Infection Control in the Pharmacy: PTCE Essentials
Learn infection control principles for pharmacy technicians including hand hygiene, PPE, aseptic technique, and how these topics appear on the PTCE exam.
Why Infection Control Matters in Pharmacy
Pharmacy technicians prepare medications, handle equipment, and interact with patients, making infection control a critical competency. Whether you work in a sterile compounding room or at a retail counter, understanding how to prevent the spread of infection protects patients and staff. The PTCE includes infection control in the patient safety and quality assurance domain.
Hand Hygiene
Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent infection transmission. The CDC recommends:
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when visibly soiled
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60-95% alcohol) when hands are not visibly soiled
- Perform hand hygiene before and after compounding, before donning gloves, after removing gloves, after handling contaminated items, and before patient contact
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The type of PPE required depends on the task:
- Gloves - Required for compounding, handling hazardous drugs, and cleaning spills
- Gowns - Required for sterile and hazardous drug compounding
- Masks and eye protection - Required when there is a risk of splash or aerosol exposure
- N95 respirators - Required for handling certain powdered drugs or during airborne infection isolation
Aseptic Technique
Aseptic technique prevents microbial contamination during sterile compounding. Key principles include working within the direct compounding area (DCA) of a laminar airflow workbench, never blocking first air, swabbing vial tops and injection ports with 70% IPA, and never touching critical sites with bare hands.
Cleaning and Disinfection
Pharmacy surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected regularly. The laminar airflow workbench must be cleaned with sterile 70% IPA before each compounding session and after any spill. Work from clean to dirty areas, top to bottom, back to front.
Immunizations and Technician Health
Many states now allow specially trained pharmacy technicians to administer immunizations under pharmacist supervision. Technicians should stay current on their own vaccinations, including annual influenza, to protect immunocompromised patients.
Infection control is a core PTCE topic. Master these fundamentals for exam day and daily practice.
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