The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC) is a multidisciplinary body that oversees rational drug use, formulary management, medication safety, and evidence-based therapeutic policies within a healthcare institution. For B. Pharm students, understanding PTC organization and functions is essential for roles in drug selection, procurement, pharmacovigilance, clinical governance, and antibiotic stewardship. Key topics include committee composition, roles of pharmacists and clinicians, formulary types, therapeutic guidelines, conflict-of-interest policies, drug utilization review, and performance audit. This knowledge links pharmacy practice to institutional policy, cost-effectiveness, and patient safety. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What is the primary purpose of a Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC)?
- To manage hospital finances
- To oversee drug selection, formulary management, and promote rational drug use
- To conduct all clinical trials in the hospital
- To supervise nursing schedules
Correct Answer: To oversee drug selection, formulary management, and promote rational drug use
Q2. Which professional typically chairs a PTC in many hospitals?
- Head Nurse
- Hospital Administrator
- Senior Clinician or Physician
- Chief Financial Officer
Correct Answer: Senior Clinician or Physician
Q3. What is the role of the pharmacist on a PTC?
- Only dispensing medications
- Provide drug information, formulary management, medication safety expertise, and pharmacoeconomic input
- Manage hospital laundry services
- Approve surgical procedures
Correct Answer: Provide drug information, formulary management, medication safety expertise, and pharmacoeconomic input
Q4. Which of the following is a key function of the PTC related to drug procurement?
- Deciding staff uniforms
- Establishing formulary lists and recommending preferred products for procurement
- Approving building maintenance contracts
- Scheduling outpatient clinics
Correct Answer: Establishing formulary lists and recommending preferred products for procurement
Q5. What does an institutional formulary typically contain?
- List of hospital staff
- Selected medicines, therapeutic guidelines, dosing, and monitoring information
- Architectural blueprints
- Patient meal plans
Correct Answer: Selected medicines, therapeutic guidelines, dosing, and monitoring information
Q6. Which formulary model restricts the use of certain drugs unless approved by PTC or a specialist?
- Open formulary
- Closed formulary
- Over-the-counter formulary
- Electronic formulary
Correct Answer: Closed formulary
Q7. What is therapeutic interchange as governed by a PTC?
- Changing a drug’s manufacturer for cosmetic reasons
- Substituting one drug for another with similar therapeutic effect under the formulary policy
- Exchanging patient rooms
- Swapping shift duties among pharmacists
Correct Answer: Substituting one drug for another with similar therapeutic effect under the formulary policy
Q8. Which activity is part of pharmacovigilance responsibilities influenced by the PTC?
- Building maintenance
- Adverse drug reaction monitoring and reporting systems
- Hiring cleaning staff
- Negotiating insurance policies
Correct Answer: Adverse drug reaction monitoring and reporting systems
Q9. Conflict of interest policies in a PTC are important to prevent what?
- Therapeutic advances
- Bias in drug selection and supplier favoritism
- Patient admission delays
- Pharmacy staff training
Correct Answer: Bias in drug selection and supplier favoritism
Q10. Which indicator would a PTC use to evaluate successful formulary implementation?
- Number of parking spaces
- Drug utilization metrics, adherence to guidelines, and cost savings
- Hospital cafeteria revenue
- Telephone call volume
Correct Answer: Drug utilization metrics, adherence to guidelines, and cost savings
Q11. What is the recommended composition of a PTC?
- Only pharmacists and accountants
- Multidisciplinary members including pharmacists, physicians, nurses, microbiologists, and administrators
- Only hospital administrators
- Only external vendors
Correct Answer: Multidisciplinary members including pharmacists, physicians, nurses, microbiologists, and administrators
Q12. How often should a PTC typically meet to remain effective?
- Once every ten years
- Regularly, commonly monthly or quarterly, depending on institutional needs
- Only when medication errors occur
- Daily meetings with all staff
Correct Answer: Regularly, commonly monthly or quarterly, depending on institutional needs
Q13. What is a drug and therapeutics policy manual?
- A financial audit report
- A document outlining formulary policies, prescribing guidelines, and PTC procedures
- A list of parking regulations
- A menu for patients
Correct Answer: A document outlining formulary policies, prescribing guidelines, and PTC procedures
Q14. Which of the following is a pharmacoeconomic tool used by PTCs to decide on formulary choices?
- Cost-minimization, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit analyses
- Weather forecasting
- Architectural cost estimates
- Patient satisfaction surveys only
Correct Answer: Cost-minimization, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit analyses
Q15. What is the role of PTC in antimicrobial stewardship?
- Supply of surgical instruments
- Develop guidelines, restrict inappropriate antibiotics, and monitor resistance patterns
- Oversee patient food services
- Manage hospital transportation
Correct Answer: Develop guidelines, restrict inappropriate antibiotics, and monitor resistance patterns
Q16. Which document should a PTC require from members to manage bias?
- Leave application form
- Declaration of conflict of interest or financial disclosure
- Patient consent form
- Lab test requisition
Correct Answer: Declaration of conflict of interest or financial disclosure
Q17. What is drug utilization review (DUR) in the context of a PTC?
- A review of building utilities
- Systematic evaluation of prescribing, dispensing, and usage patterns to improve outcomes
- An annual food menu review
- Human resources performance appraisal
Correct Answer: Systematic evaluation of prescribing, dispensing, and usage patterns to improve outcomes
Q18. Which record is essential for PTC accountability?
- Minutes of meetings, decisions taken, and rationale for formulary inclusions/exclusions
- Staff vacation logs only
- Cafeteria purchase receipts
- Patient room cleaning schedules
Correct Answer: Minutes of meetings, decisions taken, and rationale for formulary inclusions/exclusions
Q19. How does a PTC contribute to patient safety?
- By creating entertainment programs for patients
- By implementing medication safety protocols, standard dosing guidelines, and error reporting systems
- By designing hospital gardens
- By organizing social events for staff
Correct Answer: By implementing medication safety protocols, standard dosing guidelines, and error reporting systems
Q20. Which of these best describes an evidence-based approach used by PTCs?
- Making decisions based on supplier preferences
- Using clinical trial data, systematic reviews, and guidelines to support drug selection
- Choosing drugs with the most advertising
- Selecting medicines by alphabetical order
Correct Answer: Using clinical trial data, systematic reviews, and guidelines to support drug selection
Q21. What is the role of PTC in formulary exception or restricted-use requests?
- They automatically approve all exceptions
- They review clinical justification and may grant limited approval with monitoring
- They forward requests to maintenance
- They refer all decisions to patients
Correct Answer: They review clinical justification and may grant limited approval with monitoring
Q22. Which metric would indicate improved prescribing after PTC interventions?
- Increase in inventory wastage
- Reduced inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and improved guideline adherence
- Higher advertising spend
- Longer waiting times for appointments
Correct Answer: Reduced inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and improved guideline adherence
Q23. What is the significance of a quorum in PTC meetings?
- It indicates the meeting room size
- Minimum number of members required to make valid decisions
- Attendee dress code
- Number of microphones needed
Correct Answer: Minimum number of members required to make valid decisions
Q24. Which activity is NOT typically within PTC scope?
- Formulary management
- Clinical guideline development
- Direct management of inpatient nursing shifts
- Medication safety programs
Correct Answer: Direct management of inpatient nursing shifts
Q25. How can PTCs support continuing education for prescribers?
- By banning all educational activities
- By organizing drug information updates, guideline training, and seminars on rational prescribing
- By outsourcing education to vendors only
- By limiting access to medical literature
Correct Answer: By organizing drug information updates, guideline training, and seminars on rational prescribing
Q26. Why is monitoring drug shortages important for a PTC?
- It affects cafeteria menus
- Shortages impact patient care, require therapeutic alternatives and procurement strategies
- It determines parking allocation
- It influences hospital décor choices
Correct Answer: Shortages impact patient care, require therapeutic alternatives and procurement strategies
Q27. What is an example of a quality improvement project a PTC might initiate?
- Renovating the staff lounge
- Reducing high-risk medication errors through protocol changes and staff training
- Renegotiating food vendor contracts
- Changing uniform colors
Correct Answer: Reducing high-risk medication errors through protocol changes and staff training
Q28. Which of the following is important when adding a new drug to the formulary?
- Only the drug’s packaging color
- Clinical efficacy, safety profile, cost-effectiveness, and therapeutic need
- Whether it is imported
- Number of letters in the drug name
Correct Answer: Clinical efficacy, safety profile, cost-effectiveness, and therapeutic need
Q29. How should PTC handle medication errors identified in the institution?
- Ignore and document nowhere
- Investigate root causes, implement corrective actions, and share lessons learned
- Blame individual staff publicly
- Terminate the pharmacy department
Correct Answer: Investigate root causes, implement corrective actions, and share lessons learned
Q30. What distinguishes a Drug and Therapeutics Committee (DTC) from a PTC in many settings?
- DTC focuses on therapeutic policies at a national level while PTC is institutional and operational
- They are always identical in name and function
- DTC only manages dietary services
- PTC is responsible for building construction
Correct Answer: DTC focuses on therapeutic policies at a national level while PTC is institutional and operational
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com