PTCB CSDP study guide
PTCB CSDP · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Sterile Compounding Technician credential, offered through PTCB, is a voluntary certification for pharmacy technicians who prepare sterile products such as IV admixtures, parenteral nutrition, and other compounded sterile preparations. It signals that a technician has met a national standard for aseptic technique, equipment use, and quality assurance, and it is typically pursued by technicians working in hospital pharmacies, infusion centers, and other sites where sterile compounding is performed. The PTCB CSDP study guide has 6 sections and about 1,503 words.
01Sterile Compounding Equipment, Facilities, and Environmental Monitoring
A candidate must know the layered design of a sterile compounding space: the primary engineering control (PEC) - laminar airflow workbench, biological safety cabinet, or compounding isolator - sits inside a buffer area (cleanroom), which is separated from the ante area and general pharmacy. ISO classifications matter: a PEC provides ISO Class 5 air at the critical site, while the surrounding buffer area must meet the class appropriate to the compounding risk level.
316 words, about 2 min02Aseptic Technique and Sterile Compounding Procedures
Candidates must understand hand hygiene and garbing order, disinfection of the hood and supplies, and the concept of the critical site - any exposed sterile surface or pathway, including needle bevels, vial septa, and syringe tips. Technique questions test whether you keep critical sites within first air, avoid touching them, and use proper engineering controls for hazardous drugs.
263 words, about 1 min03Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Drug Handling and Safety
Understand the hierarchy of controls for hazardous drugs: elimination/substitution, engineering controls (closed-system transfer devices, biological safety cabinets, isolators), administrative controls (work practices, training), and personal protective equipment. Know that a containment ventilated enclosure or Class II BSC is used for hazardous compounding, and that a negative-pressure room protects the environment.
235 words, about 1 min04Sterilization, Disinfection, and Infection Control
Candidates must differentiate sterilization (destroys all microorganisms including spores) from disinfection (high, intermediate, low) and sanitization. Know that sterilization methods include moist heat (autoclave), dry heat, ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and radiation, and that each has parameters (time, temperature, pressure, concentration).
225 words, about 1 min05Quality Assurance, Documentation, and Regulatory Standards
Candidates should understand the roles of USP general chapters relevant to compounding, state boards of pharmacy, and federal requirements. Know that beyond-use dates are assigned based on stability, risk level, and storage conditions, and that documentation must support each compounded preparation.
240 words, about 1 min06Pharmacology, Calculations, and Preparation Verification
Candidates must handle dilution, concentration, ratio/proportion, alligation, and dosing calculations. Know how to convert units (mg to g, mL to L), calculate percentage concentrations, and use the formula: desired concentration × desired volume = stock concentration × stock volume.
224 words, about 1 min