation and pharmacy operations safely; PEBC organizes the content through an examination blueprint, and candidates are directed to review the blueprint that was updated for September 2026 before sitting the exam. Topics on this exam: Professional Practice and Patient Care, Prescription Processing and Product Dispensing, Product Preparation, Compounding and Sterile Products, and Pharmacy Management, Inventory and Legislation/Ethics. The PEBC Tech QE Part I study guide has 4 sections and about 1,283 words.
01Professional Practice and Patient Care
Patient care is a team activity. The technician's professional practice rests on patient-centred communication, privacy and confidentiality, and a clear understanding of scope.
329 words, about 2 min02Prescription Processing and Product Dispensing
A prescription must identify the patient, drug name, strength and dosage form, directions, quantity, date, prescriber, and refills, with the prescriber's signature where required. Provincial law and college standards set retention, labelling, and transfer rules; federal law governs controlled substances.
321 words, about 2 min03Product Preparation, Compounding and Sterile Products
Non-sterile compounding requires a master formula or prescription, accurate weighing and measuring, and a complete compounding record. Key techniques include geometric dilution for a small amount of powder in a large volume, levigation to make an ointment smooth, trituration for potent drugs, and the aliquot method when the balance cannot weigh the required quantity accurately.
333 words, about 2 min04Pharmacy Management, Inventory and Legislation/Ethics
Inventory is money on a shelf. Use par levels with minimum and maximum quantities, reorder points, and FEFO rotation-first-expired, first-out.
300 words, about 2 min