Credentialing Guidelines and Requirements

Scope 

PTCB Hazardous Drug Management certificate holders have demonstrated their knowledge of USP 800 and disposal requirements for hazardous drugs and are prepared to play a vital role in helping ensure the compliance and safety of the facility.

Eligibility Requirements 

A candidate must hold an active PTCB CPhT Certification and complete a PTCB-Recognized Hazardous Drug Management Education/Training Program.

Exam

Candidates are required to pass the Hazardous Drug Management Exam to earn the PTCB Hazardous Drug Management Certificate. The Hazardous Drug Management Exam is a computer-based exam with 55 multiple-choice questions. Be prepared to commit 1 hour and 30 minutes for the exam (5-minute tutorial, 1 hour and 20-minute exam, and 5-minute post-exam survey).

Exam Content Outline

The Hazardous Drug Management Exam covers several knowledge areas organized into six domains, as shown in the following table.

Engineering Controls (22%)

Features and characteristics of facilities and engineering controls that must be maintained within a healthcare environment when receiving and storing hazardous drugs.

Features and characteristics of facilities and engineering controls that must be maintained within a healthcare environment when manipulating (e.g., sterile and non-sterile compounding, packaging) hazardous drugs.

Facility Cleaning (16%)

Processes and procedures for deactivating, decontaminating, cleaning, and disinfecting areas where hazardous drugs are handled.

Procedures for responding to accidental exposure and spills of hazardous drugs.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (13%)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements when handling hazardous drugs based on the pharmacy activity (e.g., compounding, receiving).

Process for disposing PPE.

Transport & Receiving (11%)

Procedures and environmental requirements for transport and receiving hazardous medications.

Procedures for handling damaged shipping containers containing hazardous drugs.

Dispensing Final Dosage Forms (16%)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) criteria for defining hazardous drugs and tables listing hazardous drugs.

Containment supplemental engineering controls, protective medical devices, and techniques for administering hazardous drugs to patients.

Administrative (22%)

Federal regulations pertaining to the disposal of hazardous drugs.

Medical surveillance programs and surface wipe sampling.

Best practice facility standard operating procedures (SOPs), including area-specific SOPs, for the handling of hazardous drugs.

Hazardous drug training and competency requirements.

 

Exam Passing Score

A panel of subject-matter experts established a passing score for the Hazardous Drug Management Exam using industry best practices. The method used by the panel, as directed by a psychometrician, is the modified-Angoff method. This method requires experts (panel members) to evaluate individual test questions and estimate the percentage of qualified pharmacy technicians that would be able to answer each question correctly. These estimates were analyzed for consistency and averaged to produce the passing score. The passing score and candidate results are reported as scaled scores. The passing scaled score for the Hazardous Drug Management Exam is 300. The range of possible scores is 0 to 400.

ADVANCED CERTIFIED PHARMACY TECHNICIAN CREDENTIAL

Earning your Hazardous Drug Management Certificate takes you one step closer to becoming a PTCB Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT-Adv). Active PTCB CPhTs who have completed at least four of the certificate programs, or three certificate programs and the Compounded Sterile Preparation Technician (CSPT) Certification, and 3 years of work experience will be eligible to earn a CPhT-Adv credential.