Patient Safety & Quality Assurance
(26.25% of the PTCB Exam)
____?____ are typically not an issue for non-controlled medications. - ANS - Early
Refills
A ______?______ is used to determine the underlying root cause of a problem. In
pharmacy, this is looking at the processes set in place for filling and dispensing a
prescription and at what point did an error occur. - ANS - Root-Cause Analysis
A complete and running list of a patient's allergies, including ___?___, should be
documented before dispensing any pharmacy product. - ANS - reaction type
A near miss is just a close call. A near miss occurs when a medication error has taken
place but by chance does not reach the patient. A near miss should also be reported
internally for process improvement purposes.
True or False? - ANS - True
A pharmacist should always be available in the pharmacy in case of questions or
concerns.
True or False? - ANS - True
A pharmacy technician should never handle a clinical problem or provide clinical
information, as this is one of the many duties of the pharmacist on duty.
True or False - ANS - True
A product's integrity can be compromised due to inadequate
____________?_____________. A medication that has bypassed its expiration date
should _____?_____ dispensed. - ANS - storage, temperature changes, moisture
levels, etc.
should never be dispensed.
Adverse events from a medication are more serious than a side effect and have the
potential to cause injury or even be life threatening.
True or False - ANS - True
, Adverse events related to immunizations should be reported by the pharmacist to the
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)- managed by the CDC and FDA.
True or False? - ANS - True
Adverse reactions can occur right after a vaccine is given or even up to ____?____
days thereafter. - ANS - 14 days thereafter
An OTC (over-the-counter) medication is one that does not require a prescription.
True or False - ANS - True
Barcodes for drugs are used for what? What is used to verify the barcodes? - ANS -
Similar to NDC codes, each drug's barcode is unique and can be used to verify that the
correct product is chosen. A scanner may be used to scan the individual drug product
into the system and to verify the correct drug is chosen in the filling process.
Counting trays and spatulas should always be cleaned regularly before use and
periodically throughout the work shift. This is typically done with ___?%__ isopropyl
alcohol. - ANS - 70%
Dispensing the correct quantity of medication is an important step of the prescription
filling process and Sometimes it is not as easy as simply filling the quantity written on a
prescription.
True or False? - ANS - True
During data entry or calculations, do you use Trailing Zeros? What about Leading
Zeros? If so when do you use it? - ANS - During data entry or calculations: you do not
use trailing zeros (ex. 5.0); instead, simply write the whole number (5) and add units. A
zero should be added before a decimal point (ex. 0.5 mg or 0.75 mL) to minimize the
risk of overdose.
FDA has a program called ____?____, where healthcare providers and patients can
report an adverse reaction to a medication. - ANS - MedWatch
Identifying underlying causes of missed doses can help avoid treatment failures and
adverse outcomes moving forward.
True or False - ANS - True
Is it important for the patient to be vigilant post-immunization and notify the
administering pharmacist of any unusual reactions? - ANS - Yes
(26.25% of the PTCB Exam)
____?____ are typically not an issue for non-controlled medications. - ANS - Early
Refills
A ______?______ is used to determine the underlying root cause of a problem. In
pharmacy, this is looking at the processes set in place for filling and dispensing a
prescription and at what point did an error occur. - ANS - Root-Cause Analysis
A complete and running list of a patient's allergies, including ___?___, should be
documented before dispensing any pharmacy product. - ANS - reaction type
A near miss is just a close call. A near miss occurs when a medication error has taken
place but by chance does not reach the patient. A near miss should also be reported
internally for process improvement purposes.
True or False? - ANS - True
A pharmacist should always be available in the pharmacy in case of questions or
concerns.
True or False? - ANS - True
A pharmacy technician should never handle a clinical problem or provide clinical
information, as this is one of the many duties of the pharmacist on duty.
True or False - ANS - True
A product's integrity can be compromised due to inadequate
____________?_____________. A medication that has bypassed its expiration date
should _____?_____ dispensed. - ANS - storage, temperature changes, moisture
levels, etc.
should never be dispensed.
Adverse events from a medication are more serious than a side effect and have the
potential to cause injury or even be life threatening.
True or False - ANS - True
, Adverse events related to immunizations should be reported by the pharmacist to the
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)- managed by the CDC and FDA.
True or False? - ANS - True
Adverse reactions can occur right after a vaccine is given or even up to ____?____
days thereafter. - ANS - 14 days thereafter
An OTC (over-the-counter) medication is one that does not require a prescription.
True or False - ANS - True
Barcodes for drugs are used for what? What is used to verify the barcodes? - ANS -
Similar to NDC codes, each drug's barcode is unique and can be used to verify that the
correct product is chosen. A scanner may be used to scan the individual drug product
into the system and to verify the correct drug is chosen in the filling process.
Counting trays and spatulas should always be cleaned regularly before use and
periodically throughout the work shift. This is typically done with ___?%__ isopropyl
alcohol. - ANS - 70%
Dispensing the correct quantity of medication is an important step of the prescription
filling process and Sometimes it is not as easy as simply filling the quantity written on a
prescription.
True or False? - ANS - True
During data entry or calculations, do you use Trailing Zeros? What about Leading
Zeros? If so when do you use it? - ANS - During data entry or calculations: you do not
use trailing zeros (ex. 5.0); instead, simply write the whole number (5) and add units. A
zero should be added before a decimal point (ex. 0.5 mg or 0.75 mL) to minimize the
risk of overdose.
FDA has a program called ____?____, where healthcare providers and patients can
report an adverse reaction to a medication. - ANS - MedWatch
Identifying underlying causes of missed doses can help avoid treatment failures and
adverse outcomes moving forward.
True or False - ANS - True
Is it important for the patient to be vigilant post-immunization and notify the
administering pharmacist of any unusual reactions? - ANS - Yes
